Both Sides

Prologue

Namikaze Minato ran desperately through the forest, the sounds of the raging battle ringing through the air. Even as he ran, various knives flew around his head, grazing is cheek. His head whipped around desperately, his eyes frantic. He was looking for the one thing that could keep save his team, the guardian of the wild. The various cuts and wounds all over his body slowly drained him of his energy. He feared he would never find her, or worse, she didn’t exist.

He ran urgently through the forest bounding across clearings and jumping from tree branch to tree branch. But suddenly, he found a pack of wolves running swiftly, exactly what he was looking for. Changing his direction, he pursued after the wolves, all the while, the sounds of the battle becoming softer. Soon enough, all he could hear was his own labored breathing and loud footfalls. Overhead, the green tree leaves created a thick canopy, occasionally filtering green light.

But these wolves were fast, faster than normal wolves. He barely kept up with them. The leader of the wolves, the most graceful one, the one with odd golden streaks in its dark fur, looked back at him and then turned forward, still running. It increased its pace until Minato was loosing sight of the pack. Gritting his teeth, he forced his tired legs to keep moving, reminding himself that his team was in danger if he failed. Finally, they reached a clearing and the wolves formed a semicircle with the leader in the middle, facing Minato. Then abruptly, with a split second flash of light, the leader changed into a girl. She was striking beyond all description, as beautiful as the forest with hair that was clearly as black as night and yet had shades of brown, dark red, gold, and yellow in the sun. She stood as a wolf would stand, alert and wary.

            “Go ahead, human. Howl me your dreams,” she said, her voice like the wind in the top of the trees.

            “Please help my team!” he begged urgently, his consciousness slipping away, “They’re dying!”

            “And what will you give for me?” Her eyes were a sharp light blue. Their look seemed to contain the look of a cold, calculated anger.

            He thought frantically for something to give her.

            “Kinship! My wild sister, please…” he collapsed to the ground, almost dead. The girl smiled at the human and her eyes changed from cold ice blue to black with golden dots strewn across her eyes. He did not offer money. He did not offer himself. He offered kinship. Such a strange human…

            “Granted” she said and glided over to Minato and sat down next to him. Then, taking a kunai out of his pocket, she looked around her, searching for something, her eyes darting rapidly. Her eyes settled on Minato’s chest and slowly traveled towards herself. When her eyes finally reached her own wrist, she smiled. Suddenly, she slashed herself deep with the kunai in her hand. Liquid akin to melted gold poured out from the wound and into Minato’s mouth, which she held open. Afterwards, she put a hand on his chest and sang a complicated, yet simple, melody, so heartbreaking that the trees around her sighed and shed amber tears. Minato’s body slowly started to heal, fixing all the lacerations in his skin. Then she turned and barked a sharp order to the wolves behind her. They all leapt up and ran towards the battle, leaving her to wait for Minato to wake up.

            The other ninja’s in the field could not believe what they saw. Kakashi, Obito, and Ren, all bone-tired from fighting, looked up to see a pack of twenty wolves rapidly killing one enemy after the other. With screams of rage, the enemies fought back, throwing kunais. It was hopeless of course. The wolves were far nimbler and quicker than the ninjas and disappeared and reappeared as if they were smoke. Within half an hour the opposing side was dead. After the battle, the wolves regrouped and trotted off towards the forest.