Disclaimer:I don't own Naruto or Drak souls. Any similarities between real people, living or dead, or places, standing or demolished, in this story are just coincidences.
But if you like what I do and want to support me, you are more than welcome to donate on Place of Patrons.
Chapter no.29 Old Wounds, New Words
"So… where's Oscar?"
That was the first thing Naruto said as he stepped back into Tsunami's house—not a greeting, not a breath—just that question, direct and sharp.
Sakura froze mid-step, her mouth open, only to shut it just as quickly at the look on Naruto's face. It wasn't just serious. He looked… different. Like he hadn't just returned from a stroll but from a battlefield.
Sakura nudged Sasuke hard under the table. Sasuke sighed. "We kept him in the closet."
"Why?"
"Well, for one, he wouldn't stop hissing at people," Sakura said defensively.
"He tried to bite me," Sasuke muttered. "Well, at least he tried."
"Wow. So this is where we are now, huh? You've really stooped low enough to slander the most precious thing in the world?"
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "What—ramen?"
"Tch… Touché, bastard."
Sakura rolled her eyes. "Actually, we made it cozy! Used blankets, one of Kakashi's shirts… he seemed pretty chill in there."
"I owe you two," Naruto said over his shoulder, reaching for the closet door—only to find it empty.
Naruto turned slowly, like a door creaking on its hinges, and fixed them both with a stare. "This," he said flatly, "is empty."
Sasuke sighed and, with no ceremony, kicked Sakura's shin under the table. "OW—! Fine!" she hissed. "Tsunami-san?"
From the kitchen, Tsunami's voice carried warmly: "Oh! You should check the backyard. I let him out to bask in the sun. Inari's been looking after him."
Before anyone could blink, a rush of wind stirred through the hallway curtains and Naruto was gone—a blur toward the yard.
Outside, the air smelled of damp soil and vegetables. Rows of plants were growing along makeshift wooden beds. A small irrigation pond shimmered near the edge of the yard, fed by a tiny channel from the nearby stream.
Oscar was there, half-submerged on his back in the shallow water, glimmering under the fading sun like a jewel. His crystals glinted softly.
But he wasn't alone.
A small hand reached toward him. Oscar hissed and rolled away. The hand belonged to a boy—spiky black hair, tired dark eyes. He wore a green jumper over a yellow shirt and a striped hat tilted low over his brow.
Tch, the boy huffed. "Really? After all that, and you still won't let me touch you?"
Naruto's voice cut through the air, amused and exasperated. "Oscar, what are you doing?"
Oscar perked up at once. The moment he saw Naruto, he sprang out of the water and sprinted across the yard, launching himself up Naruto's leg. The boy caught him with a laugh, pressing his forehead against Oscar's snout. The lizard chirped happily, his open mouth revealing his gleaming, crystalline maw.
"How did you do that?" the boy asked in disbelief, wide-eyed.
"Uh… who are you?"
Sakura walked up behind him. "That's Inari. Tazuna-san's grandson. He's been helping out, took care of Oscar while we were busy."
Naruto smiled and crouched down to the boy's level. "Thanks, Inari. Really. I hope he wasn't too much trouble."
Inari crossed his arms, looking away. "Whatever. He didn't even let me pet him."
"What've you been feeding him?"
"Fish. I caught them myself," Inari said, puffing up just a bit.
Naruto's grin widened. "You catch fish? Man, that's awesome. When I was your age, I could sit at a stream for hours and barely catch one. You've got real skill."
Inari's ears tinged pink. He tried to hide it.
"Still," Naruto added, "Oscar's a bit... picky. He can eat meat, sure—but what he really likes is metal. Especially things like iron and steel."
Naruto reached into his inventory scroll and pulled out a chipped and broken straight sword. "Wanna feed him properly?"
Inari's eyes widened as he nodded eagerly.
Naruto handed him the sword. "Here—offer it flat, like this."
Inari did as instructed. He held the blade out carefully, his hands trembling with anticipation.
Oscar sniffed it, chirped once, then bit down with a satisfying crunch. In moments, the sword was half-eaten, sparks of crystal forming at the corners of the lizard's jaw.
"That's… so cool!" Inari said, awe filling his voice.
Oscar licked his crystalline teeth and chirped again, nudging Inari's hand in what could only be called a thank-you.
From the house, Tsunami's voice called, "Dinner's ready, everyone! Come and eat!"
Naruto ruffled Inari's hair and stood up. "Come on," he said. "Let me teach you how to do belly rubs on this lizard."
Inari looked up with wide eyes and tried to hold back a smile.
Kurenai stared at the pale-green toad with blue streaks sitting cross-legged on the wooden table, his tiny arms folded like a messenger carrying the weight of a much larger burden.
Gamaden.
Of all the things she expected today, a summoning from Mount Myōboku wasn't one of them.
