Fox and Raven

A/N:: Okay, so I fail at being patient. Have another chapter. Mostly, I want to get closer to posting up the new stuff. I really do wonder what happened to the other version of this story. I apologize to all of my readers for my absence and the story just outright vanishing. I didn't plan it, but I will do my best to bring it back for you. -Loves-

And thanks to everyone that has rated and reviewed and read the story thus far. ^_^ I hope that ou are all enjoying it and that you'llcontinue to stick with me through it.

"Can anyone tell me what this is, class?" Came the gentle voice of a young man, barely in his mid twenties. All around the medium sized classroom, hands shot up into the air. What this teacher had motioned to was a humanoid. This humanoid was thin and feral, with a sleek muscular frame that was slightly hunched. cat like features marked it clearly including a pair of ears and matching tail, clawed hands, and paw like feet that cause it to stand on the balls.

"Ah, how about you, Yamanaka?" The teacher called out despite the soft groans of protest. A small girl, eight years of age at the most rose from her seat, her large eyes filled with superiority.

"Its a Nekogen, Sensei! Nekogen are our closest friends and exist to make us happy." She recited cheerfully. A collective nod came from her classmates who smiled in approval. Except for one.

"It's a slave." The only quiet and unhappy looking child argued curtly, dark onyx eyes glaring over at the blonde girl fiercely with an intensity that most children could never dream of posessing. The girl paled and stammered weakly as the boy rose to his feet. She dropped back down onto her chair, watching in shock and fear as the dark child strode toward her menacingly before turning toward the image on the screen.

"It's a beast... a wild animal that belongs in a zoo. It's a freak." He added in that same, moody tone that had even the teacher backing up a step.

"N-now, Sasuke-kun, please take your seat. Anymore outbursts like that and I'll have to send you into the hall." The teacher warned after snapping out of his stupor. The black haired boy regarded him for a long moment before turning and leaving the room on his own, ignoring the murmurs that followed his passing. Whispers of: "It is true that he is the last one left?" "Did he kill them?" "He's so scary!" They meant nothing. They all meant nothing at all.

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"Come out. I already know that you are there." He stated in a soft murmur, his deep voice breaking the silence that had filled the empty hall. For a long moment, nothing happened. The Uchiha did not move a muscle, his stiff frame tensed and ready as he waited. His eyes were closed to the world, long dark lashes resting against his pale cheeks. He felt like at any moment some cheesy dramatic horror film soundtrack was going to start rolling in the background. And then it happened. A hiss like chuckle, malicious and emensely amused, echoed all through the hall. Sasuke didn't react in the least. If anything, he appeared bored as he stood there. Why were villains such creepy drama queens?

"Hello... Sasuke-kun..."

Now that got a reaction from the black haired man. His bloodied eyes snapped open and he whirled to face the person who knew his name. Few could actually match his face with his name. It was never good for an enemy to know of it. Those eyes narrowed warily as he stared at the man before him. This person was tall, nearly as tall as Sasuke himself and he was dressed in an unusual garment that the young man had never seen before. It was a dark yellow shade, a tunic like style, over a skin tight black under garment. A thick purple chord wound about the man's slim waist. Honestly, it reminded the Uchiha of a pool noodle or something. His hair was long and perfectly kept, falling in thin black waves that shimmered even in the low light of the hall. A pair of goldenrod eyes, animalistic in appearance watched Sasuke with a gleam that sent goose bumps running down his body. This man was creepy. Very creepy. In fact, he fit the criteria for a villian almost perfectly. Pale skin, long hair, creepy semi-perverted and sadistic grin, and of course, eyeshadow. God forbid a bad guy not wear some form of make-up! Tangent aside, The young man's lips twitched downward into a frown.

"Hnn... not very vocal are we?" The man purred, striding around the motionless Uchiha as if he were some sort of item for sale. Sasuke was uncomfortable. He did not like being uncomfortable. It annoyed him greatly. Without hesitation he flung a single beam kunai at the snake like man. He had a feeling that it would not hit, and his assumption was correct. The long haired male meerly turned his head to the side gracefully. However, he did not seem prepared to have the Uchiha's hand enclose around his ankle from the tiled floor below, pulling the startled snake down through the protesting floor and slamming him harshly into the floor below. Dust and debris clouded around the lower hall as metal beams that supported the floor groaned against the treatment. Sasuke was not responsible for damages in his opinion. If they wanted the place left in one peice they should have sent someone else. The impact of the snake like man's body caused the building to shudder and with an angry crash of bone on tile the floor gave way, sending the long haired man down three more floors. Maybe Sasuke had overdone it a bit. But, this man threw him off. There was something unmistakably wrong about him and every inch of the Uchiha was screaming for him to get away.

