By Selim
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Summary: Naruto wants Sasuke for his mate, plain and simple. To do so, he must prove himself an adult in his mother's eyes, a strong leader in his father's, and a powerful Shinobi in Sasuke's.
Pairings: Sasuke x Naruto, Kakashi x Iruka, and Kyuubi x Arashi
Notes: This would be a shinobi story AU. Naruto may seem OOC, but I have reasoning for his actions. Instead of being an orphan, he has parents- Arashi and Kyuubi. I won't be explaining exactly how he was born until I do the prologue. There is 3 sub plots that ravel together in the end, but that's if I do all three. I'm not sure where this fic will go, but if there is any confusion, please contact me and I'll explain it over a PM or write the answer into a chapter short.
Sky blue eyes focused in on his prey. A pretty blonde fox demon curled up closer to the end of the tree limb, wanting to get even closer to the brunet of his fascination, but deemed the trouble unnecessary when he remembered how impolite it would be just to approach a human and deem him a mate. Besides, he was son of Kyuubi. He was prince of the Kitsune! He had honor to uphold.
The thirteen-year-old shinobi began to undress and the fox demon brought a pawed hand up to stop blood from sliding down his nose. How was he ever going to explain this to his mother? He wrestled his body back into the tree to confirm he wouldn't fall out and break something. "Sasuke," his voice was hoarse as he practiced the boy's name with his human's tongue.
Said human glanced around worriedly before shrugging stiff pale shoulders. Sliding into the hot spring, a relaxing groan escaped the shinobi's lips as his head fell back against the hard earth. Putting his bare back paws against tree bark before sliding against the cool, rough texture, Fox Demon sniffed the air. Someone was coming.
Another human escaped the woods, pink hair brushed back and held by a ribbon. A flowery scent floated up into the tree, and the fox had to cover his sensitive nose with his paw, hissing. "Sasuke-kun!"
"Damn it!" Sasuke's voice groaned as he pushed himself even lower into the hot spring. "I'm bathing, Sakura! Go back to camp!" His voice was low, but Fox Demon's sharp hearing could pick it up without trouble. He was sure the pink thing was able to hear it as well – she was much closer. Turning around, the girl stood her ground as Sasuke dunked his head under the water before coming back up for a gulp of air. "I said go back to camp." He repeated towards the pink haired girl.
"But, Sasuke-kun…" She whined, "Kakashi-sensei went off to get firewood and hasn't come back! I'm lonely." She whined, stomping her foot before a pleasant smile fell onto her face. Turning around, she pressed her fingers together and giggled. "I could always join you in the hot spring. Do you need a back rub, Sasuke-kun?"
With narrowed eyes, Sasuke grasped the ground under white fingers. "Get out of here, Sakura!" His voice finally rose to a threatening level. Around him, Fox Demon could feel the forest life begin to move and, suddenly, something climbed into his sensitive tail. Squealing, Fox Demon reached back to grab whatever it was, coming face to face with a squirrels. Screaming, he dropped the forest animal and fell out of the tree.
All thoughts of the disgusting rat that had been on him left his head as the pink haired thing, Sakura, screeched with equal shock as Fox Demon had and a very naked Sasuke jumped out of the hot spring and brought out a kunai. The blonde fox felt his life fleeting before his eyes as the metal came directly towards him, stabbing him into his shoulder.
With a whine, the Fox Demon reverted back into his animal form and tried to crawl away from the scene, but a fist flying his way stopped him dead in his tracks as it hit him in the head. "Eek! It's still moving, look at those tails twitch!"
"Stop it, Sakura." Sasuke's stern voice vibrated around Fox Demon. Someone lifted him up, and Fox Demon sniffled. There it was, Sasuke's spicy scent with a bit of soy sauce. The fox's tummy growled, reminding the blonde he'd forgotten to eat before he fled his mother's training in favor to follow Sasuke around. He was in a clothed lap, Sasuke's clothed lap (when he had dressed, Fox Demon wasn't so sure). Feeling someone pulling at the kunai, Fox Demon hissed and barred his fangs. "Don't touch it, Sakura. Let's take him to Kakashi-sensei."
Knowing that he was in his future mate's arms, Fox Demon snuggled closer before finally falling asleep.
