Naruto No Kitsune

Chapter 4 - Animal

Chapter 4 – Animal

The next morning Naruto woke with a groan. His whole boy felt stiff-and no wonder why. He was on the floor just beneath his window. “Gaahh-what happened?” he cried looking down at himself. He was covered in dirt and smelled like river water. Raking some leaves out of his hair he sat up.

‘Is this someone’s idea of a joke?’ he thought picking himself up off the floor and stumbling to the bathroom. For some reason he still felt tired, like he had been up all night.

Turning on the shower he didn’t even notice the red mixed with the muck and dirt swirling down the drain.

***

Walking down the streets of Konoha to meet up with the rest of Team 7, Naruto noticed a familiar, newly appointed and lazy, Chuunin. He was leaving the Yamanaka flower shop, an uneasy look on his face.

“Hey, Shikamaru?” he called out to him actually startling the boy.

‘Wow, never seen that before. I wonder what’s up with him.’

“Hey, Naruto.”

“What’s up? You look like your gonna be sick?”

Shikamaru tried to wave an impassive hand, but slightly failed when Ino showed up still in her work apron.

“Haven’t you heard Naruto? Last night some wild animal mutilated two of the Nara’s deer!”

Naruto cocked his head raising a lip in discussed, “Really?”

“Ino, troublesome woman… yeah it it’s true. My dad and I found it this morning.” Shikamaru shook his head. “Saying it was an animal is an understatement.”

“What do you mean?”

“The entire area looks like it was massacred, trees were practically torn out.” He shrugged, though he still felt loss he didn’t like to show it. He’d liked those two deer, and the way they had went... it was barbaric to say the least. “We only found one carcass…”

“Any idea what could have done it?” Naruto questioned curiously. The Nara just shook his head.

“We’re not sure. Like I said, it looks like an animal attack, but something’s off about that.” He looked up at the clouds and after a while Naruto new he’d lost him. Shikamaru may have been a genius, but more then half the time he seemed like nothing but a laid back, cloud watching bum. Naruto couldn’t understand him in the slightest.

“Well I guess I’ll see you guys later then.” He waved a hand before Ino stopped him.

“What happened to your hands Naruto?”

“Huh, what?”

“Look down baka!”

He did, and was surprised to see his fingernails were still filthy even after the shower. “Huh, must be from that prank.”

When he said this, both of the other young ninja looked at him confusedly.

“Somebody broke into my house last night, covered me completely in dirt!” Just thinking about it sent him off on a small rant. “Took me almost an hour to get all that gunk out of my hair!”

“Ha, so somebody finely got you back, huh Uzumaki.”

Naruto just crossed his arms with a pout. “Yeah right… my pranks are way better then that.” Then shaking his head he remembered. “Ah-I’ve gotta go-I’m gonna be late for training!”

‘Gah-if I don’t hurry I’m going to be later the Kakashi-sensei!’

Sighting both Sakura and Sasuke in the training field he sighed. “Ha-I made it.”