• Chapter Three: Hidden in the Forest

    Kyuubi sighed as he came up on his home, a small, traditional Japanese house hidden by kitsune illusions. Tiredly, he cradled the sleeping babe closer to his side as he slid the door open. "I'm home," he called softly, his voice rumbling in his chest. At once, he was surrounded by wispy lights, each with slightly different coloring from one another, and each bobbing around him like children begging for attention. If one were to look close enough, they would see cute, pixy-like faces within the delicate flames.

    "Enough," Kyuubi finally commanded, waving the Hitodama away. "Get something for this one to sleep on for the night," he ordered.

    "I hope you have something for me as well, Kyuubi-dono."

    The proud fox looked up sharply at the sultry voice, only to see that he had a visitor. Said visitor was lazily sprawled on his futon, almond-shaped yellow eyes looking up at him in daring. Her dark-black hair was done up in an elaborate knot, pieces loose to frame an attractive, heart-shaped face, pointed ears poking out from under her hair. Her kimono was dyed with blues and purples, depicting a cloudy sky. The front was open enough to begin to flaunt her chest, and the way she was sitting showed off her pale legs.

    She smiled at the now-alert fox. "Surprised to see me?" she asked.

    "Not really, Ni-san, you always show up when I don't want you to," Kyuubi grumbled, shifting the child in his arms. "Move, will you? This one's getting heavy," he ordered. Smiling, the cat shifted away, letting the kitsune put the baby down. Sighing, Naruto rolled over onto his back, sucking on a little fist as Kyuubi moved into another room. Mentally, he summoned a Hitodama for a new robe as he stripped off the bloody one.

    The nekomata chuckled. "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that? We are not related, and I'm not a man," she laughed, with the ease of an old joke. She turned to look at Naruto, a clawed hand reaching out to caress a plump cheek. "Cute kid. Dare I ask where you got him?" She snifted delicately, leaning in closer to get full use out of her limited nose. "Doesn't smell like a hanyou," she remarked, looking over at him through the shoji with cool, slitted eyes. "And the gods know there are enough of them out there with your blood in their veins," she said as the fox returned into the room, clad in a yellow yukata.

    "He's human enough, Neko-san," Kyuubi snapped as the other Hitodama returned with a second and third futon. Gratefully, the fox took one of the thick pads, but the Nibi waved hers off. "Take it," Kyuubi ordered, spreading his out next to Naruto's. "I know nothing of, 'Parenting,' and you know it," he groaned. He hesitated before forcing out his request. "I would, appreciate it, if you stayed to help me for a few days."

    "Why?" the cat asked bluntly, sitting up. "You've never taken an interest in any of your bastards, so why a human child?" she asked. She sniffed the child thoroughly before snorting. "A child who smells of blood, steel, and other humans no less," she snapped. "You and I both know he belongs to a hidden village with this scent," she warned.

    "A hidden village that probably believes he's dead at this point," Kyuubi argued, flopping back on his mattress, clawed hands folded behind his head. "And my 'bastards' are strong enough to take care of themselves. This one, Naruto, is not near strong enough yet," he said, staring up at the ceiling. "And for your information, you're smelling the ninja I killed on him. He's a toddler, not a potential killer."

    "Can't be a toddler, he's not even a year old yet," the cat argued, letting the kid wrap little fingers around a clawed digit. Large blue eyes blinked up at her for a minute before the babe fell back asleep. She sighed after a moment, shaking her head. "Alright, I'll help you. But I don't know much about kits myself," she warned.

    "Then I guess we'll learn how together," the fox retorted. "Now take your futon, and go into the other room," he ordered.

    "Ah, don't you trust me, Kyuubi-dono?" she purred as she accepted the futon from the Hitodama that were hovering around her, standing gracefully.

    "No more than you trust me," he snorted. He rolled over to face the doors. "And I don't feel like being pounced on tonight, so stay in your own room." Annoyed at being called out, the woman sniffed in annoyance as she retired to the next room, sliding the doors closed with a sharp snap.

    Later that night, a sly-faced cat glided from her room, wearing nothing but the bindings around her chest and hips. 'Your a** is mine tonight Kyuubi-dono, whether you know it our not,' she thought, slinking over to the futon.

    The second mattress was empty, but there was a strange lump in the first one, the one that the baby was supposed to be sleeping on. With her superior eyes, Nibi was able to make out a wolf-sized fox wrapped around the babe, nine tails twitching slightly as the little human shifted in his sleep, cuddling closer to the warm fur.

    Blinking, the demonic cat couldn't help but smile at the sleepers. Shrugging, she hunched over, hands balling into fists as she mentally triggered the change, letting her youki wrap around her like a cloak. Within minutes, she had transformed into a large black cat, both tails waving silkily in the air as she wrapped around the two boys, eyes slowly closing as she succumbed to sleep.

