Categories > Anime/Manga > Naruto > Innocence From Ashes
Innocence From Ashes
Chapter 6
Kyuubi didn’t even so much as pause until the farm lay far behind them, and they were once more in the safety of their lair. Then he dropped to the sandy hollow of their nest, and reached up with an agile paw and pulled Naruto off his back. Naruto was still hunkered down, red fur tight between golden paws and shiny teeth, and Kyuubi winced as a mouthful of his hair came free.
He inspected Naruto, from the tip of his quivering black nose, to the tip of his still slightly fright frizzed red tipped tail. As soon as he was assured his beloved kit was unharmed, he did the same to the shaken black wolf cub, who at least had the sense to let go once his Chichiue pulled him off.
There was a hard, tight little knot on one side of the cub’s skull, and Kyuubi spent several minutes gently licking it, while Naruto snuggled himself tightly against his littermate’s side and whimpered softly in concern. Both of them lay quietly in the safe shelter of Chichiue’s paws until the last of the fight or flight emotions drained from their tiny bodies.
Fur began to ripple once more, and soft gasps and whimpers were heard as two small animals turned into considerably larger but still little boys.
“What happened?” Kyuubi growled softly, a little sternly. He would never forget the zing in his head when he felt the change in his two children. He’d been far away when that had happened, but immediately sped to where he felt them. Then his heart begun to pound wildly when he found them cowering among the sun drenched clothes, being menaced by the farmer and a shotgun. Now, he felt the oddest desire to cry with strain in the aftermath.
Snort. Great foxes that had once been demon lords didn’t cry from the reaction of nervous fright and righteous rage. It just didn’t happen.
Sasuke was laying on one of Kyuubi’s red paws, his hand laying upon it while the other one was holding the side of his aching head where he’d struck the barrel.
“I failed.” His voice was monotone. “Naruto was in danger, and I failed to protect him. I… I’m sorry, Chichiue…” Dark eyes glistened with the enormity of what could have been.
“No!” Naruto cried roughly, nuzzling Sasuke’s shoulder tenderly. “It was my fault… You’ve always told me to be careful, to think before I act, and I didn’t. I ran away from you, and didn’t listen when you called me back. I’m so sorry, Sasuke.” Naruto was sniffling softly as he too was finally realizing where his impulsiveness had almost led them all.
“Hush,” Kyuubi said softly, his nose wrinkling comfortingly. He licked Sasuke’s cheek gently with a rough tongue. “No one is at fault but me. I should have known better than to settle down so close to any human. You should not have had to protect Naruto yet, Cub. And you, Kit, should be free to live life to the fullest extent you can. And I should have killed the man. Now we have been discovered.”
He looked regretfully around the snug little home. It had been such a pleasant week, watching his younglings grow, become closer, and more intimate. It had given him such a warm rush to see the two behaving as they should have all along; filled with love and innocent passion for each other.
Well. The last would not change, he would see to that. There would be other dens. And his kit and his cub would be free to live and laugh and love with all the zest and passion and pleasure they could find. He would just have to make a few changes, and then he would be able to provide all that his family needed, and not depend on stealing from farmers for what he couldn’t supply before.
He then pressed his nose to Sasuke’s Naruto-free shoulder. “I’m proud of you, Cub.” He whispered softly, and knew he’d been right to bring the dark soul back. No one would give so much to protect their kit than this creature right here.
Sasuke grabbed onto his chichiue’s muzzle and clung there feeling swamped with muted joy to hear such come from the great fox, even if, deep down inside, he knew he didn’t deserve it. He had failed. Still it did his heart good to know that at least his father was proud of his attempt, unhelpful as it had been.
“Thank you for saving us,” he whispered back, stroking his slightly dampened cheek against the soft fur. The two stared into each other’s eyes and reaffirmed their bond of protection and love towards Naruto… and towards each other.
Naruto, far from feeling left out of the gentle but intense moment, was giddy with delight to see the affection between his most precious persons. He held one of Sasuke’s hands tightly in his, the other stroking Kyuubi’s paw. His family. And now that the fright from the farm had passed, he couldn’t be happier.
**************
It was late afternoon, and Naruto’s giddy contentment had changed to wistfulness. They were moving. The warm and snug nest he loved so much was left behind forever. It lay several hours behind them now, never to be returned to. Naruto loved that place with all his heart. It was the only home he’d ever known, and was filled with so many beautiful memories.
But with the farmer knowing about them, it was now too dangerously close to human habitation. They would find another den. One even more snug and beautiful, as both Sasuke and Chichiue had told him. One where he wouldn’t have to worry about being seen, or having to be careful about discovery. One where he could laugh and play and love without let.
