Blood of the Broken, Scars of the Spiral (there are whirlpools in our veins)

Chapter Ten

Al·ly

/ˈalī/

Noun,

ally

Plural form; allies

a state formally cooperating with another for a military or other purpose.

//

The next time Naruto sees that cage is a few days later.

His new neighbors don't seem to like him very much, constantly banging on his doors and windows when they got the chance. And they argued so often that sleep was impossible.

All in all; Naruto is tired, hungry, and angry.

He cries himself to sleep that night, something that had been happening far too often these past few days, and wakes up confused.

The small child's cerulean eyes opened tiredly and he gazed around in confusion. Naruto lifted himself from the wet ground shakily, the sound of dripping resonated around him and created a vague sense of familiarity.

Drip, drip, drip.

Naruto stood up warily and gazed around slowly, peering around curiously. He was back. He recognized the wet and dank space. Somehow... he was back to this place. It wasn't a dream.

He pressed his hands to his mouth roughly, digging into his flesh harshly. He clenched his wet eyes shut, taking long, long, long breaths against the choking and oppressive grief. He lifted his gaze and looked down the long, dark pathway. His face hardened in grim determination and he stalked forward quickly, his small steps creating a cacophony of loud splashes and stomps as his feet slammed against the ground in his haste.

Naruto raced forward, his anger wrapped around him like an impenetrable armour. His raging eyes were hard and alit in madness as he stepped towards the bars desperately and glared up at the massive creature in the cage.

Said cage stretched far and wide and stank of rage.

Wrong, his mind cried, wrong wrong wrong.

Within that cage, standing behind the bars, nine blood-red, fiery tails swishing lazily, tongue lolling from fanged jaws in a gaping grin, red slit eyes gleaming, was a fox, a kitsune.

"Hello," he looks up at the giant creature, shivering, "What're you?"

The fox stepped forward, its miasmic energy foul and oppressive. Naruto gritted his teeth at the overwhelming power omitting from the cage, refusing to move back as the monster neared closer, peering down at him with vehement crimson eyes. It opened its large maw menacingly, its breath hot and searing as it gazed down at him in pure hatred and loathing.

In that moment Naruto wanted nothing more than to run as fast as he could manage, but even if he did, where would he go?

Besides, something about the creature felt so...lonely.

Its terrible snarl widened as he approached, wobbly and unsure on his tiny legs.

"Go back human." It ordered in a grainy sound.

And as much as Naruto wanted to he didn't, looking up at the creature in firm resolve he let a single word slip from his mouth.

"No."

The fox glared down at him hatefully, its teeth razor sharp and expression feral.

"Nobody gives me answers." Naruto rasped angrily, thinking back to Hokage's refusal to talk about his parents, "I wan' answers."