Up until now, she'd been quietly hoping—maybe even relying—on someone like Jiraiya to show up. A Sannin. A legend. Someone with the kind of experience and knowledge to make sense of… everything.
Naruto's mysterious injury. Kakashi pushing his chakra network to its limits. The unknown threat still lurking in the shadows. Surely, Jiraiya would understand something they didn't. Maybe he could confirm whether Naruto's condition was tied to the Nine-Tails, like Kakashi had once suspected in his private notes. That's why she hadn't interfered—hadn't tried to step into Naruto's space. She didn't know how.
And now the frog said Jiraiya wasn't coming.
"I'm sorry, Gamaden-san," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "But why exactly does Jiraiya-sama need to be in Mount Myōboku right now?"
The toad huffed, visibly annoyed. "Look, lady—I mean, ma'am—this is above your clearance. I was sent by Elder Fukasaku himself. Jiraiya's presence is required on Mount Myōboku. The reason is between him and the Great Toad Sage."
Kurenai exhaled slowly. She was trying to be patient. Truly. "I see. Then… how long will he be away?"
Gamaden scratched his head. "Few days at most. Depends on how long the Great Sage takes with the next prophecy... gah, dammit!"
He slapped a webbed hand to his mouth, realizing his slip. But Kurenai's lack of visible reaction made it clear she had no idea what he meant. No context. Just another strange piece of a puzzle too big for her to solve. With a sheepish shrug, the toad vanished in a puff of smoke.
Kurenai sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. She was a Jonin. A genjutsu specialist. A leader of her own squad. And yet lately, she'd felt like nothing more than a nursemaid and a bystander. Should she send word to Konoha for backup? She glanced toward the corridor where Kakashi rested, his chakra signature flickering with exhaustion.
No. She'd wait. Focus on stabilizing him. Focus on what she could control.
"Dinner's ready, everyone! Come and eat!" Tsunami's cheerful voice rang through the house, offering a welcome distraction. Kurenai moved toward the dining room, grateful for something simple. Ordinary.
But what she walked into was anything but.
Sitting at the table, surrounded by rice bowls and pickled vegetables, was Inari—laughing. His face bright, his hands occupied rubbing Oscar's belly.
Is that… a summon? Kurenai thought, eyeing the crystal lizard as it relaxed under Inari's gentle touch.
"I never thought I'd see the day," came a voice beside her.
She turned. "Tazuna?"
The old man didn't look at her; his eyes were fixed on the sight in front of him. His voice, when he spoke, was quiet.
"The smile of my grandson. He's just a kid… but this world's taken too much from him. I thought maybe this bridge, my dream, would be the thing to bring it back. A little hope. But it wasn't. Not really. And now…" He exhaled, a bit shaky. "That lizard—whatever the hell it is—is giving him something I couldn't. Just one night where he gets to act his age. That's more than I ever hoped for."
Kurenai softened. "Don't thank me. This… this is all Naruto. I don't even know what that thing is."
"Well, I'll thank the brat myself, then," Tazuna said with a small, dry chuckle. "Strong one, isn't he? Lost an arm, still walks like he's untouchable."
Kurenai gave a faint nod as she sat beside Hinata, who hadn't touched her food. Her Byakugan active, focused on Oscar.
"Something wrong?"
Hinata hesitated. "I… I don't know how to describe it. Internally, Oscar is made entirely of crystal. Not bone. Just layers of… condensed chakra. Frozen solid, like... crystals."
"Strange you say that," Shino said, lifting a brow behind his shades. "My bugs feel stronger near him. Just proximity alone is stimulating them. Chakra saturation, maybe."
Kiba scoffed, reaching for a rice ball. "It's just a lizard. A weird one, sure. But not worth freaking out over."
They all ignored him.
"Well then, Naruto," Kurenai said, turning her gaze to the boy who was fussing over Oscar's tail, "a proper introduction would be appreciated. What is your little friend?"
"Team 8, this is Oscar. And I'm going to train him to be my ninken."
"Ninken," Kurenai corrected lightly. "That's the term for ninja-trained dogs. For general beasts trained for combat, it's ninchū."
"Oh! Thanks, sense..." Naruto caught himself. "Close. You almost earned the 'sensei' title."
"I'll work harder."
Kiba, not amused, muttered under his breath, "He named the lizard Oscar…"
"Am I supposed to know who Oscar is?" Kurenai asked, glancing around.
"It's… complicated," Shino replied. "Naruto's armor belonged to a man named Oscar. There's history there. And the name has caused… tension between Uzumaki-san and Inuzuka-san."
Kurenai caught it instantly—the way Kiba's jaw clenched, the faint bitterness in his tone. She frowned. There's a story here, she thought. And it's not a happy one.
Meanwhile, Inari, who had been quietly playing with Oscar, glanced up. "Will Oscar fight too?"
