A Kitsune Story

Chapter 5

"I guess you got the hang of walking," Sasuke observed as they made their way out of town.

Naruto bounded along, eager to get away from the village. Likely, no one there had seen a yellow-haired, blue-eyed person before. This and general clumsiness drew too much attention to him. The tendency of human ears to fill in the gaps of disjointed fox speech faltered in that case.

But they were leaving: the villagers' fear didn't get the chance to coalesce into action.

"Or not..."

Sprawled on his face, Naruto snorted in the dirt. Pushing himself up, he dusted the dirt off his face, paused to sneeze, and then batted at his nose again. One of his tails had slipped out when he fell.

With a heavy breath, Sasuke squatted down and put his hands on Naruto's shoulders.

Blinking, Naruto looked at him. That hollowness of Sasuke's eyes was back. He'd noticed it a few times when Sasuke got quiet. Naruto's tail swished back and forth over the ground and he made a soft noise.

"Listen, we're far enough away now. You can shift back if you want."

That didn't seem right. "But, fox walk- with Sasuke, that- odd, kon kon?"

"That's the thing. You can't stay with me, anyway. I've got something I have to do. Alone."

Naruto made a whining, questioning noise, tilting his head.

"Don't look at me like that," Sasuke stood up. "I'm truly glad to know you're alive, but you've paid your debt now, haven't you?"

Tilting his head the other way, Naruto repeated the questioning noise.

"Father saved your life. And now you've saved mine. You're free of obligation to the Uchiha now, to anyone. Go do whatever you want."

"Naruto Sasuke- guard-."

"You don't need to do that."

"Giant snake attack- Sasuke."

"Yes, but that's because I attacked him first."

"What?" Naruto looked shocked.

"I didn't need you to save me. But you did, so your debt is clear. Take whatever form you please and... take care of yourself, Naruto," Sasuke turned away.

"But Sasuke... Why? Why attack giant snake?"

Sasuke flexed his hand at his side. "I seek power. I seek the great snake, Orochi-sama. So, you see, you really shouldn't follow me. You'll get yourself killed."

"No!" Naruto sprang up and wrapped his arms around Sasuke from behind. "Please no!"

"Get off me," Sasuke requested.

"No, Sasuke. Oro- eat Sasuke, kon kon!"

"It's no business of yours, anyway."

"Naruto is Sasuke- frien-."

Sasuke scoffed and shook him off, stepping away. "If so, you shouldn't be trying to stop me from getting what I need."

"Protect Sasuke."

"Don't. Don't get in my way."

"Sasuke."

"You don't understand!" Sasuke suddenly snapped and whipped around, making a slashing gesture. "I was powerless to save you! I trained hard from then so that I would be able to protect those precious to me. But I failed. My family... Father, mother, onii-san, they were all slaughtered. I couldn't protect them."

Naruto stared at him, at the red bursting into his eyes, his own expression reflecting devastation. He had no idea that happened. "Sasuke..."

"I will avenge their deaths," Sasuke spoke through his teeth, "I will gain the power to destroy the whole of the Senju clan and all of their allies. When I have done that, when I have that power, then I can restore the Uchiha and I will become the hokage and rule the village myself."

"Sasuke...." Naruto nearly gasped out his name and moved to try to embrace him again.

"Don't get in my way!" Sasuke snarled, drawing his sword to keep Naruto back.

"No! That- not the way!"

"What would you know of it?" Sasuke snapped. "You're a fox. You've never had a family. You've never had to feel this pain!"

"Naruto is Sasuke- frien-."

"Just because we played together as kids, you think that means something? Leave me, now," Sasuke pointed a banishing finger.

"No! Not allow Oro- to eat Sasuke!" Naruto leaped forward to wrap his arms around Sasuke.

Sasuke's hand reacted automatically. His blade swished up and the unusually long chokuto slashed into Naruto. His momentum carried him forward and the lightning coursing through the blade made it exceptionally sharp. That was, perhaps, why Naruto didn't immediately realize he had been impaled. His hands grasped Sasuke's shoulders and, for a second, he was puzzled that something stopped him from fully embracing his friend.

Sasuke stared in shock, forgetting to breathe. Naruto slowly looked down and his hold on Sasuke's shoulders tightened. His body faltered, he had been on the balls of his feet but now sank down and with that the blade moved in his body, too. His breath caught in his chest and then he coughed, splattering blood.

"Naruto!" Sasuke gasped as his body reminded him he needed air.

Naruto's blue eyes lifted to look at him. His mouth remained open, his panting gurgled as more blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. "Sa..." he barely got the syllable out before he coughed and splattered more blood. "It-... all... Sasu-..."

"No, Naruto. I..." Sasuke looked horrified. He let go of the hilt and grabbed Naruto under the arms to ease him down to the ground. "Please. I didn't mean to... I can't lose you, too."

"No- lo-..." Naruto murmured. "Pu- ou- swor-..." His hand dropped from Sasuke's shoulder to grasp his abdomen around the blade.

"No, no. You'll bleed out," Sasuke grasped his hand.

Naruto showed a weak smile, though the expression was interrupted by a bloody cough. "All righ-... Sasu-.... Naru-.... no- die... now... promi-... Pu- ou-..." he coughed again.

"Naruto. I... You promise?" Sasuke demanded.

Naruto nodded.

Reticence written all over his expression, Sasuke pressed his hand over Naruto's and grasped the hilt with the other. Quickly and fluidly, he pulled but even so Naruto jolted as though given an extra shock. Blood soaked the blue yukata and Naruto's skin turned ashen. The chokuto dropped to the ground.

"Naruto! No, you promised!" Sasuke embraced him but Naruto's body shrank. Tails unfurled like a blossoming iris and fur overtook his skin like the rising sun across snow. "Naruto...."

Desperately, he ripped open the thin obi and felt the fox's belly. Blood thickly matted the fur, but the wound was closed. The same was true on Naruto's back. However, having lost so much blood, the fox was cold and limp in his arms. Sasuke swallowed hard as he pressed his hand to the fox's chest and lowered his cheek to feel his breath.