Still, Naruto was depressed. Never again would Sasuke kiss and touch him by the pond. Never again would he lay in the perfectly shaped sandy hollow at home, nestled between Kyuubi’s silken tails while he and Sasuke pleasured each other.
Surely, there would be other ponds, and other sandy hollows, but never would it be as perfect as those… where Naruto first drew breath, first laughed, and first made love.
Sasuke gently jostled his shoulder. “Smile for me, beautiful,” he told his too quiet mate.
Naruto gave him rueful smile obediently, running a hand through his tousled hair. “Good enough, gorgeous?”
Sasuke snorted. Gorgeous indeed. However, it warmed him to hear the playful rejoinder. Naruto had been too sad and silent on this journey. Most un-narutoish. And he didn’t like it at all. Naruto should be laughing and running and jumping, like he always did. And by all that was holy, he would see to it that he did once more.
“For now,” he said meaningfully. “But later… I will see the most beautiful smile you are capable of, Dobe. Count on it.”
Naruto blushed and felt his knees weaken.
Kyuubi stopped, and sniffed the air. “I smell water. Lots of it. It’s quiet and still. I’m going to look around. You two make yourselves useful and play. I’ll be back in about an hour. With dinner.” And Kyuubi wrinkled his nose at them in a smile, and bounded off into the forest.
Sasuke nodded somberly, fingering the cold steel of the oddly shaped knife in his pocket. Chichiue had given them both one. Long, and dark, very sharp, very pointed, with a ring at the handle. A kunai, their father had told them. Where he’d gotten them, and the clothes they now wore, neither knew. But it was a pretty safe bet it wasn’t from the farmer.
When it had hit his palm, his hand had curled instinctively about it. Without a thought, he’d suddenly began flipping it around and around, and back and forth between his hands as if born to wield one.
Naruto had stared at him, amazement and admiration in his eyes. That had pleased Sasuke to no end. But what would please him more would be to see exactly how much Naruto remembered of their use.
“You try,” he’d said.
Naruto had turned it thoughtfully in his hands, and then had suddenly burst into as graceful and agile use of the weapon as Sasuke had.
“Dunno where that came from, but it’s wicked cool!” He’d laughed.
Thus, both Kyuubi and Sasuke had felt a little better when Kyuubi left just now to find the source of water he’d smelled. After the morning fright at the farm, it was good to know they weren’t completely helpless.
Naturally, the two boys had starting doing what they wanted when they were alone.
Tussling. Oh, now such activity brought much kissing and groping and nipping, but it was as much an activity of competition as it was of love.
And suddenly, Naruto found himself pinning Sasuke, for the very first time, to the ground in victory. He smiled down in delighted triumph.
“Take that, Teme!” He crowed.
Sasuke was completely and totally stunned. How… how could this have happened? He was always stronger, faster, and more cunning than his beautiful and sneaky blonde. It was the way of the world, dammit. How had Naruto managed to get the drop on him? How?
And to heap insult on top of injury, said beautiful blonde tweaked his nose!
“Oh, that’s it… “
Laughing, Naruto leapt up and away, his doleful morning and afternoon forgotten in their innocent play.
Quick as a wink, Sasuke was up and after him, and they raced from shrub to tree, leaping up into them as if they were monkey’s and darting from branch to branch in the most incomprehensible ways. If they’d been less involved in their playful competition, they’d have paused to wonder how such feats were possible.
But they were too filled with joy and love and giddy delight to even give it so much as a passing thought. They darted and dipped, caught each other, kissed and squirmed and were off again. Over and over and over until they could barely suppress excited giggles and squeals and bursts of panting laughter. Until they were delirious with play and Naruto felt the wind of Sasuke’s grasping hand, leapt forward with a sudden jolt of speed, and then…
He stumbled shrieking with laughter into a clearing, and instantly noticed they were no longer alone.
There, clustered in a group as if they were lost, stood several people. They were travel stained, and looked weary unto death, in both body and soul.
Their demeanor, even more so than their shocking appearance, brought Naruto to a complete stop, as he stared at them in shock. They regarded each other silently, and Naruto barely heard the sound of Sasuke’s suddenly more urgently flying feet.
They looked so… so… familiar. Something haunted him about their faces, the shocked way they stared at him, faces filled with disbelief.
Until one of them, a girl with dull pink hair matted to her head, empty eyes that suddenly filled with blazing life, stumbled forward and cried out his name, as amazing as that was.