"Eventually," Naruto said. "Still gotta train him first. Maybe get some advice from Pakkun. Right, Sasuke?"
"Hn," Sasuke grunted without looking up, idly spearing a pickled onion.
Inari's hand froze mid-pat. His smile disappeared. The brim of his hat lowered over his eyes. "…Just leave!"
The room quieted.
"What did you say?" Kiba's voice was sharp.
"You heard me." Inari's small hands clenched. "Just go. Get out of here before Gato kills you all."
The warmth drained from the air like a dying fire.
"What did you just say, brat?"
Inari glared up at him, a child's defiance blazing beneath a mountain of fear. "You think you're strong? You think you can beat Gato? He owns this place. He owns everything. He'll crush you like bugs."
Kurenai leaned forward slightly. Sakura froze mid-bite. Even Sasuke paused.
Naruto didn't move. He just watched the boy carefully, his expression unreadable. But inside, he understood. That look in Inari's eyes… it wasn't anger. It was terror. Fear that the people you love will die. Fear that no matter how strong you are, it won't be enough. That no one can win. What kind of life had this child lived to make him speak like that?
"I don't know who this 'Gato' guy is, but I'm telling you right now, there's no way some thug like that stands a chance against me."
"What are you, stupid?"
Kiba's nostrils flared. "Listen here, you little..."
"Kiba!" Kurenai's voice cracked like a whip.
But the boy didn't stop. Akamaru barked beside him, rising with hackles raised. Inari flinched at the sound but didn't back down, hands clenched into tiny fists. "If you don't want your mutt to die," Inari said, "then you should leave while you can!"
Kiba growled low in his throat and took a step forward and that was when Naruto moved, stepping in between the two. "Really? Getting worked up over a kid? What, you think you're some tough guy now?"
"Say that again, deadlast!"
Naruto didn't bother. His eyes flicked to Inari and immediately, he noticed something was off. "…Genjutsu," he muttered under his breath. His gaze shifted to the side, Tazuna was frozen too. So was Tsunami.
The others followed his eyes until they all landed on Kurenai, who had just finished her hand signs. "I shouldn't even need to say this," she said, her voice flat with disappointment. "How to behave with a client. The respect and restraint required when dealing with civilians—weren't you taught this in the Academy?"
"You tell 'em," Kiba muttered, clearly assuming she was on his side.
Kurenai exhaled like she was trying not to slap a wall. "I am talking about you, Kiba."
He blinked. "What? I can't be mad the brat threatened Akamaru..."
"He didn't threaten him," Naruto interrupted, earning a sharp glare from Kiba.
Shino replied calmly. "Kiba-san. The boy did not issue a threat. He voiced a fear, born not from arrogance, but experience. You've seen the state of the people here. Do you really think Tazuna's family has been untouched by it?"
Kiba opened his mouth to argue. But the look Kurenai shot him—the silent fury of a woman at the edge of her patience—shut him up. She lifted the genjutsu from the civilians with a wave of her hand. "Let's eat," she said, voice tight.
The table fell into a strained silence. Tazuna and Tsunami tried to smile and play host, but the air was heavy. Everyone ate the modest portions with quiet understanding.
When the meal was done, Naruto stood and gave a slight bow, his voice calm and formal, just as Seigmeyer had taught him. "That was a fine meal, Lady Tsunami. You have my gratitude."
"Oh! Thank you, Naruto-kun. That's kind of you to say."
Kurenai watched him, quietly taken aback. So this was the real Naruto. Not the loudmouth from the Academy, not the unpredictable prankster the village gossiped about; no, this boy was disciplined, respectful, thoughtful. She could see it in his posture, his tone, the way he measured his words. There's a man in there, she thought. Someone taught him well.
"See that?" she said to the group. "That's how you conduct yourself around civilians. You make them feel safe. Respected."
Kiba grumbled. "Whatever…"
"Genin Kiba."
He looked up, shoulders tensing.
"You're on night watch."
He blinked. "…Tonight?"
"Starting now."
Sakura raised a hand hesitantly. "Kurenai-sensei, when will Kiba's shift end? And who'll take over after him?"
"No one," Kurenai said flatly. "He's guarding the house all night. Alone."
Everyone stared.
"Let this serve as punishment for his behavior," she continued, eyes flicking to the rest of the group. "And let it be a warning to the rest of you. You're shinobi. You represent more than yourselves. You act with discipline, especially in front of those you've sworn to protect. Am I understood?"
"Yes, ma'am!" the others chorused, backs straightening.
Kiba groaned quietly but said nothing. Akamaru nuzzled his leg.
Naruto watched the exchange in silence, then glanced toward Inari, who was staring down at his half-finished meal. He didn't speak, but he did reach under the table and gently slide a tiny piece of bent iron toward Oscar, who chewed it with a delighted chirp. It was small. But maybe that gesture—the silent way Inari tried to share—was a start.
