Cat's Tales (Chapter 5 up!)

Note: If you don't read anything else besides the chapter, please take a few moments to scroll down and read the last review reply. It's of importance. :) And, here we go... hope you enjoy.

Cat's Tales

Iruka stared in dismay at what used to be his pristine, spotless kitchen. Powdery white flour covered each and every inch of the counter space and most of the floor, and now that Iruka wasn’t close to having an aneurysm, he could see that it most certainly had not been an accident.

He scowled at the kitten curiously sniffing himself in his arms, but couldn’t summon the anger to scold him again. He knew Naruto was mischievous by nature, and he certainly enjoyed watching people blow their tops, but there was a hidden, vulnerable side to him that reminded Iruka of his own childhood.

While he wasn’t entirely sure exactly what had happened, he knew Naruto had been abandoned long before he found him. He had been wandering the streets, pitifully thin with a mangled coat and drooping ears. Iruka remembered first coming across him and watching as he would pause to peer into a shop window before scratching it gently with a claw, only to turn away as the shop owner shooed him away with a broom or worse.

Iruka himself had never been as desolate as that, but once his parents died, he was left with an incurable sort of loneliness that followed him like a lingering scent. The minute that small blonde (though the dirt and god knows what else had made him seem more brown, then) kitten had turned towards him and blinked his large, wary blue eyes, he had carved out a piece of Iruka’s heart and joined it with his own.

A sudden kick to his solar plexus brought Iruka out of his reminiscing with a grunt, and he released the struggling kitten in his arms on instinct. The blonde bundle jumped from his arms and, strangely lacking the grace most cats were born with, banged his leg on the counter. Iruka watched, exasperated, as he tumbled to the floor and laid there dazed for a moment before shaking his head and tail in sync and sprinting to the nap room with a yowl.

He turned back to the catastrophe occupying his kitchen with a sigh, and groaned at what he saw.

“Chouji!” he grouched, grabbing the voracious pet by his tail and tugging. The pet in question looked back and graced him with a blank look as he continued to stuff handfuls of flour into his mouth. Iruka grabbed his paw, avoiding the claws with ease and firmly pulled it away from the tongue that was now trying to lick it.

“Chouji, stop that! You can’t eat flour raw, you’ll get a stomachache!” He picked up the wolverine(1) with some difficulty due to his weight and carried him away from the kitchen, pointedly ignoring the mournful look he sent the uneaten flour over his shoulder.

“Now, will you sit here and try not to put anything in your mouth while I get you something to eat?” Iruka set Chouji down on one of the large, plump, cushiony mats that served as dining chairs for the pets.

The wolverine regarded him with a petulant frown, and licked at his claws in a thoughtful manner. “I want more flour.”

“We don’t have any more flour,” Iruka explained in what he hoped was a patient tone. “The stuff all over the counters is dirty now.”

“I want it. Get me more.”

And the migraine was making a miraculous comeback. Iruka exhaled slowly through his nose as he evaluated his options. Normally Chouji was one of the more sweet tempered, quiet pets, but when it came to food he was as stubborn as Iruka himself could sometimes be. It was true that he would eat quite literally anything you handed him, but once you refused him something… well, that would turn out to be the only thing he would eat for a while.

“Alright.” He sighed, defeated in a pitifully short amount of time. “I won’t let you eat it raw, but I could make some tempura. Of course I’ll have to call the store and see if they’ll deliver this late and it’s almost dinner time anyway…”

His soft mutterings were abruptly cut short as a piercing scream rang through the air. He was sprinting through the hallway before Chouji even had time to turn his head, his heart pounding with dread. Dozens of horrifying images flashed through his mind as he threw open the door to the nap room, and he nearly collapsed when he saw what had caused the commotion.

“Sensei!” a bunny with soft, bubblegum pink fur screeched at him. “Get him off of me!”

“Oh god…” Iruka slid down the door and placed his throbbing head in his hands as he fought the urge to burst into hysterical laughter. Here he had been expecting various amounts of blood and gore, and what he found was… Naruto. Whose head seemed to be currently attached to Sakura’s chest.

The bunny wailed at her misfortune and kicked the sharply mewing kitten viciously with her long, powerful hind legs. Naruto, for his part, seemed to be trying his hardest to get away from the agitated bunny, and as Iruka drew closer he saw that the zipper of the kitten’s jacket had been unfortunately caught in one of the long, pink strands of Sakura’s hair.