“Naruto!”
Chapter 6
Kyuubi didn’t even so much as pause until the farm lay far behind them, and they were once more in the safety of their lair. Then he dropped to the sandy hollow of their nest, and reached up with an agile paw and pulled Naruto off his back. Naruto was still hunkered down, red fur tight between golden paws and shiny teeth, and Kyuubi winced as a mouthful of his hair came free.
He inspected Naruto, from the tip of his quivering black nose, to the tip of his still slightly fright frizzed red tipped tail. As soon as he was assured his beloved kit was unharmed, he did the same to the shaken black wolf cub, who at least had the sense to let go once his Chichiue pulled him off.
There was a hard, tight little knot on one side of the cub’s skull, and Kyuubi spent several minutes gently licking it, while Naruto snuggled himself tightly against his littermate’s side and whimpered softly in concern. Both of them lay quietly in the safe shelter of Chichiue’s paws until the last of the fight or flight emotions drained from their tiny bodies.
Fur began to ripple once more, and soft gasps and whimpers were heard as two small animals turned into considerably larger but still little boys.
“What happened?” Kyuubi growled softly, a little sternly. He would never forget the zing in his head when he felt the change in his two children. He’d been far away when that had happened, but immediately sped to where he felt them. Then his heart begun to pound wildly when he found them cowering among the sun drenched clothes, being menaced by the farmer and a shotgun. Now, he felt the oddest desire to cry with strain in the aftermath.
Snort. Great foxes that had once been demon lords didn’t cry from the reaction of nervous fright and righteous rage. It just didn’t happen.
Sasuke was laying on one of Kyuubi’s red paws, his hand laying upon it while the other one was holding the side of his aching head where he’d struck the barrel.
“I failed.” His voice was monotone. “Naruto was in danger, and I failed to protect him. I… I’m sorry, Chichiue…” Dark eyes glistened with the enormity of what could have been.
“No!” Naruto cried roughly, nuzzling Sasuke’s shoulder tenderly. “It was my fault… You’ve always told me to be careful, to think before I act, and I didn’t. I ran away from you, and didn’t listen when you called me back. I’m so sorry, Sasuke.” Naruto was sniffling softly as he too was finally realizing where his impulsiveness had almost led them all.
“Hush,” Kyuubi said softly, his nose wrinkling comfortingly. He licked Sasuke’s cheek gently with a rough tongue. “No one is at fault but me. I should have known better than to settle down so close to any human. You should not have had to protect Naruto yet, Cub. And you, Kit, should be free to live life to the fullest extent you can. And I should have killed the man. Now we have been discovered.”
He looked regretfully around the snug little home. It had been such a pleasant week, watching his younglings grow, become closer, and more intimate. It had given him such a warm rush to see the two behaving as they should have all along; filled with love and innocent passion for each other.
Well. The last would not change, he would see to that. There would be other dens. And his kit and his cub would be free to live and laugh and love with all the zest and passion and pleasure they could find. He would just have to make a few changes, and then he would be able to provide all that his family needed, and not depend on stealing from farmers for what he couldn’t supply before.
He then pressed his nose to Sasuke’s Naruto-free shoulder. “I’m proud of you, Cub.” He whispered softly, and knew he’d been right to bring the dark soul back. No one would give so much to protect their kit than this creature right here.
Sasuke grabbed onto his chichiue’s muzzle and clung there feeling swamped with muted joy to hear such come from the great fox, even if, deep down inside, he knew he didn’t deserve it. He had failed. Still it did his heart good to know that at least his father was proud of his attempt, unhelpful as it had been.
“Thank you for saving us,” he whispered back, stroking his slightly dampened cheek against the soft fur. The two stared into each other’s eyes and reaffirmed their bond of protection and love towards Naruto… and towards each other.
Naruto, far from feeling left out of the gentle but intense moment, was giddy with delight to see the affection between his most precious persons. He held one of Sasuke’s hands tightly in his, the other stroking Kyuubi’s paw. His family. And now that the fright from the farm had passed, he couldn’t be happier.
**************
It was late afternoon, and Naruto’s giddy contentment had changed to wistfulness. They were moving. The warm and snug nest he loved so much was left behind forever. It lay several hours behind them now, never to be returned to. Naruto loved that place with all his heart. It was the only home he’d ever known, and was filled with so many beautiful memories.
But with the farmer knowing about them, it was now too dangerously close to human habitation. They would find another den. One even more snug and beautiful, as both Sasuke and Chichiue had told him. One where he wouldn’t have to worry about being seen, or having to be careful about discovery. One where he could laugh and play and love without let.