As night settled like a blanket over the Wave Country, the faint sound of crickets filled the humid air outside. Inside the dimly lit room, Team 7 was winding down for the night. Sakura leaned over a water basin, brushing her teeth with small, practiced strokes. She spat, wiped her mouth, then looked over her shoulder.
"What do you guys think of Team 8?"
Naruto sat cross-legged on the mattress, his drake sword laid across his lap like a beloved pet. His eyes narrowed as the faint blue glow of his HUD shimmered across his vision, unseen by anyone else.
[ WARNING: THIS WEAPON IS AT RISK OF BREAKING. ]
His fingers traced the blade's chipped edge, catching on a crack that hadn't been there yesterday.
Is it the chakra infusion? he wondered, frowning. Too much stress on the structure? Or maybe it's like pyromancy—it just doesn't sync with chakra. He clicked his tongue, irritation bubbling beneath the surface. He'd have to ask Andre about it the next time he dropped into Lordran. Maybe get it reforged or reinforced.
"They're… unbalanced," Sasuke said flatly. "The Hyūga's quiet, the Aburame's methodical. But Kiba? He's reckless. Loud. He'll be a liability one day."
"At least they have Kurenai," Sakura added, drying her hands on a cloth. "She's sharp. It helps having another jōnin around, especially while Kakashi-sensei's still recovering."
I wonder if Andre knows more about these dragon weapons… Naruto mused.
"Hey," Sakura's voice cut through his thoughts like a shuriken. "Are you even listening?"
"Huh? What?"
"You weren't listening."
"I was!" Naruto said way too quickly. "I heard... things. Words. Many words were said. I agree with all of them—or none of them. Possibly a few. But not the bad ones. Dattebayo."
Sasuke gave him a long, soul-weary stare. "That wasn't even a sentence."
"You know Iruka-sensei isn't here to scream at you anymore," Sakura said. "You don't have to keep up the 'I swear I'm paying attention' jutsu."
Naruto rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling sheepishly. "Fine, fine. I zoned out. What was the question again?"
"I asked if that weird flask of yours, the Estus thing, could heal Kakashi."
"Oh." Naruto immediately perked up. "Yeah. Probably. It's healed worse than what Kakashi has, I think."
"You think?"
"Yeah, well… I don't really know what kind of damage Kakashi-sensei took," Naruto replied to Sasuke. "So, do I go and heal him now, or what?"
"Kurenai-sensei said she'd handle his treatment. Told us not to worry."
"Let her try first," Sasuke added, arms crossed. "If she can't fix it… then we use an Estus."
He didn't say it out loud, but they all understood the reasoning. That flask wasn't just some convenience—it could change the tide of battle. And Sasuke wasn't comfortable with just handing that power out. Naruto, however, probably would.
"Okay," Naruto said with a nod, yawning wide. "So… what do you think I should do about Kiba?"
"What about him?"
"I mean… I kinda beat him up during graduation. I've been thinking, it might be easier to squash this whole mess if I just apologize."
"Maybe… but why not wait till tomorrow?"
"Why not now?"
"Well," she said slowly, glancing at Sasuke, "I overheard Kiba justifying his attack on you when we first got to the Wave. He said he was only returning the favor for what you did to him."
Naruto blinked. "What?"
"She means," Sasuke cut in, "Kiba thinks you 'sucker-punched' him during your first fight. In his mind, you only won because of that, so his sneak attack here was just payback."
Naruto stared, unimpressed. "Okay, first of all, I hit him from the front. That's not a sneak attack, that's just called being fast. Second, didn't he use a jutsu during that fight? I remember him spinning or something. If he's blaming his loss on a cheap shot, that's pure cope."
"You're not helping the whole 'resolving conflict' thing," Sakura said with a sigh.
"What? I'm just saying dog-breath lost fair and square."
"Naruto," Sakura warned.
"Fine, fine," Naruto relented. "I'll talk to him. When things cool down. Maybe tomorrow. Right now, I've got more important things to do—like making Oscar a bed."
"We'll help," Sakura offered, already standing.
She turned to Sasuke, who was very obviously pretending to be asleep.
"You're helping too, Sasuke."
"Hn."
"That's a command, not a request."
"…Hn."
Naruto chuckled as Team 7 finished building a small nest-like bed from their spare clothes in the corner of the room. It wasn't elegant—mostly a lumpy pile of shirts, cloaks, and one stubborn sock Sasuke refused to claim—but it had warmth, and that was all Oscar really needed.
"I'll go get him," Naruto said. "Sasuke, stop folding things and start stacking. He's a lizard, not a daimyo."
"Hmph," Sasuke grunted, but he shifted the crumpled vest anyway.
Naruto smiled to himself as he stepped into the hall. For all their bickering, they'd come together for something as small as Oscar's bed. That had to count for something.
