The blonde girl began to leave with the redheaded boy, joined by another. He wore a suit of all black with - was he trying to look like a cat? His face was covered in purple paint. I followed quietly. My white kimono was dragging along the ground, and it was only a matter of time before they noticed me. I watched them with curious eyes as they spun around.
"You-" the blonde girl recognized me. "You should go home," she sneered. I tilted my head at her.
"Kawa doesn't have a home," I told her. She looked guilty for a moment. Gaara winced from his position, being carried by both his siblings.
"I... Am sorry for destroying it," he said. I tilted my head further.
"Kawa doesn't understand your apology, Gaara-san. Gaara-san did not destroy Kawa's home. Kawa has had no home," I told them. They all looked at me, the painted boy sighing.
"Brat, that doesn't mean you can follow us," he tried to get me to leave. He looked exhausted. I assumed he had gotten into a fight with someone.
"Kawa is bored. Kawa follows," I said stubbornly.
The blonde girl sighed and directed Gaara to sit down against a tree before turning to me again. "Kawa, you can't-"
"Kawa's name is not Kawa," I informed her. "Kawa is only what Kawa calls himself. Kawa wants to know big sister's name, and painted boy's name."
"Your name isn't Kawa?" She looked confused. "My name is Temari, and he's-"
"Kankuro," the named boy crossed his arms. I nodded to all of them and smiled stiffly. I was unaccustomed to a human face still, so they looked unnerved by the action. "We want to know what your -"
"Kawa doesn't have a name," I interrupted, predicting the rest of the sentence. Kankuro twitched at my rudeness. I did that often. If I know where the sentence is going, I will interrupt someone.
"Then we'll just call you Kaw-" Temari began.
"No," I rejected. "Kawa doesn't like being called Kawa."
"Then why do you use it to speak in third person?" Kankuro sounded exasperated. I wondered if they were just humoring me.
"Mother used to call Kawa as such. Mother is dead. Kawa doesn't like nickname Kawa. Kawa has no other name," I told them. They looked at me with pity. Mother has been dead for more than a hundred years. I no longer feel sadness, but I dislike the name Kawa.
"Then what do you want to be called?" Temari sounded sad, but slightly irritated with me.
I squeaked at her direct question, as I didn't have an answer. This time, she was more patient with me as I made odd noises. Her companions, however, seemed perturbed by them. Maybe they were siblings? They smell alike. I think they're siblings.
"Kawa doesn't know," I replied. Temari scoffed and rolled her eyes.
"Then we'll come up with something," she sighed. "But you can't come with us. We live in a desert," I crinkled my nose at that.
"Kawa needs water," I said. "Kawa will not follow you to desert. Kawa will accompany you until you get near desert. Then Kawa will wait there for visits," Temari widened her eyes at me. I continued. "Kawa likes Temari-nee-san."
"You can't stay there! It's dangerous for a little boy to be somewhere all alone!" Temari protested.
"If there is river, Kawa can live there," I smiled at her.
"Teastain," Kankuro said suddenly. I looked at him. "Your hair looks like the stain left by tea. Teastain."
"You can't call a boy Teastain!" Temari hissed. "Kankuro, you have no manners!"
"Teastain," I whispered. Temari turned to me in horror.
"No, you can't take that as your name!" She cried. I suddenly smirked and she sighed at me. "How about Ren?" She said after thinking a moment.
"Ren," I repeated slowly. "Ren," I said again. I smiled, feeling bubbly. "Ren likes new name Temari-nee-san bestowed upon Ren." Temari smiled in relief, finally having this issue resolved.
"Ren, you can't stay in the forest. It's dangerous!" She went back to the old one. I frowned.
"Ren would like to know if Temari-nee-san already forgot Ren's magic," I mused. "Ren is strong. Ren can take care of himself."
"No matter how strong you are, you can't live in a forest alone," Kankuro piped up. "Wouldn't you get lonely?"
