The Wolf Inside - A Naruto Fanfic - Watty Award Winner 2013

Chapter 36

Edited 20/04/2019

Third Person's POV

A young Ashley scowls at the pink haired girl before her, arms crossed and her lips pursed in deep thought. She stares without blinking, unsure of her answer, when the older girl finally heaves a sigh.

"C'mon Ley-chan" she urges impatiently. "Kiyu-chan already picked her element! You have to pick one too!"

"But I don't know Kurai!" Ashley whines, shoulders drooping. "Mommy said that Kiyu is naturally good using earth, so of course she knew what she was gonna pick......But I'm not just good at any of them!"

Sitting beside the frustrated girl, Ace merely rolls his eyes and says nothing. He'd heard this argument too many times already.

"Just like, pick earth" a lean, grey Wolf pup encourages, lying on his back with his feet in the air. "Kiyu-chan is already like, so good at it man. I bet you could get it too."

"Keilor, Ley-chan has to pick it herself......" Kiyumi informs her Guardian softly, her hands behind her back.

"Your sister is right" Kurai says with a firm nod, one finger in the air. "You gotta pick an element, and I'm gonna help you!"

"But I don't know what one to pick" Ashley complains, repeating herself for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Well, only the Chief is strong enough to use all of the elements" Kurai scolds, forcing herself to frown in a bid to seem serious. "So you gotta pick one and get really good at it!"

A brown and grey Wolf pup trots over, his fur rough and coarse. He nudges Kurai's arm, before wagging his tail and looking to Ashley.

"Sinun pitäisi valita tuuli" he advises, to which Ashley sighs again and Kurai grins broadly, her fuchsia eyes shining. 'You should pick wind.'

"But I can't Tamashi" Ashley reminds him, jabbing one had at her pink haired friend. "Kurai is the best wind user around our age. I don't wanna compete with her."

"Wind is the best element" Kurai boasts, eager for Ashley to focus on the same element as her. "C'mon Ley-chan, let's learn together!"

"........" Ashley stares at Kurai with a flat expression, not totally convinced by her friend's excitement.

"Well, if you don't want to learn earth or wind" Kiyumi suggests quietly, looking at the ground and shrugging, "Why don't you try water?"

"But Mom is the best water user the Land of Ambience has ever seen" Ashley says pointedly. "There's no way I'd ever be as good as her....."

"Well, Saffire is learning how to use water" Kurai reminds Ashley, to which the blonde girl merely shrugs. "You could learn it with your best friend!"

"We'll never get anything done" Ashley answers knowingly, a faint smile of amusement on her face.

"Then that would just leave the element of fire Milady" Ace states, holding back a sigh when he sees the girl sweat drop. At this rate, she'd never decide on an element...

"Oh, that guy Shimei is a fire user!" Kurai remembers, a dreamy expression crossing her face at the thought. "He's already so good too......The Chief thinks he's going to be one of the best when he's grown up!"

"Um......" Ashley pauses, doubtful. "I dunno about fire you guys. Isn't it super hard to learn?"

"Duh" Kurai giggles, hands on her hips. "That's what training is for! You might be really good at it Ley-chan. Have you ever even tried to use fire before?"