Kitsune Play

Chapter 2: Souten, Home Sweet Home!

Disclaimer: Naruto and co. do not belong to me. They are © to Kishimoto

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“Well, it looks like this little guy will be ok.” Inzuka Hana explained as she finished up bandaging the little fox’s leg. He we currently unconscious. The hit on the head and the sedatives that Hana gave him guaranteed that he would be out for the next few hours. “He’s pretty lucky. From the description of the hole you found him in, I’m surprised he didn’t break anything. His leg is just sprained, and the head injury is just minor. Give him a week or two, and he’ll be as good as new.” She turned to Sasuke, who was currently standing off to the side, watching the woman veterinarian work. He didn’t reply, but simply continued to stare at the little creature on the exam table.

Hana just chuckled inwardly when she saw Sasuke’s apparent concern for the fox’s well-being. She had to admit, she would have never have guessed that Uchiha Sasuke himself would show up at her clinic, asking for her to treat a little injured fox. At first, when she asked him about how the fox came to be hurt, Sasuke was his usual short-answer self, and was determined to exclude all details. But, after a little interrogation, Sasuke quickly caved and explained fully what had happened.

Hana decided that she was definitely going to have a little talk with her brother Kiba and Akamaru about their little “walks” in the woods. This fox definitely wasn’t the first victim of the two’s overactive morning exercises. Hana internally cringed at the number of animals and innocent citizens who she had seen become injured in some form or another because of the duo.

“Now, all that’s left is for you to sign these forms, and he’s yours to take.” Hana smiled, and presented Sasuke with a small collection of papers. In her mind, she began the countdown.

‘5...4...3...2...1...’

“What?! Sasuke snapped, her words finally reaching his brain. “Me? Take it home?”

“Of course, you found him, and brought it here for treatment. He’s your responsibility now.” Hana smiled. She of course knew Sasuke hadn’t thought that he’d be expected to take it home. For some reason though, the way that Sasuke was almost openly concerned for the little critter, she knew it would be good for the boy to take care of the injured fox.

“Why me? Shouldn’t it stay here until it’s healed?” Sasuke asked nervously. She couldn’t be serious, could she? Uchiha Sasuke, take care of an injured animal. He didn’t have time to watch over it. Hell, he was hardly ever home. Being a shinobi meant you had a very busy life. For all he knew, he could be sent on a month long mission tomorrow. There was no way he could have an animal in the house! Plus, his house was old. Having a wild, untamed animal in the house meant things might be ruined or broken.

‘There is no way I am taking it home! No! No! No!’ Sasuke chanted in his mind over and over again.

“Sorry, but my clinic is full at the moment, and there’s no possible way I can take him home. Remember who chased him into the hole?” Hana pointed out.

‘Shit! She’s right. That damn Kiba! This is all his fault! Next time I see him, I’ll fix him and his stupid mutt!’ Sasuke screamed internally.

“Well, are you ready?” Hana insisted.

‘No no no no…no…’

Sasuke’s attention was soon diverted to the examination table. A soft cry came from the small fox, and one sleep hazy eyes opened. Deep onyx eyes met with rich azure blue. In that one instant Sasuke suddenly felt like he was falling, flying and a having deja vu all at once. And then that instant was gone. The fox slipped back into a deep sleep.

“Fine, I’ll take him.”

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Hana waved goodbye to Sasuke as he left her clinic, with fox and supplies in hand. Smiling, she turned to go back into the clinic when suddenly she felt the ground begin to shake. Sighing, she looked up to see the stampede which was her brother and canine companion come barreling towards her.

“Hey Sis! Was that Sasuke I just saw- *THWACK*

Kiba was promptly cut short when Hana connected her fist with his head.

“Owowowowowow~ What was that for?” Kiba whined, crouching down and holding his abused head.

“KIBA! AKAMARU! What have I said about your wild morning runs? I just got another patient today who was a victim of your recklessness!” Hana yelled at the whimpering duo.

“Wha….what are you talking about!? We take our morning runs in the woods now, where there aren’t anyone! The only thing we say today was Sasuke, and that stupid prick just insulted us, per-usual.”

“I wasn’t talking about a person, Kiba. Akamaru has apparently been chasing foxes again.” Hana placed her hands on her hips and frowned down at the over-sized canine. Akamaru just barked happily, wagging his tail.