“Ow! Sakura-chan!” he mewled, attempting to pull away but only managing to rub his face further into the bunny’s chest.

“Pervert!” Naruto was smacked across the face as another pet joined into the fray, a blonde Persian(2) with glowing blue eyes and a nasty bite.

“Ino, stop that.” Iruka finally recovered his bearings and strode over to the tangled mess of pets in the middle of the pen. He gently grasped Sakura’s jerking foot and held it to the side as he separated the two squalling pets, quickly moving Naruto out of kicking range as Sakura’s hair was freed.

“Augh!” she shuddered in disgust while Naruto hid behind Iruka. “Did you see that sensei?! Did you see what he was doing? Aren’t you going to tell him anyth—“

“Yes.” Iruka interrupted, holding up a hand to silence her tirade before turning back to the meek looking kitten behind him. “What were you doing, Naruto?”

“I-I… I was just…” his ears drooped as he butted his head miserably against Iruka’s hand. “I just wanted to know what she smelled like.”

Iruka sighed for what felt like the millionth time that day. Apparently the issue about his odd scent had affected the kitten more than he had anticipated. He picked Naruto up again, bending down for a moment to ruffle Sakura’s hair in apology as he swept out of the room, ignoring her outraged protests at the lack of punishment.

“We’ll get that bath going right now, alright?” he consoled, passing through the kitchen and nearly tripping on a certain chubby pet who had chosen to lounge directly in the middle of the hallway.

“Flour?” Chouji questioned, eyes wide and hopeful.

Iruka very nearly dropped Naruto in favor of ripping his hair out. For a moment he debated just running for it and locking himself in the nearest supply closet, but he tossed that idea when he pictured what a disaster zone his precious home would become if he was to lift his attention for even a minute. And then he spotted salvation in the form of an ornery black cat, sitting on the window seat and scowling heavily in the direction of the blonde in his arms.

Ahah, he thought, stepping over Chouji and walking towards the cranky feline. Iruka, I dare say you are a genius.

“Sasuke, since you’re not doing anything of importance…” Iruka dropped Naruto onto the seat besides the black cat, and continued despite Sasuke’s withering glare, “I would like you to get Naruto’s bath started while I call the grocery store.”

He didn’t wait for the vehemently hissed ‘no!’ that would undoubtedly come from Sasuke. “I’m not asking you, I’m telling you.” His school teacher’s voice came in handy when it came to dealing with unruly pets, but he knew Sasuke would require a bit more persuasion. “And I’m not unwilling to make onigiri tonight if you do this for me.”

And there was the clincher. Iruka didn’t fail to notice the way Sasuke’s ears perked at the promise of his favorite food(3). Iruka and most of the other pets had no inclination towards the salty sweet rice balls, and since Iruka refused to make a special dish for each pet every night, Sasuke didn’t get to indulge very often. Iruka restrained the triumphant grin that always threatened to emerge whenever he got the best of the proud cat and nodded to him in thanks instead as he stalked towards the bathroom, growling lowly at the blonde to follow.

---oo---oo---oo---

Sasuke felt his tail bristle and stay bristled as he stalked towards the bathroom. He hated being manipulated, especially when the manipulator knew his weakness, but the temptation of onigiri was just too heavenly to resist. He hadn’t had those succulent rice balls in months – not because Iruka was unwilling to make them, but because he was too proud to ask.

A low growl escaped him as he reached the bathroom door and kicked it open sulkily. It was positively malicious of Iruka to force this on him in exchange. Not only was the blonde’s wildly fluctuating smell – from confused to upset to giddy -- making him dizzy, but the underlying scent that they had discussed outside was just getting thicker the closer the blonde got.

He stepped inside and flicked the light on with his tail, turning back when he didn’t hear any whining from the normally hydrophobic kitten. He was startled to see the drooping ears and downcast eyes, but he only got a glimpse of them because as soon as Naruto became aware of his gaze, a large, gleaming, undeniably fake smile was slapped onto his face.

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed and he debated confronting the blonde, but looked back at the large bathtub and decided he had wasted enough time.