He reached the crate. Empty. The smile vanished. Did Inari take him out again?
A breeze drifted through the open window, cool and tinged with the scent of earth and pine. Naruto's sharp eyes narrowed as he spotted a slip of paper tucked in the corner of the crate.
Come meet me outside in the forest.
No name. No signature. Just the scribbled words—clearly from someone in a rush. Naruto's stomach twisted. His mind raced through possibilities—who had motive, who had opportunity. Only one name rose to the top.
Kiba Inuzuka.
He was on night watch. He had free movement. And he was the only one still nursing a grudge strong enough to pull something this stupid. For what? Some childish revenge?
"Hey Naruto, we finished the bed," Sakura called from the other room.
Naruto inhaled through his nose, calming the burn behind his eyes. "Thanks," he said over his shoulder, tone even. "Oscar wants to moonbathe outside. We're gonna go for a little stroll."
"Don't let him eat the grass."
"No promises."
"Night, Naruto!" Sakura added.
"Sleep tight," Naruto said gently. "I'll handle this."
The boy's gaze hardened, all warmth draining from his eyes as they locked onto the treeline. The goofy, carefree boy who joked and smiled was gone—shed like a second skin. In his place stood something colder. Sharper. The undead knight who had carved his path through the cursed lands of Lordran.
He stepped onto the windowsill, a soft click echoing as his armor snapped into place—repaired, gleaming in the moonlight, and ready for war. Whoever thought they could take from him was about to learn what it meant to steal from a warrior who'd fought demons and walked through fire.
Oscar wasn't just a lizard. He was family.
A few minutes later, the forest was silent save for the soft rustling of leaves and the distant cry of night birds. The moon hung low, bathing the world in pale silver, casting long shadows beneath the trees.
Naruto walked beneath those shadows like a ghost. His steps were quiet, deliberate—each one heavier than the last. The boy who once smiled without restraint was nowhere to be found. When he entered the clearing, the sight that met him sent a chill through his spine. Kiba stood alone, holding Oscar by the tail. The crystal lizard thrashed, panicked chirps escaping his throat, but Kiba didn't budge. His grip was firm.
"Kiba."
That single word was low and dangerous. A growl rather than a name.
"Put. Him. Down."
"What's with the tone?" Kiba sneered. "That brat talks crap about Akamaru and you're all Zen. But now you're growling like a wolf because of this overgrown gecko?"
Naruto didn't respond. Not to Kiba's words. Not to his tone. His eyes never left Oscar. But the moment he saw a tremor in Oscar's leg, a tiny glint of discomfort in his body—Naruto moved. There was no hand seal. No shout. Only the cold hum of something appearing in his hand. A giant winged spear, six feet of sharpened steel, shimmered into hand from his inventory.
Naruto's voice dropped to a tone that made the temperature in the clearing fall.
"If you so much as chip a scale," Naruto said, every syllable like the toll of a funeral bell, "I will shove this spear inside you... out through your mouth like a pig."
Kiba's expression faltered. "W-What?"
"I'll rip your tongue out so you remember silence. I'll strip the skin from your arms and watch you crawl with nothing but bone."
Oscar squirmed harder, and Kiba's grip faltered.
The light caught his face... his calm, empty face—and that emptiness was worse than fury. "And if you think pain's your limit," Naruto continued, "then I'll heal you. Every night. Limb by limb. Muscle by muscle. Until I can do it in my sleep. And then I'll cut them all again."
Kiba was pale now, sweat beading on his brow. He bent down, gently placing Oscar onto the forest floor.
Oscar scrambled, slipping free, and bolted to Naruto's side with a chirp.
Naruto placed a protective hand on the lizard's head, not taking his eyes off Kiba.
There was a moment of quiet.
Then, Kiba laughed nervously, raising his hands in mock surrender. "You're bluffing. You don't even know medical nin—"
"I can regrow a spine," Naruto said flatly. "Want me to start with yours?"
Silence.
Kiba took a step back.
Naruto relaxed—barely. The tension in his shoulders eased, and the spear shimmered out of existence. Then he asked, voice steady and far too calm, "What is this about, Kiba?"
Silence.
Naruto's gaze didn't waver. Kiba's breathing had steadied again, his spine slowly straightening as he regained a shred of his usual cocky bravado—but it was brittle, paper-thin over the very real fear Naruto's earlier threat had carved into him.
Then came the sound of scratching from the earth.
Kiba turned, confused—just in time to see Oscar burst from underground, latching onto Akamaru's tail with crystal fangs and yanking the poor pup down into the dirt with a surprised yelp.
"What the hell?!" Kiba shouted, eyes wide in panic. "Akamaru!"