Of course, being an Uchiha, he was not capible of running from someone regardless of who it was. And it was not seconds later that something rushed him from beneath his feet, the floor gaining yet another hole as the creepy man lunged up through it to lash out at Sasuke. The raven haired male jumped aside quickly, using the speed that his sharigan provided to safely avoid the strikes. He could tell that the man was pulling his punches, toying with him. Testing may have been a better word.

"So angry... Not very becoming of the heir of the Uchiha clan, Sasssuke-kun." The strange man hissed with a knowing smirk that only made the other angrier. Who in the hell did this asshole think he was? Sasuke's glare became even icier if that were at all possible. This person was treading a fine line.

"You know... they say that you are the one who killed them... Your cousins, your aunts, your uncles, even your own Mother...even your Father..." The snake began, deftly avoiding a violent and recklace punch from the Uchiha. "But I know better... Your dear brother did it... didn't he, Sasssuke-kun?"

"Shutup!" Sasuke finally snapped out, his hands forming seals faster then the eye could follow and a massive burst of flame shot out from his lips and fingertips, encasing the laughing man. As flames engulfed the halls the Uchiha's hands shot outward, several thin wires spiraling from the two bands that covered his forearms. these wires were quite nasty, each ending with a small metal hook and when used properly, they had the ability to slice clean through a man. The wires bound the burning snake and Sasuke pulled tight, holding them all in one hand while he focused his energy in his free hand. This man would die. This man would die right here at the hands of the Uchiha. No one spoke of his brother nor his family. No one. The high pitched chirping of electricity was a welcome, though slightly painful, sound as brilliant blue lightning gathered about his fingertips and licked up his arm. Chidori. It had been a while since he had used it, but this man was an exception. He pulled roughly on the wires, forcing the still chuckling villian to jerk toward him before sprinting head on toward the man. His arm thrust outward with enough force to shatter the walls around them, aimed straight at the man's heart. However, the attack never hit. Sasuke stared wide eyed at his still crackling hand that had been stopped easily by a larger, paler one about his wrist.

"Your brother is stronger than you. You will never find nor kill him in this condition. Let me help you Sasuke-kun." The long haired man purred, leaning in close until his lips brushed against the sensitive skin of the other's neck. Sweat rolled down the Uchiha's brow as fear shot through him only to be followed by anger and defiance. He struggled to free himself from the man's strong grip only to let out a scream when a sharp burning pain shot through his neck. The bastard BIT him! What the hell!? He could feel something rushing into his veins, joining his blood. It burned worse than a shot of Konoha Fire Sake and Sasuke crumpled, going limp. He fell in a heap at the smirking man's feet and weakly he moved his hand to touch the burning wound. His eyes went wide when he felt not only the two punture marks but three slightly raised bumps that were spherical in shape. A cold sweat rushed over him and he convulsed on the ground. What had this freak done to him!? The tall man had been about to reach out and touch the twitching Uchiha when a blur of yellow shot down the hall, stopping over top of Sasuke. Angry blue eyes glared dangerously up at the snake like man, tiny fangs exposing themselves as an animalistic snarl came from the child. The fox. It's tail bristled in warning and the little pet arched it's back. A deep chuckle escaped the man's lips as he observed the child.

"Aahh, the Kyuubi must like you quite a lot, Sasuke-kun." The creepy man murmured, practically ignoring the fox child that looked almost rabid. And then without warning red chakra unlike anything the Uchiha had ever seen surged from the child. Brilliant blue turned violent red and fur spread all over the pet's body until standing protectively over the paralyzed young man was a small yellow fox. It was no hybrid or anthro, but a full out animal, complete with paws and a muzzle. True there were a few pets that were more animal then human and all, but this he had never really encountered before. Even the long haired villian seemed a bit shocked by the creature.

"So... you would fight even me to protect him, eh Naruto-chan." The snake man sneered, but the fox did not react more then to pin it's ears back against it's skull. Sasuke could only watch on as the man tried to come closer to them. He could not move at all now and he had a feeling that it was because of the bite. That violent chakra lashed out at the snake, searing flesh from muscle and forcing him back. Yet, that very same chakra caressed Sasuke almost lovingly, warming the prone male's frozen limbs.