“In!” he barked, motioning towards the tub with his sleek black tail. He pointedly turned his gaze towards the mirror over the counter as the blonde began to shimmy out of his bright orange shorts and jumper. In the mirror a boy with dark hair and darker eyes stared back at him. At a distance the cat boy looked skinny, but a closer look revealed lean muscle definition on his bare arms. His shoulders were narrow but confident, the thick black fur at the back of his neck smoothing across his upper back, but giving way to smooth, creamy skin in the front.

“Teme?” he turned away from the reflection at the petulant voice. “Are you done admiring yourself, or do you need some more time?” The blonde’s bottom lip stuck out in a way that made Sasuke want to bite it off.

He shook his head of all malevolent thoughts regarding the blonde and glared in his direction instead. The kitten snickered quietly to himself at the look and Sasuke determinedly refused to acknowledge the way laughter made his eyes dance and tail sway.

He turned the knob viciously, as if venting his mounting frustration on the lackluster piece of metal would make any difference. The knot low in his belly was just winding tighter, and for a moment he seriously debated drowning the irritating blonde and getting it over with. His spiteful thoughts were interrupted as said blonde appeared besides him, throwing one naked, smooth leg over the edge of the tub to gingerly test the water with his furry, clawed feet. Sasuke watched unconsciously, his gaze trailing over the thick blonde fur at the blonde’s ankles, rising to his calves where it grew sparse, and then to his silky thighs, bare except for the furred appendage that curled around one. And higher still to his tender, boyish cock, crowned by what he could only image was the softest of blonde fur…

Sasuke jerked his head away so quickly for a second he thought he might have snapped it clean off. The knot in his belly tightened and pulsed like some living thing, and for a few panicky moments he thought something was trying to burst out of him. Fighting the urge to run out of the bathroom within an inch of his life, he restored to barking at the unknowing blonde.

“Get in!” he snarled so suddenly that the blonde yelped in fright, toppling over into the tub and dousing the furious black cat with lukewarm water.

“H-Hey!” the blonde sputtered, yowling shrilly as he realized he was surrounded by the slick, wet substance he so dreaded. “Don’t yell at m-me, bastard!”

Sasuke gritted his teeth and thought he felt them crush to powder inside his mouth. He turned abruptly, considering his job complete and fully looking forward to devouring all of the onigiri that he damn well deserved, when the bane of his existence mewed his name pathetically.

“What. Now.” The words were forced out of his mouth in short, sudden bursts, as if he couldn’t bear to say more than a syllable to the blonde at a time.

Several splashing noises greeted him and since he refused to turn around and face the devious kitten who would no doubt try to pin him with his large, watery blue eyes, he could only assume that Naruto was waving his arms in agitation as he was prone to do. “You can’t go yet! You hafta help me wash my back!”

More splashing accentuated this statement. Sasuke calmly deafened himself to the blonde’s protests and walked out of the bathroom, only to run into Iruka, who was talking agitatedly on the phone.

“Yes, I know it’s late, but I need it today, yes, today, as in right now… and… pay extra? Well, how much is 'extra', exactly?”

Sasuke was about to sidestep his irate caretaker and make his way to the corner of the house furthest away from that blasted smell, but Naruto’s loud wail of “I can’t reach back there! Senseiiiiiii! I dun wanna take a bath!” caused Iruka to pause, grip him by the shoulder and guide him not entirely gently back into the bathroom.

Sasuke hissed at the manhandling, but quieted as Iruka mouthed ‘onigiri’ at him while waggling his eyebrows in what he apparently thought was an enticing manner. He held his breath as he walked towards the blonde, determined to suffocate rather than inhale any more of that agonizing scent.

Naruto seemed to be tangled in his own hair, and attempting to climb out of the bathtub while he juggled a bar of soap that, as Sasuke approached, slid out of his grasp and hit him smack dab in the middle of his forehead. Sasuke, turning a bit blue in the face from the lack of oxygen, calmly sank a wickedly sharp claw into the soap and picked it up from the bottom of the tub.

Naruto scoffed at his apparent prowess concerning all things slippery and stood with a wobble, turning to present Sasuke his back and shaking his tail playfully in his face. The droplets of water that sprinkled onto his face cause Sasuke to take in a sudden breath, and his eyes nearly rolled to the back of his head as the concentrated perfume invaded his lungs.