But Naruto didn't move. His face was unreadable, voice cold. "You were going to start a fight anyway. I just made sure our partners didn't get caught in the crossfire." He raised his left arm, the heavy gauntlet snapping into place over his wrist with a dull metallic clunk. "No tricks, no cheap shots. Just you and me, Kiba. So come on."
Kiba crouched low, fingers curling, fangs elongating. His chakra surged around him, distorting the air with the jutsu of the Inuzuka clan. His eyes sharpened into something animalistic. A growl rolled from his throat.
"I'm gonna show you just how far behind you really are, dead last!" Kiba shouted, launching into the trees. His movements were fast—wild, but focused. Leaves burst into the air as he leapt from branch to branch, building speed, power.
"You keeping up?" he called down mockingly. "Or did I already lose you?"
Naruto stood still. No emotion. No reaction. He flexed his gauntleted hand once, adjusting his stance.
Kiba burst from the treetops. "Fang Over Fang!"
He was a spinning blur, a cyclone of claws and fangs. The vortex of chakra tore through the air, shrieking toward Naruto like a cannonball. Still, Naruto didn't move—not until the very last second. With a subtle step forward, he lifted his arm and slammed the gauntlet straight into Kiba's face.
BOOM.
The clearing exploded with force. Leaves scattered. Dust mushroomed outward.
Kiba's momentum died instantly as the gauntlet halted him mid-spin. His body hit the earth hard, carving a small trench in the dirt before coming to rest. He groaned, unconscious, a clear imprint of Naruto's gauntlet etched across his cheek.
Naruto stood over him, silent for a beat. "You talk too much."
A faint whimper broke the silence.
Akamaru leapt from the bushes, landing beside his partner. He nudged Kiba with his nose, whining softly.
Naruto sighed, tilting his head. "Relax, furball. He's not dead."
Akamaru barked.
"...I think."
Akamaru barked again, louder.
Naruto crouched down, studying the display on his HUD.
[Kiba Inuzuka – HP: 1 / 200]
"Tch. Weak," he muttered.
Akamaru growled lowly.
"Alright, alright. Don't get dramatic on me," Naruto grumbled, pulling out his Estus Flask and casually dumping a splash over Kiba's body. "There. Good as new. Mostly."
Akamaru barked again, his tone softening. He turned to Oscar, giving a grateful yip. Oscar chirped in reply, waddling over to nuzzle the puppy's snout gently.
Naruto watched, eyes softening just slightly. "See? He's fine. Just unconscious. He'll wake up whining like usual in a few minutes."
Akamaru wagged his tail, lying down beside Kiba protectively. Naruto stood, brushing dirt from his gauntlet.
A few minutes later…
Kiba groaned, his eyes blinking open to a starry sky above and the scent of earth and grass thick in his nose. He winced as he sat up and immediately looked over his shoulder at his own rear.
"Relax," came Naruto's voice, calm and flat. "I didn't impale you."
Kiba whipped his head around and glared at him. "What the hell is wrong with you, man?! Who even says stuff like that?!"
"You think that was bad?" Naruto said, voice quiet and dry. "You wouldn't last five seconds in Lordran. I saw the Black Knight spear a guy clean through, lift him like meat on a spit. Didn't even blink."
Kiba blinked. "What the hell are you even talking about?"
Naruto just waved a hand. "Doesn't matter. You're better off not knowing."
Kiba groaned and clutched his ribs, trying to get his bearings. He noticed something soft beneath him—a blanket? When had that gotten there?
Akamaru barked cheerfully in the background, bouncing around as Oscar scuttled in zigzags through the grass, crystalline body catching the moonlight. The two animals darted around each other with weirdly playful energy.
"How're you feeling?"
"…Fine, I guess," Kiba muttered, confused. His voice was hoarse. His head should have been pounding after that hit, but it wasn't. He touched his cheek, expecting bruises, fractures—nothing.
"Estus," Naruto said simply, not looking at him.
Kiba frowned. "Huh?"
"I healed you."
Kiba stared at him, dumbfounded. "You… why?" His voice cracked. "Why would you heal me after that?"
Naruto shrugged. "Weird thing to ask, don't you think? How about some gratitude, dattebayo?"
"That's not what I mean," Kiba said quickly, eyes narrowing. "I mean… shouldn't this be, I dunno, some kind of honor thing between us now?"
Naruto finally turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow. "Honor… thing?"
"Yeah," Kiba said, sitting up straighter, getting into it now. "You know. You beat me in a fight, in front of my partner, made me look weak. I'm supposed to challenge you again and reclaim my pride. That's how it works in a pack. If the top dog gets taken down, he's gotta fight to climb back up or the rest of the pack loses respect."
Naruto blinked. Then blinked again.
"…Wait. You thought you were the top dog between us?"
Kiba flinched, just a little.
Naruto tried to hold it in—he really did. But a loud snort burst out of him before he dissolved into full-blown laughter. "Oh man, you thought you were the alpha?" He wiped a tear from his eye. "Bro, we're shinobi. Not wolves."