"Very well. It doesn't matter now anyway. I got what I wanted and your little master will seek me out eventually anyway, Kyuubi." With that the slightly put off villian turned and began striding off through the now slightly less then functional hall. Sasuke let out a hiss of his own and writhed on the floor in agony as feeling once again began to return to him. The small fox continued to snarl and glare after the departing man while its chakra inkreaced its intensity. It was like the pet had turned into some kind of furry time bomb. The hate and rage pouring from it worried Sasuke. He was stunned by how quickly and easily it had gone from a harmless adorable little child to a dangerous and almost violent wild animal. Once again he was reminded of his dislike of pets. He reached out and placed a reasuring hand on the creature's head, stroking the thick fur gently. Sasuke knew that if he didn't calm the pet down, that the whole building would collapse. It took a matter of seconds for angry red to fade once again into pristine blue. And just as quickly, the fur receeded, leaving behind a purring six year old again. The child leaned into Sasuke as he sat up and a content smile curved its lips.

"Mrrrine!" The fox exclaimed before hugging the silent Uchiha.

"Raven? Are you alright?" Came the voice of Neji as the black haired male slowly got to his feet. White eyes surrveyed the damage that had ruined nearly four floors passively. Neji was not surprised in the least at the amount of damage. This was the Uchiha's handiwork after all.

" My fucking neck feels like it's on fire and I have a pet attached to my waist, not to mention the fact that Tsunade is going to eat my soul. So, not too shabby." Sasuke snapped as he tried to remove the fox from him again. Apparently, the little pet had learned from the last time and scurried around to cling to the Uchiha's back out of reach. Sasuke was too tired to bother with removing the kit so he merely sighed in defeat. "Let's get the hell out of here."

Neji nodded with a smirk and led the way back to the rooftop where the rest of the team was stationed. The craft had landed on top of the building along with a larger carrier filled with sweepers and other N.P.S. members. They were lower ranked and not usually sent on missions unless they were just cleaning up. Sasuke himself had only been forced to be on clean up duty once. It had sucked terribley. The little fox seemed absolutely esstatic to see so much activity, its large eyes flicking all over the place as if trying to see everything all at once. The blond clung tightly to Sasuke's unijured shoulder and refused to release him, even when Sakura and Lee had tried to coax it into one of the containment pens, the child threw a fit and began crying until Sasuke had pulled it down into his arms.

"Hmm, he's really attached to you, Sasuke-kun! You are so good with children!" Sakura beamed at him in a voice that held more implications than the darked haired male wanted to even think about. The fox on the other hand, began babbling in it's own little language at her while waving its arms.

"This is no child, do not delude yourself. It's a slave." The Uchiha stated before stepping inside of their transport unit. There was no reason for them to stay here now that the major threat had been eliminated. Maybe he was being to harsh. Maybe he should try to be a bit more open toward pets. That didn't mean he was ever going to. The Kyubi must have sensed the dark mood that had come over the young man for it nuzzled into his chest. Sasuke seated himself away from the others, still feeling the dull throbbing of that bite. He felt sick.

For a moment he allowed his eyes to slide shut and he exhaled slowly. This mission was terrible. And then he felt the feathery touch of warm breath against his neck.

"Don't touch it, pet." He half growled in warning. The last thing he needed was for the fox to poke at the bite or something. However, the blond ignored the warning entirely and nuzzled gently against Sasuke's neck as his tiny hands tugged aside the fabric of his collar to peer at the bite mark. Three black tattoos had appeared like a brand against the Uchiha's pale skin and an angry growl forced itself from the child. The mark seemed to pulsate in protest to the fox's close proximity for it burned the dark haired male in spasms. The kyubi timidly ran his tongue over the mark and a faint hiss like cool water on hot metal came from the Uchiha's skin. Sasuke had to force back a grunt of pain and he had half a mind to chuck the furry idiot across the cabin, however, the fox repeated the action again and the pain lessened. He could feel the saliva from the pet soothing the wound and mark gradually.