I paused. "Ren needs a river to live. That is all Ren needs." They looked confused. I should explain. But I shouldn't. Then they wouldn't want to stay friends. I like these humans. "Ren wants to stay with nice people."
"Then go to the village!" Kankuro hissed. I blinked.
"Village? Ren did not know there was village here. Last Ren checked, there was no village," I said slowly.
"When did you last check?" Temari asked, amused. "It's a pretty large village. Hard to miss. The Hidden Leaf Village." She pointed behind us, saying the village was over there somewhere.
"If it is hard to miss why is it Hidden Leaf Village?" I asked, ignoring her question. She paused.
"I- I don't know."
"Weird," I said simply. She shrugged at me before turning to her brothers.
"Kankuro, Gaara, we're going to run from Ren so he can't chase us." My eyes widened.
"No! Don't leave Ren!" I reached for her sleeve. She drew her arm away from me and lifted Gaara again.
And then they vanished. I was shocked. What was that? I felt a tear drip from my eye. They abandoned me. I gritted my teeth.
"Ren hates Gaara-san. Ren really hates Kankuro-san. Ren really, really, really! Hates! Temari-nee-san!" I shouted, waving my arms in the air. "Now Ren is alone again!" I furiously wiped the tears dripping from my eyes and turned away. I cautiously followed the direction Temari had pointed me in.
To my surprise, there was a huge village here. Temari, at least, had not lied to me. I paused before the gates. The village smelled of death and of Gaara, and somewhat of snakes. I crinkled my nose. I hated snakes.
I walked in slowly, surprised at the lack of guards, and I noted the broken buildings quickly. Had Temari helped with this? Was she a bad person? I paused my walking. Were children in these times trained to kill?
The thoughts swirled in my head. What else changed in the time I was asleep? Things were more peaceful then. With Yokai ruling the humans, the humans did not fight amongst one another. Now that the Yokai were gone, I suppose they'd turn to infighting. I felt mildly disappointed. To think children were trained in battle... I turned another corner and saw a fountain. My eyes lit up in excitement as I sprinted to it and dived in, reverting to my original form. I squeaked in happiness, rolling in the water.
I dove underwater, getting myself thoroughly soaked. The water was refreshing. The water was home. I wasn't lying when I said I had no home. All water is my home, and water is everywhere. That is why I couldn't follow Temari to the desert. I needed water. I popped up to the surface and gazed at the solemn faces passing me by. Dark whispers floated to my ears. They were sad. I flinched and sunk into the water, wondering if that was Temari's fault too. A group of people together passed by, their eyes dark with grief and exhaustion. They wore metal plates, too, but in different places. The symbol was not the same as Temari's. I concluded Temari was from a different Village, and these metal plates symbolized one as a warrior.
"Lord Hokage is-"
"What will we do now?"
"He hasn't named a successor..."
"How could this happen?"
"If only we were stronger."
Strength. That's all humans ever want. One noticed me and squinted. "The hell's an otter doing in the fountain?" I squeaked at him, rolling away when he tried to pick me up.
"Bro, 'sup?" Another walked closer before staring at me. "Woah, you weren't joking!" I squeaked at them, swimming away from them but remaining in the small fountain. More humans congregated around the fountain, curious as to why there was an otter in the fountain. I squeaked angrily and dove under the water constantly to avoid their irritating hands. These humans don't know the fear of Yokai anymore!
... I could drown them.
I could. I really, really could. Humans should be taught to fear Yokai. I could devour them. Now that I realize it, I am hungry. It's been a long time since my last meal. I shook my head rapidly. No, I promised Kanta! No more wickedness! I jumped from the water, shifting into the same boy I was before with the white kimono. This time I made it come to my knees so it wouldn't trail on the ground, with a large straw hat hiding my face. The people behind me made noises of surprise and began to chase me.
I weaved through unfamiliar alleyways, nearly tripping over weird objects sometimes.