"It's a principle!" Kiba shouted defensively.
"If it helps you sleep better, sure. Call it whatever you want. But you seriously gotta stop living like life's a kennel. We're not fighting for a food bowl."
Kiba scowled, but Akamaru barked again and nudged his side. The puppy's tail wagged as Oscar nudged him back, almost in solidarity.
Kiba looked at them. Then at Naruto. "…Still think your lizard's a weirdo."
"And I still think you've got a complex," Naruto said. "Try therapy next time instead of kidnapping pets."
"Yeah, yeah… I guess I had that one coming."
"Guess?"
Kiba let out a sigh and looked away. "Alright, fine. I'm sorry. For the Oscar thing. That was low, even for me."
Naruto nodded. "Yeah. It was."
There was a long pause between them. The rustling of leaves filled the silence, along with the distant sound of Akamaru barking at Oscar, who responded with a series of low chirps that sounded vaguely like laughter.
"…I don't know what I was thinking," Kiba admitted. "I guess I just… I don't know, man. I got caught up in all this stupid pride crap."
Naruto took a breath, then sat back down beside him.
"I was actually gonna talk to you," Naruto said. "Apologize."
"To me? What for?"
"For graduation day," Naruto said. "I shouldn't have gone that far. I was… angry. At a lot of things. But especially that day."
"You mean the fight?"
Naruto nodded. "I wasn't mad at you, not really. I was grieving. Someone important to me died before graduation. He was like my teacher… mentor, maybe even more than that. The armor I wear now, the sword I carry—it was his."
Kiba stayed quiet, listening.
"You made some comments that day. You didn't mean them the way I took them, I know that now. But they hit me in the middle of a storm, and I lashed out."
Kiba swallowed, guilt creeping into his chest. "Damn. I didn't know."
"I know," Naruto said. "You weren't supposed to. To everyone, I was still the class clown, the dead-last, you know?"
"Can I ask you something?"
"Yeah. What is it?"
Kiba hesitated, chewing the inside of his cheek. "…Was the Naruto I knew—the dead-last—real?"
Naruto blinked.
"I'm not trying to insult you, it's just… I never saw any of this before. The swordsmanship, the armor, the way you talk about your master... you never even mentioned him back at the academy. It's like—like that whole part of you came outta nowhere."
Naruto's expression didn't tighten or turn cold. If anything, it softened.
"Because it's… kind of new," he admitted quietly. "Back then, yeah, I really was the dead-last. Loud, clumsy, failed half my classes. I didn't know how to shut up, or how to fight, or even what I wanted from being a ninja. That was me. That was real."
He paused, voice lowering.
"But… is that all I'm supposed to be forever? Just some screw-up who makes noise and barely scrapes by?"
Kiba didn't answer. He could hear something real in Naruto's voice.
"I'm still that Naruto," he continued, looking at him now. "I still love eating too much, I still say dattebayo, I still wear orange, and I still act like a clown sometimes. But that's not all I am anymore. I've changed. I've seen things… learned from people who didn't have the luxury of living easy lives. And I guess…" Naruto trailed off, letting the thought sit heavy in the air. "I'm growing into someone I didn't even know I could be."
Kiba looked at him—really looked. And for the first time, he wasn't seeing the loudmouth from class. He was seeing someone who had been shaped by grief, by pain, by battle… and who'd come out the other side of that still standing.
There was a long pause.
"I'M SORRY!"
Naruto blinked. "…Okay?"
"No, I mean it," Kiba said quickly. "For the whole Oscar thing. That was messed up, and I knew it even as I was doing it. And for back at the academy—when I ran my mouth. I didn't know anything about what you were going through. And if someone had said something like that about my mom or Akamaru…"
"You'd have gone for the throat," Naruto finished.
"Exactly."
Naruto stood and held out his left hand. Kiba stared at it, then took it with a firm shake.
"No honor feud?"
Kiba smirked, his usual confidence returning. "Nah. No feud. But I'm still gonna take you down someday. Reclaim my pride. It's tradition."
Naruto laughed. "Sure. But you're 0 and 2 right now. So I'd start training."
"Tch. Cocky bastard."
Akamaru barked again in the distance as Oscar chirped and scuttled around him. The two moved like they'd known each other for years.
"…By the way," Kiba said, eyeing the lizard, "what even is that thing?"
"Oscar's a crystal lizard," Naruto said with a proud grin. "Gonna train him to be my Ninchū."
"…Huh." Kiba scratched his head. "That even possible?"
"I'll figure it out," Naruto said.
"Well…" Kiba hesitated, then shrugged. "I could help."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I mean, it's not like it's a big deal or anything," Kiba said quickly. "I just figured… since your sensei's Kakashi, and his ninken are kinda famous, you'd get the training anyway. Might as well start now."
