Painfully Aware with So Much to Learn

Chapter Five: Guiding Light

Author POV

Shikamaru was wandering the Nara forest with a small bag of deer feed, the deer didn't need to be fed, they just liked it. Suddenly a doe came up to him, and gestured with her head for him to follow her. Usually doe don't run up to anyone alone, so the young Nara followed, only to be met with a gruesome sight. A yellow and a red fox, dead just on the border of the forest. They looked half maimed and, after his bonding with the foxes in the forest of death, almost made him cry. He was thinking of where to bury the foxes when he heard a weak yip. I high pitched yip that made his heart hurt. There, in between the 2 dead foxes, was a tiny bright orange fox. The fox was huddled into the red fox, yips begging for warmth and crying for safety. Without a second thought Shikamaru took off his jacket and gently scooped the tiny furball into it, trying to shield the kit from the October chill. It was around 8 am so without thinking further he went to training ground 7, he needed Naruto.

Naruto was getting his usual berating from Sakura and verbal abuse from Sasuke when suddenly a very panicked and crying Nara ran toward him, startling everyone involved.

"Naruitwasawfulthereweretwodeadfoxesneartheedgeoftheforestandtheylookedsomaimedandthentherewasthiskitandhekeptcryingandidontknowwhattodopleasehelp!!!" Shikamaru yelled in one breath while still panicking.

Naruto then became aware of the kit in his arms and quickly took it, placing it in the neck of his jacket so his neck would warm the kit, cupping him their so he wouldn't fall.

"Now, the kit seems fine, can you please start over" Naruto said in a gentle voice, using his other hand to tilt Shikamaru's head down to eye level and keeping it on his cheek.

Shikamaru swallowed and leaned into his touch, thinking of what exactly to say while the blondes teammates stared at him dumbfounded. He usually wasn't so calm and collected, they'd never seen Shikamaru panic and they'd never seen Naruto defuse a panic attack with such ease, they hadn't even known he could talk so gently, and why was there a baby fox?

"A doe led me to the edge of the Nara forest, where I found a maimed red and yellow fox, they were both very dead but then I heard the kit crying. It made me start panicking because I didn't know what to do with a newborn fox, but since you have all those other foxes I thought you would know. Luckily you did, so now the kit's safe....right Naruto?" Shikamaru questioned, looking worriedly at the lump in the blondes sweater.

"Well" said blonde began, "it seems he fell asleep, we should probably head to the Inuzuka's to see if he has hypothermia or not though. Kits aren't usually born this late in the year, and it can be bad for them.

Shikamaru nodded and started walking with Naruto to the Inuzuka's, Naruto turning his head while walking to address his teammates.

"See you guys tomorrow, I gotta go"

"Naruto-baka, you better be on time tomorrow!" Sakura screeched

"Dont kill it, ya dumb dobe!"

Shikamaru didn't like how rude the two were being, but decided against starting anything for the sake of the kit.

"Do they always treat you like that?" Shikamaru asked once the two were a good ways away.

"Eh, I guess." Naruto said half heartedly.

They continued toward the Inuzuka compound in silence.

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Sry this is short, but the next chapter gets interesting I swear!
Also sorry if I come off as confusing, this is my first fanfic lol.
~Gracie