Sasuke had heard a few times of the healing properties of a pet, but he had never experianced it first hand, let alone allowed one to get so close to him. And yet, here he was craddling a dangerous animal while it lapped away at his neck like some sort of starved kitten. It was strange. He felt almost comfortable letting the fox do as it wanted and he let out a soft sigh, leaning his head back against the seat. The burning was gone in place of a gentle tingling sensation that spread through his body slowly. It was awfully hazy in that cabin. His mind felt slightly foggy and if he wasn't mistaken, he was on the verge of sleep. Damn pets.

The Uchiha jolted awake abruptly, when he felt the light prick of fangs against his neck. Goosebumps rose up everywhere on his body and he let out a strangled yelp, forcing the little fox away from his neck. The kyubi let out a pathetic whine and his little hands reached up for Sasuke's neck. But, the young man was having none of it.

"One bite a year is plenty enough." He chided, tapping the fox on the nose lightly, earning a pout from him. Sasuke was vaguely aware that he had allowed himself to give the creature a gender. Great. That was never a good sign. It was then that the Uchiha noticed how close they were to the Fangs. The Fangs were a set of nine massive spires whose true name was The Lumina Circle. They stood in an area that was off limits to all, regardless of status as far as the Uchiha knew. In fact the only activity around the circle came from the wildlife that inhabited the surrounding area. The Fangs were a strange phenomina and no one in the city really knew how they came to exist. Whoever had built them must have been a master for they were perfectly seamless, standing approximately five hundred clicks apart and gleaming a milky white that helped them earn their nickname. All around the Fangs was a thick lush forest that was the only remaining natural forest in existance. Because of this fact, the area was guarded fiercely. The high walled perimeter surrounding the forest was impenetrable and the airspace was monitored closely. However, as Sasuke stared at the looming towers that stood several miles away he noticed something very wrong with the nineth one that stood in the very center of the circle. It was an faint shade of crimson and it pulsated as if alive and breathing. The small child in his arms let out a low whine and backed further into Sasuke's chest, as if trying to keep as far away from the spires as possible.

"It's alright, Dobe. They are just buildings." The Uchiha sighed, but he allowed the fox to crawl into his vest anyway. He was exausted. And he still felt ill, but thanks to the kyubi, his pain had been numbed greatly. When they finally began decending, the blond had fallen asleep and was snoring lightly, his fluffy tail sticking out of the bottom of Sasuke's vest limply. The dark walls of the NPS head quarters closed in around the craft as it landed neatly in the hanger. Outside of the craft technicians and several armed NPS members rushed about wildly. What all of the fuss was about did not surprise him in the least. The fox was a very dangerous creature, but he seriously doubted that it would hurt anyone. Neji had passively studied the black haired man throughout the entire trip and he was having a hard time preventing himself from smirking. Sasuke was growing attatched to the pet. The ironies were hilarious.

With exaustion clear in their weary bodies, the squad exited the craft. Sasuke forbid himself from showing such weakness, however and stepped out looking as cool and collected as usual, the kit still dozing in his vest. He was not ready to come face to face with the head boss herself though and his facade faltered momentarily. For her to show up, the fox must have been very important indeed.

"Uchiha, report." Came the sharp commanding voice of the large breasted woman. She was frightening, even to him.

"We have attained the new type and have apprehended many of the criminals. The rest will have to wait until we are in private and after my head has stopped spinning." He stated. Tsunade, as the woman was called, frowned slightly, her golden gaze hardening slightly before she nodded her head.

"I would like to examine the newtype before we have it exterminated. Shizune, have a squad take the newtype to the labs. I'll be down once I tend to the Uchiha." She ordered and the dark haired assistant that was always at her side bowed deeply. Shizune was a Nekogen, much to Sasuke's annoyance. Surprisingly, there were quite a few of them working in the building. However, unlike the pets that Sasuke regularly got rid of, she was a well bred pet, her features more human then cat. The nekogen reached out her arms expectantly toward the Uchiha, however Sasuke did not move. In fact, his arm curled protectively around the tiny bundle in his vest and his free hand moved to the hilt of his sword. The Nekogen stepped back, her eyes wide in surprise before she turned to Tsunade. The Uchiha was never defiant to this extreme. The boss looked pissed.

"Uchiha, give the newtype to Shizune or I will have you put on suspension." She warned and Sasuke was aware of every weapon in the place being aimed at him. His eyes flared to life with the Sharigan and a grimace cruved his mouth.

"You will not harm him." He ground out through clenched teeth. If Tsunade had been surprised before, she was practically floored now. Never in her life did she think she would see the day that Sasuke Uchiha defended a pet, let alone recognized it as a living thing.