    Day break came sooner than the two youkai would have liked. Warm yellow sunlight filtered through the shoji door, striking the three sleepers. Grumbling, Kyuubi shifted in his sleep, turning his furry head away from the light for a moment before his eyes blinked open. 'What a night,' he thought, sitting up in order to scratch behind an ear. Putting his foot down, the pad brushed against something, and he looked down out of reflex. 'Oh yeah,' he thought as he watched little Naruto sleeping on the futon.

    "That's right, I'd got a charge to take care of," he muttered in a scratchy voice. Smiling slightly, he crouched down next to the baby, caressing a soft cheek with his muzzle. The scent of blood and steel had already worn off, so now there was only a milky smell in his nostrils. Looking up, he whistled lowly, summoning the Hitodama. Mentally, he ordered them to get started on breakfast.

    As the other nine whisked away, he focused on a small sand-colored flame. Sadly, he held out a paw for the poor creature to rest on. "So, no sign of your master yet, hm?" he asked. The spirit seemed to droop even further on Kyuubi's paw as the fox tried to think of where else the little creature could search. "Why don't you rest here for a while and then try the desert in Wind Country?" he offered. Nodding, the pixie-like creature blinked away, going to rest in the inner confines of the house.

    Watching it go, Kyuubi sighed: the youngest of the demons had been missing for months now, and as the oldest and strongest, the little spirit had come to him for help. "Damn it Shukaku, where are you!?" he muttered angrily.

    "Nyaaah... can't a lady get some sleep?" meowed a second voice behind the fox.

    Freezing, the older demon slowly turned, shifting back down into his humanoid form as he did so. There, curled up by his flank, was the large, silky black form of a cat. "I thought I told you to stay in your own room!" he barked.

    Yawning, the cat sat up, tongue curling behind sharp fangs. "I am in my room," she muttered as she pawed at her eyes. Opening them, she looked up at the fox, only to blush underneath the dark fur. "Oops," she murmured.

    "Oops is right!" Kyuubi snapped, fiery hair standing on end as he growled at the demoness. At their feet, Naruto began to stir. "I ordered you to stay in your room, but you didn't listen to me! Did it ever occur to you that there was a reason for it?"

    Nekomata snarled as she shifted back into her humanoid form as well, ignoring her lack of clothes as she stood up to the kitsune. Naruto, unnoticed by the two demons, was blinking as he looked up at them. "Oh don't give me a silly reason like, 'I didn't want to lash out at you!'" she mocked. "If you were that worried, then you wouldn't have been sleeping next to the kit!"

    Kyuubi sneered. Naruto had scrunched up his little face, like he was concentrating on something. "He's different! He doesn't wish to paw me like a piece of meat, or a common whore!" He smirked as he looked the cat over. "I see you're still naturally dark. At this age, the others and I were sure you were starting to dye your hair," he said maliciously.

    With a snarl, the cat reached for Kyuubi, ready to tear out his throat, only to stop short as a horrible smell wafted up into their sharp noses. Eyes wide, the two looked at each other before turning to look down at the source of the scent. Naruto smiled happily as he looked up at them, a proud air around him.

    Smiling wildly, the cat clapped her hands, summoning a pair of red and black-tinted Hitodama to her side. "Well, best I go get some clothes on," she babbled. "And food! I best make some food, he's bound to be hungry!"

    "Wait a minute!" Kyuubi barked frantically, grabbing Nibi's arm. "You said you were gonna help me!" he exclaimed wildly, forgetting that he'd already set his own Hitodama to start breakfast.

    And I am! Do you want him to start screaming for food?" she asked as she pulled away. "Trust me, changing him is common sense, you'll need me for other things though."

    As the cat disappeared through the shoji, Kyuubi looked down at the babe with wide eyes before picking him up, holding him away from him. Looking to the side, his eye twitched as the Hitodama set down a small table, large white napkins set on a corner. Slowly, gingerly, he placed the baby on the table, and started opening the little yukata.

    In the kitchen with her Hitodama, Nekomata flinched as a howl of surprise echoed throughout the house. A few minutes later, as she was bringing out the food, she forced herself not to smile at the wide-eyed look of horror on Kyuubi's face. "It couldn't have been that bad," she chirped, putting down a bowl of rice porridge.

    "You have no idea," the fox muttered, holding the baby Naruto away from him as he sat down at the low table. "He peed on me," he whispered in horror, wiping his face convulsively.

    Hearing this, the cat couldn't help but laugh at the disgusted look on the older demon's face. "You'll learn to dodge," she promised as she quieted before holding out her arms for the child. "Now, feeding is easy..."