Then I bumped into a masked man with silver hair. I fell backwards, but he caught me by my kimono. He noted the men following me and held me tight so I wouldn't escape. I made noises of anger, hissing and trying to escape.
"Why would you be chased by shinobi, little boy?" I looked up at him, half scowling and half confused.
"Shinobi? No, shinobi don't dress like that. All black and covered up! Ren thinks these shinobi don't know how to dress!" I said. Had shinobi changed too? Wait, metal plates. The silver man had a metal plate too. Are metal plates signs of being a shinobi? Then Temari and her siblings were shinobi too.
The silver man looked at me weirdly, or as much as I could discern of his expression from his mask. "This is the way shinobi have dressed since the founding of the village," he told me. "Where are you from?" He said, peeking at my face. Before I could answer, the other ninja caught up to me.
"Oh, Kakashi-san! This boy knows chakra control! He was an otter just now!"
"An otter?" The now named Kakashi looked at me befuddled.
"Chakra?" I sounded out. There it was again. "What is chakra?" I looked at them all, wanting an answer.
"Don't play dumb! Who are you?!" One of the men yelled. I flinched reflexively and struggled in Kakashi's grip.
"Let Ren go," I pleaded weakly. I felt something course into Kakashi's hand and his grip was tighter. My eyes widened. "Ren felt something weird from Kakashi-san. Was that chakra?" Kakashi nodded and I realized what 'chakra' was. It was the energy inside every living being.
They had learned to harness that energy?! While I was asleep?! I was suddenly very afraid. Who knew what these people could do?
So I cried. I wasn't really feeling scared enough to cry, but I looked enough like a little boy. So I cried. The people around me looked awkward and confused, and Kakashi's grip on me loosened. I smirked and twisted my way out of his grasp easily. He looked shock as I grinned at him mischievously. He reached for me again, but I outstretched my hands and a barrier shimmered around me. Kakashi's hand hit the barrier, and I took the opportunity to run again.
My bare feet slapped against the dirt road, and I laughed as they continued to chase me.
I nearly ran right by a dango shop. I skidded to a stop, staring at the store next to it longingly. Alcohol. I loved alcohol. All Kawauso do. Er, did? Then I remembered I was being chased and I pouted at the store, noting the location. I would come back later in this form. It was traditional for a Kawauso to attempt to buy liquor in a child form. I would be very pleased if it worked.
Eventually, I simply changed forms again to a cat and hid in a tree waiting until they gave up the search.
For three days, I hunted fish in a small creek in the village. It was satisfying, and very few people disturbed me when I was an otter there. I had managed to buy liquor after saying I was working for someone. When I returned to my creek, I drank it slowly, savoring the taste.
I tried not to feel how lonely it was, drinking alone.
Author's Note:
In this chapter, two things are made about the protagonist. First, he is named Ren by Temari. Second, he is a Kawauso.
A Kawauso is an otter yokai that can shapeshift and use other magic. Since the sources I researched didn't specify what kind of magic, I'm kind of making it up as I go. If anyone has any resources on Yokai magic, I'd appreciate it. There are different legends about Kawauso, mainly saying they are tricksters and mischievous. Ren hasn't shown that side much, but the next chapter should have more of that. Some say they are more playful than dangerous, but some legends depict a Kawauso disguising themselves as beautiful women, and luring men away to eat them. Maybe Ren did that. He certainly wouldn't talk about it if he did. Other legends have them be a more kind playful, so I combined several for Ren. And Kawauso do love alcohol. Looking like the young boy he does, I'm sure it would shock many people to see him drinking it so easily!
A quick note of the timeline: it is currently the Chuunin exam arc, and I'm sure you all have realized it was the infamous Gaara vs Naruto fight. Ren doesn't really care much for fights. The 'three days' I mentioned is important because the Hokage's funeral is three days after his death. I'm sure you all now realize that Ren is going to be a jerk at a funeral. It will be glorious. Ta-ta for now, and I hope you enjoyed. If you didn't, looks like this ain't your cup of tea. That's fair.