“What? Akamaru, I thought I got you out of that habit! That must have been what you were chasing earlier so eagerly.” Kiba just sighed, scratching his head.

Akamaru barked again, this time more forcefully.

“Wha? What do you mean you were chasing Naruto? Akamaru, that was a fox!” Kiba kneeled down in front of the dog so he was eye level.

Akamaru just whined and barked again, not seeming to understand his mistake.

Kiba and Hana sighed, and looked at each other, puzzled.

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The first thing that flooded Naruto’s senses when he came too, was that fact that his whole body felt oddly…comfortable. Warm, and as if he was floating. Sighing in sweet bliss, Naruto shifted a little, snuggling into the warmth that surrounded him.

Then reality came rushing back to him.

Eyes snapping open, Naruto sat up, his brain in a panic. Everything that had happened to him came back in a flood of images. The fact that he was a fox, the run through the woods, the fall, the pain, and….the rock. Everything else after that however, was a blank.

Looking down at himself, he found that his injured leg had been wrapped in a cloth bandage. It was stiff and heavily wrapped, but oddly light in weight. Using his uninjured paw, he rubbed his head slightly. There was little pain from where the rock had collided with his skull, but with the hazy and fuzzy feeling that was lingering around in his mind, Naruto suspected he was on painkillers.

Standing up, he stretched his stiff muscles, and for the first time, surveyed his current surroundings. The warm comforting feeling he had when he woke up was from the fact that he had been sleeping in a thick blanket that had been placed in a low wide basket.

Looking around, his eyes adjusting to the low lit room, he could tell he was in a large spacious living room. The dark curtains that were drawn across the wide window, gave the room a haunting feeling. Stepping onto the hardwood floor, Naruto hesitantly looked around, ears alert.

This was definitely not his apartment. The few pieces of furniture that occupied the room was in perfect condition. They appeared to be new, if not for the lingering smell of dust in the air that all old rooms had. A moderate sized TV sat in the far corner. Next to it sat a small bookshelf, and from where Naruto could see, it held a small collection of movies. A few paintings were hung on the walls, and a solitary plant sat in the far corner. It looked old, and sadly, a little withered. In the center of the room was a large black leather couch. Next to it was a single leather chair that matched the couch’s color and design. Besides that, there was very little in the room. With the dim lighting, stuffy atmosphere, and the little amount of personal items that defined everyone’s home, Naruto almost believed that no one lived here.

Taking light and awkward steps, being careful of his wrapped leg, Naruto crept across the room. One thought kept running through his mind. ‘Where am I?’

Walking around the couch, Naruto spotted a doorway on the other side of the room. However, it was closed.

‘Crap. Now how am I suppose to get out of here?’

Suddenly, the distinct sound of footsteps approaching alerted Naruto. Freezing, Naruto listened with his sensitive fox ears. From the dull thump, he could tell the person was barefoot. The pace of the steps was slow, the person was relaxed, and in no hurry.

Then the steps changed, and from the sound, Naruto could tell they were heading this way. Not wanting to be caught in the defenseless state he was in, Naruto’s mind panicked for a place to hide. When the steps drew even closer, Naruto’s mind chose the only option that presented itself: the couch.

Scrabbling under the couch with awkward steps, Naruto crouched low and curled his tail around his body, trying to be as small as possible.

The sound of the door opening startled him. Lowering his head, Naruto saw a pair of feet standing in the doorway. He watched them step forward, and then the door closed behind them.

‘Damn! There goes my escape’ Naruto thought as he watched the feet walk forward.

The feet walked over towards the basket that Naruto had previously been sleeping in. Lowering his head more, Naruto could see that the person the feet belonged to was crouched down, and rustling through the blanket that lined the basket.

“What the hell? Shit, now where did it go?” A deep, yet oddly familiar voice sounded through the room. The feet began moving again, walking a full circle around the room, before stopping near the front of the couch.

Suddenly, the person dropped to their knees, and Naruto soon found himself face to face with deep onyx eyes. He squeaked in surprise, and puffed out a little.

“There you are” The voice spoke again. A hand soon appeared in front of Naruto, reaching for him. Panicking and fearing the suddenly very large hand that was about to grab him, Naruto’s fox instincts kicked in, and bit onto a finger.

The hand quickly withdrew, and the voice snapped. “Ouch! Damn it, stop that!”

‘Why does that voice sound familiar?’ A whisper in Naruto’s brain kept asking.