He grasped the edge of the tub to steady himself as his stomach rolled and a heavy throb manifested itself between his thighs. Every muscle in his body tensed unbearably, and he could hear a low, rumbly noise erupting from his throat, a strange of hybrid between a purr and a growl.

He was dimly aware that the blonde kitten had turned around with a meow and was now saying something in an urgent, worried tone, but his attention was captured by the slick tan skin in front of his face and the smell that had raided every pore in his skin, caused ever individual hair to rise and…

“Sasuke!” A clawed hand grasped his hair and tugged his face up. Frightened blue eyes stared into his and Sasuke took a moment to realize that the kitten’s face was the only thing in focus before a deep growl rose from his throat and his muscles locked in anticipation.

“Sasuke…” Naruto retracted his claws quickly and leaned forward. “Your eyes are—“

The steam rising from the water in the tub and the close proximity caused the scent to spike unbearably and Sasuke lost all semblance of coherent thought.

He didn’t wait to hear the end of Naruto’s sentence before he pounced.

-TBC-

(1) I was initially going to make Chouji a pig, but after some research I found out that wolverines are in fact the most gluttonous mammals in existence. ...and they're awfully cute. :]

(2) I was going to have Ino be a peacock, you know, vain and all, but then I realized that peacocks were were called such for a reason -- they're all male. And peahens are about as bland as anything could get, and definitely not Ino.

(3) Technically Sasuke's favorite food is tomatoes, but I couldn't very well have Iruka go, 'And I'll make tomatoes for dinner!' so onigiri it is.



Author's Notes (Which you should always at least skim over!)

You all and your crazy reviewing skills prompted me into writing the second chapter when I should have been writing a report, so if I fail, the blame lands on you! There have been a few questions in the reviews that I think most people would like to know, so I've replied to those and you should look over them so you don't accidentally ask me the same question next time. But besides all that, another great big thank you for giving this story a mind-blowing response. I only hope I can live up to your expectations.

And now, Review Replies:

Kang: Longer, you say? This one is almost twice the size of the last chapter. (Almost three times the size if you count the A/N, haha!) I live to serve. ;)

SpacePirateDoll: I tried to describe more of the kittens physically appearance in this chapter than I usually do to spare you the added confusion. Thanks for reviewing and I hope this one helped you make your decision!

Lilith: That was so not funny, girly. I was getting ready to throw my enchilada at you and everything! *grr*

amazingZ: You are absolutely right, and I apologize to all the readers that saw it on the first page only to be disappointed that it was just an edit. (And to all the ones that thought I was whoring myself out for reviews!) The only reason behind the previous edit, and I feel the need to explain myself, so bear with me, was that I tend to read my previous chapters as I try to come up with ideas for the next one, and start spotting typos that tap dance viciously on my OCD so that I have to correct them. I've taken precautions so that it won't happen in the future. Thank you for taking the time to explain this to me. :)

TimeFlys: No, that's a perfectly legitimate questions - please don't be afraid to ask questions that haven't been answered before! I don't want you to be confused. And as for the size, I see them as around 3 feet or so, when they are upright. So the size of a small child? I'll try to emphasize this in the coming chapters so there's less confusion.

charmpit: No, SKoW is still chowing down, don't worry. XD

spoon: I needed to delete the cookies and computery things of that nature. It works now! Thanks for bothering to answer my question, and for the review!

***Vem***: I feel foolish for not stating this before, but this story is definitely influenced by a great many fics, including For Your Eyes Only. In fact, when I first began writing Cat's Tales, it was only for a bit of stress relief because I was so disappointed that FYEO and cutiechibi's Pet both haven't been updated in well over a year. I like to give credit where it's due though, and I do think that Pet influenced this story a lot more than FYEO has. That was the first anthro SasuNaru I read and it's stuck with me the entire time. Of course I like to think that my characterizations and the plot are completely original, but it's fairly obvious that there's a bit of everything thrown in there. I hope this doesn't put anyone off and that all of you continue reading and reviewing, because I can promise this fic will contain things you haven't read before. :)

Thanks again and much love,

Ella

And one more quick thing! If you guys would like to be put on the Mailing List (ah, the wonders of email...) please leave your email address in the review! Those who've already left their emails have been added automatically.