"You clobbered him pretty hard, Sakura-chan." A new voice, unidentified by the fox kit, commented. "Stop shaking him like that, Sakura. It's not going to wake the kit any faster. Just put him near the fire and let him get comfortable on his own." Sudden warmth told the fox that said command had happened. Cracking open his now red eyes, the sun kissed blonde demon tried sitting up, only to collapse again when his front leg refused to work.
A firm finger against his ear made him stare up and meet with obsidian eyes. Sasuke! Letting out an approved sound, Demon Fox leaned closer against the finger. "He's really got an attachment to Sasuke-kun!" A shrill cry made the blonde fox tense again. "He's been cuddling up to Sasuke-kun ever since he was hurt. That just proves that Sasuke-kun's charm is undeniable even to animals!" The pink thing reached down to pet Demon Fox, but the demon snipped at her approaching fingers. Only his mate (and maybe the nice unknown man who tended his wounds) was allowed to touch him!
"Maybe it's too soon to approach the fox, Sakura-chan," the unknown voice commented, and the demon stared up at the silver haired ninja that was putting first aid supplies away. "I mean, you kind of attacked him out right. He was disoriented from falling out of a tree when Sasuke hit him with a kunai. You just grabbed him and beat the crap out of him."
"He was human, Kakashi-sensei!"
Kakashi-sensei, the unknown man that had cared for his wounds, sat down next to the fire. "I'm sure he was," he muttered, "but he's not now. He's probably a wandering demon and was curious as to what you two were doing. He's probably surprised now, and confused with what's going on." Lying back, he closed his mouth before opening a little orange book that captured the blonde fox's attention.
He was about to lean his head closer to see what was going on when Sasuke stood up with the little fox in his hands, hiking fingers under Demon Fox's armpits. Instead of meeting obsidian eyes, he met red, spiraling ones. "Become human," was the cold demand.
With a swallow, the fox summoned up the chakra needed to maintain his human-like form again before he transformed into it. Shaking his blonde head, the little fox perked his ears up, enjoying as his future mate stared over him before dropping his body roughly on the ground. Wrapping one of his puffy tails around him, Fox Demon smiled at his future mate. "Sasuke!" He laughed.
With surprise, Sakura sat next to him. "He can say Sasuke-kun's name! Can you say my name? Can you say Sa-ku-ra?" she sounded out her name.
"Sasuke!" Fox Demon broke into giggles again, reaching his arms out towards his future mate. When he didn't receive a hug or any sign of affection, he curled up against the ground with dread that he done something wrong. "Sasuke…" He moaned out. It was the only word he knew…
Hands grabbing his shoulders made the blonde demon start crying and screeching out Sasuke's name, but noise died down when he noticed it was just a tunic being placed over his nude form. Turning back, he smiled at Kakashi before reaching his arms out to Sasuke. "Sasuke!" He screeched again. With a groan, Sasuke brought Demon Fox in his arms.
"What's your name?" Sakura tried again, reaching towards the blonde to pet fluffy hair. She regretted it when sharp canines clamped onto her pointer finger. Pulling away, she glared daggers at the blonde who cuddled against Sasuke's chest.
"Sasuke!"
With a chuckle Kakashi put his book onto his thigh and reached over, allowing Fox Demon to sniff at his fingers like an animal. "Well, we can't be calling you the same name as our Sasuke-kun. How about we call you something different?" He thought long and hard as Fox Demon pressed further against the disinterested Uchiha. Sniffling for Sasuke's distinct scent, Fox Demon froze. Someone was approaching.
With a growl, he pulled closer to Sasuke as a voice echoed across the area. "Naruto!" Iruka! Naruto pulled away before smiling. Iruka was no harm to his mate, especially since said Iruka was a human who didn't mate for life but found love. "Naruto! There you are!" He collected the blonde into his arms before observing all the wounds that the boy had received. "What happened? What did you do to him?" He gave an accusingly look towards the trio sitting around the campfire.
"Iruka, Iruka!" Naruto squealed in his own language.
Blushing nervously, Kakashi reached his hand out. "Kakashi, name, um…" He tried making a coherent sentence. With a blush, Iruka stepped back, clutching Naruto closer to his chest.
"Sasuke!" Naruto reached over, grabbing the Uchiha with his good arm. "Iruka, this is my future mate, Sasuke!" Giggling, he rubbed his nose against Sasuke's chest, ignoring the confused and startled look the Uchiha was giving him.