Suddenly, the hand returned. Before Naruto could snap at it again, it grabbed the back of his neck by the scruff, and hauled him out from beneath the couch. The odd sensation of being lifted and the dislike of being handled caused Naruto to kick and squirm. He kicked and barked angrily, his eyes closed and jaws looking for something to bite.

“Now stop that, I’m not going to hurt you.” The voice spoke, firmly but gentle at the same time.

Opening his eyes, Naruto found himself face to face with the stoic expression of his rival and teammate.

‘Sa….Sasuke!?’ Naruto barked in surprise.

‘Why is Sasuke here? Why am I with Sasuke? Wait, that means this is Sasuke’s place! Why am I at Sasuke’s house!? What the hell is going on!?’ A thousand new questions ran through the confused fox’s mind as he stared at his teammate.

“That’s better. Now no more biting, or I won’t feed you.” Sasuke spoke.

Sasuke shifted Naruto so that he was holding him by his stomach with his right hand, and holding him against his chest. Turning, Sasuke walked out of the room. Stepping silently through a hallway, he soon entered a kitchen. Setting Naruto on the floor by the counter that was against the wall, Sasuke began shuffling through the cabinets.

Naruto sat there for a moment before snapping out of his thoughts. Standing up, Naruto began barking furiously at Sasuke, attempting to get his attention.

‘Hey! Sasuke! It’s me! Naruto! Hey, are you listening? You’ve got to help me! Teme, pay attention!!’

“Alright, alright, I’ll feed you. Just shut up, will you?” Sasuke grumbled, and placed two bowls in front of Naruto. One was filled with water, the second was full of strange brown pebble like bits.

‘Damn it teme! And you’re suppose to be the smart one!’ Naruto barked angrily, annoyed with his teammate’s ignorance.

“What ? It’s dog food. The vet said it was fine for you to it. And you’d better, because that’s all you’re getting.” Sasuke turned from the fox, ignoring the barks, and began preparing his own dinner.

Sighing, and giving up on trying to communicate to his teammate, Naruto looked down at the bowls that were placed in front of him. Sniffing at the water, Naruto now just noticed how dry his throat was. Lapping at the water greedily, he practically dove into the bowl. Water splashed over his nose and face, clumping it and making it stick out in odd directions. Being a fox was harder then it looked, as he wasn’t quite use to drinking water with his tongue.

Naruto didn’t notice how Sasuke was watching from the corner of his eye. A smirk crossed his face, and he held in a laugh. Who knew watching a fox trying to drink water was so funny? Sasuke idly wondered if the head injury the fox received caused it brain damage.

Finished with the water, Naruto licked his muzzle, and them moved his attention to the dog food. Sniffing it, he immediately scrunched up his nose in disgust. There was no way he was going to eat this.

Looking up at Sasuke, Naruto could smell that the teen was making himself rice balls.

‘Rice balls for dinner? How like Sasuke, boring and bland.’ Naruto chuckled. Then, a second smell caught his attention. Sniffing the air more closely, he could tell it was a type of seafood. Salmon maybe?

‘Now that’s something I’d like!’ Naruto lapped his lips hungrily, and walked over to Sasuke’s side, looking up at him. Pawing at his leg, Naruto whined, trying to get his attention.

Looking down, Sasuke saw the little fox looking up at him hungrily. Knowing that the fox probably smelt the strong scent of fish, Sasuke shook his head.

“No way fox. That’s your dinner over there. Go on.” Sasuke lightly pushed the fox away with his foot, motioning for him to go eat the dog food.

Naruto whined slightly, dropping his ears and putting on the cutest face that he could muster.

Sasuke, when seeing this face, couldn’t help but look away with a slight twitch in his eye. Again, Naruto whined, and placed his head on his forepaws, tail wagging slightly.

‘Think cute. Think innocent.’ Naruto chanted.

Suddenly, a piece of salmon was flung in his direction. Jumping up slightly, he caught it easily between his jaws, which he promptly ate.

‘Ha! The cute act never fails!’ Naruto cheered as he munched on the salmon piece.

“That’s it, you’re not getting anymore. Now scram.” Sasuke turned his back to Naruto, and focused all his attention on finishing his dinner.

Barking a thank you, Naruto moved back to his water bowl to wash down the fishy taste in his mouth. Giving the dog food another sniff, he decided that he wasn’t hungry anymore, and moved lie in the middle of the floor.