Still, Naruto was depressed. Never again would Sasuke kiss and touch him by the pond. Never again would he lay in the perfectly shaped sandy hollow at home, nestled between Kyuubi’s silken tails while he and Sasuke pleasured each other.
Surely, there would be other ponds, and other sandy hollows, but never would it be as perfect as those… where Naruto first drew breath, first laughed, and first made love.
Sasuke gently jostled his shoulder. “Smile for me, beautiful,” he told his too quiet mate.
Naruto gave him rueful smile obediently, running a hand through his tousled hair. “Good enough, gorgeous?”
Sasuke snorted. Gorgeous indeed. However, it warmed him to hear the playful rejoinder. Naruto had been too sad and silent on this journey. Most un-narutoish. And he didn’t like it at all. Naruto should be laughing and running and jumping, like he always did. And by all that was holy, he would see to it that he did once more.
“For now,” he said meaningfully. “But later… I will see the most beautiful smile you are capable of, Dobe. Count on it.”
Naruto blushed and felt his knees weaken.
Kyuubi stopped, and sniffed the air. “I smell water. Lots of it. It’s quiet and still. I’m going to look around. You two make yourselves useful and play. I’ll be back in about an hour. With dinner.” And Kyuubi wrinkled his nose at them in a smile, and bounded off into the forest.
Sasuke nodded somberly, fingering the cold steel of the oddly shaped knife in his pocket. Chichiue had given them both one. Long, and dark, very sharp, very pointed, with a ring at the handle. A kunai, their father had told them. Where he’d gotten them, and the clothes they now wore, neither knew. But it was a pretty safe bet it wasn’t from the farmer.
When it had hit his palm, his hand had curled instinctively about it. Without a thought, he’d suddenly began flipping it around and around, and back and forth between his hands as if born to wield one.
Naruto had stared at him, amazement and admiration in his eyes. That had pleased Sasuke to no end. But what would please him more would be to see exactly how much Naruto remembered of their use.
“You try,” he’d said.
Naruto had turned it thoughtfully in his hands, and then had suddenly burst into as graceful and agile use of the weapon as Sasuke had.
“Dunno where that came from, but it’s wicked cool!” He’d laughed.
Thus, both Kyuubi and Sasuke had felt a little better when Kyuubi left just now to find the source of water he’d smelled. After the morning fright at the farm, it was good to know they weren’t completely helpless.
Naturally, the two boys had starting doing what they wanted when they were alone.
Tussling. Oh, now such activity brought much kissing and groping and nipping, but it was as much an activity of competition as it was of love.
And suddenly, Naruto found himself pinning Sasuke, for the very first time, to the ground in victory. He smiled down in delighted triumph.
“Take that, Teme!” He crowed.
Sasuke was completely and totally stunned. How… how could this have happened? He was always stronger, faster, and more cunning than his beautiful and sneaky blonde. It was the way of the world, dammit. How had Naruto managed to get the drop on him? How?
And to heap insult on top of injury, said beautiful blonde tweaked his nose!
“Oh, that’s it… “
Laughing, Naruto leapt up and away, his doleful morning and afternoon forgotten in their innocent play.
Quick as a wink, Sasuke was up and after him, and they raced from shrub to tree, leaping up into them as if they were monkey’s and darting from branch to branch in the most incomprehensible ways. If they’d been less involved in their playful competition, they’d have paused to wonder how such feats were possible.
But they were too filled with joy and love and giddy delight to even give it so much as a passing thought. They darted and dipped, caught each other, kissed and squirmed and were off again. Over and over and over until they could barely suppress excited giggles and squeals and bursts of panting laughter. Until they were delirious with play and Naruto felt the wind of Sasuke’s grasping hand, leapt forward with a sudden jolt of speed, and then…
He stumbled shrieking with laughter into a clearing, and instantly noticed they were no longer alone.
There, clustered in a group as if they were lost, stood several people. They were travel stained, and looked weary unto death, in both body and soul.
Their demeanor, even more so than their shocking appearance, brought Naruto to a complete stop, as he stared at them in shock. They regarded each other silently, and Naruto barely heard the sound of Sasuke’s suddenly more urgently flying feet.
They looked so… so… familiar. Something haunted him about their faces, the shocked way they stared at him, faces filled with disbelief.
Until one of them, a girl with dull pink hair matted to her head, empty eyes that suddenly filled with blazing life, stumbled forward and cried out his name, as amazing as that was.
“Naruto!”
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