A Kitsune Story

Chapter 2

Full and content, the fox lay on his side beside the boy. Sasuke had continued to bring him offerings of cooked fish and the fox had finally approached. His bravery was rewarded. The box had other delicious things, which the boy happily shared.

His large, bushy tail swished over the ground as fingers expertly scratched behind his ears. A soft, pleased trill spilled from his throat.

Sasuke chuckled. "You don't seem dangerous at all, fox-san. Besides, you only have one tail." Drawing his fingers down the fox's back, he reached for it and ran his hand through the fluffy fur.

Lifting his head, the fox made a soft noise of protest and bumped his head against Sasuke's hand.

Laughing, Sasuke resumed scratching behind his ears and the back of his head. "May I name you?" he asked with a smile. "I can't keep calling you 'fox-san.' You should have a name."

Curious, the fox tipped his head to look up at the boy's face.

"I know! I'll call you Naruto! Because of the whirlpools you make when you're trying to catch a fish," Sasuke laughed. "Is that all right with you? If I call you Naruto?"

Naruto trilled happily.

From then, they were the best of friends. They played tag, Sasuke sometimes brought a ball and, of course, always brought food. Naruto was sad when Sasuke had to go back to his human family, but that's the way it had to be. The fox could never go with him.

One day, a man came to repair the bridge. Naruto didn't think anything of it and neither did Sasuke. They played on the riverbank as they always did.

The next day, in the evening long after Sasuke had gone, the little fox found a dish smeared with red paste. It was not a food Sasuke had ever brought before, but it smelled delicious. Eagerly, Naruto sniffed and then tentatively licked the dish.

It was the best thing he had ever tasted. His tail waved as he eagerly lapped up the sweet bean paste.

Suddenly, a heavy rope net dropped over him. Surprised, he tried to lift his head and his nose got stuck in a hole. He yelped. And then screamed as the man who had been fixing the bridge snatched up the net with him tangled inside.

"Shut up," the man snapped and slammed the net tangled fox against the ground.

Only stunned temporarily, the fox cried out again. He was again smashed on the ground, reducing his scream to a whimper.

"That's better. Your beautiful coat will get me more than fixing this bridge," he grinned, "Don't make me cut it carelessly."

"Hey! Hey! What are you doing!?" Sasuke ran from the large estate as the man climbed up onto the road. Rather than his usual layered attire, he was wearing only a light blue yukata whose tie was in danger of coming undone.

"Just cleaning up, wakasama," the man said casually while stuffing the netted fox into the cart that bore wood and tools.

Naruto gave a loud, high-pitched yelp, which the man tried to silence by shoving him back further.

"Isn't it late for one like you to be- Ugh."

Sasuke ran full speed at the man and punched him in the gut. A six-year-old noble boy against a man who labored for living, he landed the strike due to surprise and that was the only effect. Sasuke attempted to punch again, but the man simply put his hand on Sasuke's forehead to keep him at bay.

"Die!" Sasuke screamed at him.

"Wakasama," the man protested, "Come now, I don't want you to get hurt."

"Sasuke-sama? What are you doing running outside like that?" A woman's voice called from the estate. "Carpenter-san, what's going on?"

"I'm sure I don't know," the bridge repairman spoke in a convincingly bewildered tone, "Wakasama ran out here and attacked me for no reason."

"Shut up!" Sasuke succeeded in shoving the hand off his forehead. He pointed to the cart. "This fox lives on Uchiha land; you have no right to touch him!"

"Sasuke-sama?" The greying woman sounded astonished.

"It seems to me wakasama is bewitched by that fox. All the more reason to take it away."

"Bewitched? No, that can't be. Sasuke-sama, please, come away," the woman begged as she moved to catch his shoulder.

"Don't touch me," Sasuke growled and shook her off. "Now give me that fox!"

"What is all this noise?" A deep, austere voice spoke.

"Fugaku-sama," the woman gasped and turned to bow.

"Uchiha-sama," the bridge repairman bowed, too.

"Chichi-ue!" Sasuke exclaimed, "This man, this man! Don't pay him, banish him right now!"

"Eh? What has upset you, Sasuke?"

"He captured a fox and hurt him badly!"

"Why should you care about a fox?" Fugaku asked with mild confusion.

"Naruto is my friend!"

"What?"

"As I feared," the repairman sighed, "This fox has bewitched wakasama. I've seen them playing together. It's unnatural."

With a sour face, Fugaku walked across the road and to the cart. He looked at the net-bound fox and then reached down. Brow furrowed, he prodded and shifted the creature. Pulling back his hand, he pronounced, "This fox is dead." Turning his glare on the repairman, he said, "Do not help yourself to any other wildlife on my property or I will assume you have paid yourself. Come inside, Sasuke."

"Dead?" Sasuke choked. "No! No, he can't be!" He moved, about to jump up into the cart, but his father caught him about the chest.

"Come inside, Sasuke," he repeated, gripping the flap of the yukata to force Sasuke to turn around. "If it was a fox of any power, he wouldn't have been caught so easily. There's no concern about offending it."

"But chichi-ue..." Sasuke's voice pulled with devastation.

"That's enough, Sasuke."

Throwing off his father's hand, Sasuke sprinted ahead of him back into the estate.

"That boy," Fukagu uttered and then looked with displeasure at the greying woman, "What am I employing you to do if he is wandering out here to play with a fox?"

"My apologies, Fukagu-sama," she murmured with a bow, "He only said he wanted to play by the river. I didn't realize..."

"Keep a closer watch on him."

The bridge repairman kept himself in a respectful bow as the clan leader walked away. When he finally stood straight and looked at his cart: the net was crumpled to one side and there was no fox. "Chikushou!"