"It is necissary, Uchiha, you know this. The newtype is dangerous and needs to be eliminated before it can do any harm." The suddenly somber looking woman responded evenly. But, Sasuke did not waver. And it was then that the small fox decided to poke his head out of Sasuke's vest. A wide yawn split the child's face and he rubbed at his large eyes in a manner that was so obnoxiously cute that Sasuke could already feel himself getting cavities. The kyubi's large ears twitched toward the blonde haired woman curiously and a large grin grew upon his lips. He waved happily at her, babbling in that weird language at her. Then the fox looked up at Sasuke adoringly, throwing his tiny arms about the older male's neck and nuzzling against his cheek.

"Sas-kay!" The fox giggled and the Uchiha felt his heart lurch. They wanted to kill this little kid? Sasuke found himself stunned by his own thoughts, actions, and emotions. He didn't want the child to die. He wanted to protect it. He wanted to see it happy. He was losing his fucking mind. When he returned his gaze to Tsunade, he was met with a curious sight. Tsunade looked as though she were about to cry. The woman shook herself to rid herself of the sudden emotion and sighed deeply.

"Fine. If it makes one wrong move, I am pulling the plug, understand. Shizune!"The woman said finally, earning a sigh of relief from not only the Uchiha, but also his team. They didn't really want to fight off everyone in the building to protect their leader. Shizune moved forward once again, a smile on her face as she reached out for the smaller pet. The kyubi looked at her curiously, tilting his head to examine her critically. And as if recognizing one of his own species, the little fox's tail began to wag slowly from side to side. He cast a questioning look up at Sasuke to which the dark haired male nodded slightly. With a playful yip, the child leapt from the Uchiha's arms to Shizune who let out a growl like laugh and affectionately ruffled his hair.

"Uchiha, meet me in the medical wing. You look half dead and I cannot afford to lose you to some illness." Tsunade ordered firmly, ignoring the look of protest from the young man with a wave of her hand. "The rest of you, meet in the debriefing room upstairs in two hours. I want to know everything. Dismissed!"

A uniform salute came from the team, showing that yes they were well trained dogs, before they dispersed. Neji sent Sasuke a concerned gaze and strode to the Uchiha's side, Shikamaru following close behind. Of course like usual the dark male ignored them in favor of turning away from Shizune and the fox. Neji placed a light hand on the Uchiha's shoulder, his expressionless eyes flicking momentarily to the kit and then back.

"It'll be alright. We shall accompany you. Purple needs to be checked out anyway..." The brunette added with a sneer. Of course Shikamaru awarded the older man with a wonderfully "friendly" hand gesture. A soft snort freed itself from the Uchiha and he shook his head before stiding forward. Those two picked at each other like an old married couple or something. As the trio strode off a high pitched wail followed them and Shikamaru slowed to glance back. The fox was struggling against Shizune's hold, trying desperately to reach Sasuke.

"Tch...how troublesome...are you going to do anything about that, Uchiha?" He asked slowly, turning his surprisingly calculating eyes upon his leader's back. With a sigh, Sasuke turned and strode back to the squirming child, his dark eyes hard and unwavering. He could not allow himself to be swayed by the pet's cute nature. That would be far too problematic. The moment that he was within range, the blond launched itself at him, clinging desperately to his chest. Sasuke gently pulled the kit free and lifted him to eye level.

"Usuratonkachi... behave yourself. You can't cry everytime I leave." He stated coldly and the little pet sniffled pathetically, his large eyes tearing up. "Now don't start that because it isn't going to work. You can't come with me. Go with the cat and they'll take care of you."

" SAS-KAY! Want SAS-KAY!!! NARUTO WANT!!!" The kit cried, squirming out of Sasuke's hold and burying himself in the crook of the Uchiha's neck. An annoyed sound came from the black haired boy and he yanked the child off, holding him at arm's length.

"No." Sasuke snapped firmly and those large ears folded against the fox's head. "Naruto, don't be a baby. You'll see me again."

That instantly had the child's face lighting up and a determined expression crossed his features. Naruto babbled in his half human language again and nodded sharply. Sasuke found himself frozen when the boy's eyes turned fierce, the blue lit with a fire that he never thought a pet could posess. And the single word that came from the pet made a odd warmth tickle through his body. It was said with such conviction and certainty that he was unable to voice a denial to it.

"Mine."