Leaning in, Iruka tugged Naruto back and started back into the woods. Kakashi stood up in hopes to stop the man, but Sasuke stopped him from getting to close. "Let them go, we're suppose to be training, not babysitting." With that said, Iruka disappeared into the forest with Naruto, leaving the shinobi to their own workings.
"Iruka-san! Is Naruto all right?" A concerned voice echoed across the open field of foxes. Running past them, a blonde dressed in almost revealing white and red tubing clothing and a loose trench coat reached the two, taking the little blonde fox pup in his arms. Naruto hissed when his mother looked over his arm.
"Yes, Arashi-sama." The human guard stepped back. When Arashi began walking towards the grand quarters of Lord Kyuubi, Iruka ran to keep up. "He was with some shinobi from K-Konoha. A genin team." He clarified. Scrambling, Naruto grabbed his mother's long hair, tugging on it harshly.
Grabbing Naruto's hands, Arashi glared at his son in the eyes. "What is wrong with you today? First you skip our training, and then you pull my hair. If you're going to keep being snotty you can go to bed with out dinner." Sitting the child on the ground, Arashi tugged at his son's undamaged arm.
"Naruto was with Sasuke!" The little fox sniveled, kicking his feet out under him and letting his body drop to the ground. "Naruto was having fun with his mate, and then you sent Iruka to get Naruto!" He stomped his feet angrily against the ground, throwing a mock tantrum. Demon children never mentally grew up fast enough, especially since they stopped aging at eighteen. Naruto was an example of still showing signs of being a child, especially when he was talking to his mother who just didn't understand these demon habits.
A foot on his chest stopped his tantrum flat, however. "Naruto, are you causing trouble to your mother again?" His father's stern voice demanded. Opening his blue eyes, Naruto faced his father's red eyes and demonic look.
Rolling on his knees, Naruto jumped up and huffed out. "Naruto was playing with his mate and mean Iruka made Naruto come home!"
"What happen to your arm?"
"Naruto was in a tree, watching his mate take a bath and a dirty squirrel climbed into Naruto's tail! When Naruto fell out of tree, Naruto hurt arm really bad and Sasuke attacked Naruto accidentally!" Grabbing his father's arm, Naruto jumped up twice. "Let Naruto go back to them! Someone has to protect Sasuke!"
Arashi opened his mouth to say something, but Kyuubi put a clawed finger against the lips of the former Konoha Hokage. "Let your mother and I think about it. If you keep misbehaving and missing your lessons, I'll say no. Now go off and have that armed fixed. Iruka, make certain he goes, then meet us in the dinning hall." Wrapping his arm around Arashi, Kyuubi walked off. Arashi glanced back with worry before he was nudged into the grand house.
Groaning, Naruto rubbed his darkening arm before looking back up at Iruka. "Let's go." He started off in the direction he promised to go. Pictures of Sasuke danced in his head.
At the dinner table, Naruto put his hands in his lap as lesser demons put a variety of cooked and raw meat on his plate. His mother had fully cooked meat and a variety of garden grown vegetables. "Take some carrots Naruto." He insisted, dropping a couple on his son's plate, he looked up at Kyuubi with question before dropping several on his lover's plate. "Would you like to join us, Iruka-san?" He asked past his lover's warning growl.
"No thank you."
"Hn." Kyuubi sat back, plucking meat into his mouth. "Naruto, let us discuss your rendezvous earlier." Naruto sat up, dropping his silver wear tiredly. "Your mother and I both believe you're too young to be looking for a mate. We'll let you go into Konoha, however, for shinobi training."
"Iruka will take you there and you'll discuss the situation with the Hokage. I'm writing a letter of recognition as your teacher, but remember to be civilized." Arashi smiled.
At full attention, Iruka brought attention to himself. "Is that a smart idea, Arashi-san? Kyuubi-sama? Naruto doesn't speak our human language, and I can't be there to translate all the time."
"We've thought of that," Kyuubi said, "and we decided this is excellent time for him to learn. You'll be with him to translate as long as he needs. Arashi will come by a week every month to teach him the language." Giggling, Naruto chomped on one of his deer meat burgers, tugging the rubbery meat between canines. With a stern look from his mother, he stopped and sat still again.
"Does that mean Naruto gets to befriend Sasuke?"
Nodding, Arashi tensed when his son jumped the table and into his arms. "I'm glad you are happy. I'll miss you, sweetie."