Naruto blinked. "Wait, Kakashi's ninken are famous?"
Kiba nodded. "Even in the Inuzuka clan. His bond with them's crazy deep. I heard his mom was from our clan, or at least had ties. Makes sense."
"Huh." Naruto looked thoughtful. "So why help me?"
Kiba shrugged again, avoiding his eyes. "…Consider it my way of making up for what I said. About your master. That was low. Even for me."
Naruto smiled. Not smugly. Not triumphantly. Just... softly. Like he really appreciated it.
"Thanks, Kiba. But you owe someone else an apology first."
"…Who?"
"Inari."
Kiba groaned. "You serious?"
"Dead serious."
"Ugh. Fine," Kiba muttered, shoulders sagging. "I'll say sorry to the brat."
Naruto clapped him on the back, almost knocking him forward. "Good man. That's called growth."
"Keep talking like that and I'm taking it back."
"Dog-breath."
"Jerk."
They laughed, low and tired, but genuine. As the moon hung high overhead and the two animals darted across the clearing like a blur of fur and crystal, Naruto and Kiba made their way back to the house. Not as rivals. Not even just teammates. But as boys finally starting to understand each other.
Naruto crept back into the room, Oscar cradled like a sleepy burrito in his arms.
"Alright, little guy," he whispered, setting Oscar gently on the makeshift bed built. "You stay here. Sleep tight."
He turned to his own mattress… only to hear scuttlescuttlescuttle.
Naruto looked back.
Oscar was standing beside his leg.
"Seriously?"
Oscar chirped.
Naruto sighed dramatically, picked him up again, and dropped him onto the makeshift bed. "Stay," he said, pointing like a disappointed dad. "I mean it."
Oscar blinked once, like sure, buddy, then curled into a crystal cinnamon roll.
Naruto dropped onto his mattress, stared at the ceiling, and whispered, "You guys awake?"
A groggy Sakura cracked open one eye. "No. We're all just telepathic ghosts now. Go to sleep."
Naruto ignored her sarcasm. "I can't sleep."
"Whomp whomp," Sakura muttered, turning over and yanking the blanket over her head.
"Sasuke, what about you?" Naruto asked.
Sasuke replied with an exaggerated, way too obvious fake snore: "Zzzzz."
Naruto frowned. "Huh. Must be sleeping."
Sasuke's snore paused… then got even louder.
"So anyway," Naruto said to no one, "I think I can't sleep because I just beat Kiba in a fight."
The fake snoring stopped. Completely.
"…And we talked things out."
Silence.
Oscar, as if moved by the emotional progress, climbed up onto Naruto's chest and curled up again.
"You wanna sleep with me tonight?" Naruto whispered, rubbing the lizard's head. "Fine. But no hogging the pillow."
The room was finally settling into quiet when...
"Hold up," Sakura suddenly sat up. "We're just gonna gloss over all that?!"
"Hn," Sasuke grunted from the other side, clearly very not asleep.
"Guys, seriously, let me sleep," Naruto groaned, pulling the blanket over his head like a burrito.
Whap!
A pillow nailed him right in the face.
"Seriously?!" Naruto yelled, tossing it off. "Who throws a pillow like that?!"
"Who monologues about emotional growth at 2 a.m.?!" Sakura snapped.
Naruto grabbed his own pillow. "Oh, it's on."
From the other side of the room, Sasuke stood up slowly, eyes glowing with the silent promise of vengeance.
"This… is why I sleep alone."
Three seconds later, a pillow hit him in the face. Oscar chirped once before diving under the blanket for cover.
The Great Pillow War of the Wave Country had begun.
Author's Note:
Well, that was a fun one, huh?
I know this chapter was a little shorter than usual—sorry about that! The structure of the next chapter sort of demanded a clean break, so I figured it was better to upload this segment now instead of cramming everything together and making the pacing weird. Still, I hope you enjoyed it for what it was!
A few questions I wanted to throw out there:
1. The Kurenai & Gamaden Scene –
If it wasn't already obvious, the Great Toad Sage summoned Jiraiya because Naruto's journey through Dark Souls has completely derailed the original Child of Prophecy narrative. So here's my question to you guys: What do you think the Great Sage's new prophecy is going to be? I have something fun planned, but I'd love to hear your theories before I reveal anything.
2. Kiba vs. Naruto – What did you think of Naruto's threat? Too far, or perfectly justified considering Oscar was being dangled by the tail?
And what about the resolution between the two? Did their talk land for you?
Also—Naruto getting mentored by Kiba to turn Oscar into a proper partner: did that surprise you? Did it feel earned?
3. Slice of Life Moments – Lastly, how are you guys enjoying the more slice-of-life dynamics between Team 7?
As always, I appreciate you all taking the time to read, comment, and just come along for the ride. See you in the next chapter!
—Adam