Watching Sasuke eat his meal, which consisted of the Uchiha just standing there in his kitchen and eating it, Naruto’s attention span began to waver. He looked at his bandaged leg, and started chewing on the bandages, having the sudden urge to remove the itchy wrappings.

“Stop that.” Sasuke’s voice commanded from where he stood. Naruto choose to ignore him, and began to furiously attack the wrappings.

“I said stop that, or I’ll have to put a cone on you.” Sasuke’s voice spoke again. This got Naruto’s attention. He began to weigh his options. He really wanted to remove the annoying bandages, but knowing Sasuke, he really would carry out his threat and put a plastic cone around his head. Now that’s something Naruto will never tolerate.

Huffing in annoyance, Naruto rolled onto his side, abandoning the wrappings on his legs.

Sasuke smirked again. If he didn’t know better, it almost looked like the fox was pouting. Shaking his head at the silly notion, he finished the last bite of his meal, and placed the dishes in the sink.

Walking over to the fox, Sasuke picked him up with both of his hands and held him up at his eye level. The fox looked at him quizzically, head tilted to the side and ears twitching.

A small and genuine smile appeared on the Uchiha’s face, as he looked at the fox with a softened expression. Naruto’s heart skipped a beat.

“Well little guy, it looks like you’ll be staying with me for a little while. At least until you’re healed, that is.” Sasuke spoke softly. “That reminds me, I should probably name you.” He titled his head to the side, thinking.

‘Name me? I have a name! It’s Uzumaki Naruto, you baka!’ Naruto barked in annoyance.

Sasuke turned his attention back to the fox, his black onyx eyes staring deeply at the fox, as if studying him. Naruto quieted, his ears lowering slightly. He felt uncomfortable as the Uchiha stared at him with those eyes.
“Souten. I’ll name you Souten.” He finally spoke softly. Naruto looked at him with a confused expression. Souten? Azure sky?

“Your eyes. They remind me of the sky.” Sasuke smiled, and shifted the fox so that he was sitting on his arm, and leaning up against his chest. Naruto was silent. He’d never heard anyone describe his eyes like that. Usually, people called them the eyes of a demon.

“Actually, your eyes are a lot like a friend of mine’s. They’re the exact same color.” Sasuke spoke aloud, as he stroked the fox.

“He’s a loudmouth and a klutz, but despite that, he’s actually a decent ninja. He has a lot of skill underneath that dorky exterior of his, and he probably matches me in ability." Naruto's eyes widened in surprise. Was Sasuke actually...complimenting him?
"Also…he’s my best friend.” Sasuke whispered slowly, his eyes staring off into space. Naruto suddenly felt embarrassed and really out of place by this. Not only was his teammate talking about him, and not knowing that he was actually here, but Sasuke was openly commenting on his skills and acknowledging their friendship. A warm feeling spread through his chest, one of happiness and joy. A wide smile appeared on the fox’s face, teeth bared and tail wagging.

Sasuke looked down at the happy fox, and smirked.

“Glad you like the name.” He scratched the foxes head, and began walking down the hallway. Opening a door, Sasuke stepped inside and closed the door behind him. Looking around inside, Naruto’s previous happiness soon transformed into sheer horror.

“Now that you’ve been fed, time to give you a bath.”

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*Runs away as mobs of people began throwing sharp and pointy objects in her direction*
I’m really really sorry for talking so long with this update. The mixture of college and writers block really hit me. I just couldn’t find myself able to write.

It wasn’t until I actually started getting threats, that I figured I should really try to get this chapter done.

Actually, this chapter felt really…dry. Not a whole lot happens, but, it was necessary. The next chapter will be a favorite of mine. The Bath! *cackles*

Next time I’ll try to have pictures too.

Oh! And please review with a little bit more then “Please update.”. That doesn’t really motivate me at all.
I adore comments and critiques. THEY help me and inspire me to write.

To all my previous Reviewers, I love you all! I know some of you have questions, but I they will be answered in the coming chapters, I promise. *heart*

Lastly, this chapter has NOT been Beta'd in any form, so please excuse any spelling or grammer errors. I'll try to fix them as I find them.

Until next time! *puffs away in a cloud of smoke*


[EDIT] Gomen for the long wait. Just doing a bit of editting at the moment. Next chapter coming soon, I promise!