October 7th
First Plunge into the Night
It had been so long since then, but he remembered every detail of it…so clearly…vibrant…painful…
But he’d never tell anyone of this curse that was cast upon him. He was shunned enough from this society already. Not one could see it through his carefree smile. He lived a cold lonely life. He was without family, love, or trust and he loathed it.
As if the emotional pain was enough. Something else had to go wrong with his life.
Naruto Uzumaki laid flat on his bed, wearing his pajamas, staring blankly into the light green ceiling, and simply daydreaming. He had nothing better to do this time of night and he was not tired. Of all times, he craved only one thing: a nice hot bowl of miso ramen from Ichiraku Ramen. His stomach growled at the thought. Unfortunately, he was flat out broke and didn’t want to bother anyone for money.
He sighed, running his fingers through his blonde, spiky hair. His blue eyes scanned the room and like always, it was the same. Unwashed clothes and empty ramen cups were scattered everywhere. The full body mirror in his closet had a large crack in the upper right hand corner. The wallpaper was torn in various places. He sighed with a frown. This was proof that he was just a poor, underprivileged child.
Quietly, he watched the sun set over Konoha. The skies darkened, stars appearing one by one. He welcomed them as long lost friends. They were his wishes for freedom, hope for the future, and silent listeners of his prayers. Naruto smiled, sitting upright and resting his arm on his window ledge. He gazed into the horizon, longing to leave the confinement of his room.
Naruto caught sight of a rising white radiance coming from the north wall of the village. He recognized it easily. The moon, a full one to be exact. It hadn’t come into perfect view, but one could easily tell it was full. He took a deep breath, softly closing his eyes and bathed in the moonlight. He had never felt so at peace with himself. His smile grew wider, embracing the tranquility.
Then the moon was entirely visible.
Its light palely lit the village, but oddly, seemed brighter then usual.
His eyes snapped open, staring directly into the celestial orb. He felt a rush of energy and excitement swell inside him, turning his smile into a large grin. His heart pounded against his chest, pumping adrenaline into his blood. Naruto’s mind shifted, yearning to run through the forests to his heart’s content, but why, he did not know and neither did he care.
But nothing good lasts forever.
His muscled shuddered, the wonderful feelings turning into aches. The light pain faded promptly. Naruto was puzzled.
“That was weird,” he said aloud to himself, scratching his head.
An intense amount of heat washed over him. Beads of sweat dripped down his face, his breathing harsh and short. His eyes darted around his room as he panicked. He got off his bed and removed his sweat soaked shirt. Despite his efforts, his body temperature continued to increase until it became a full fledged flame.
Naruto grew lightheaded and his stomach churned. He clutched it tightly with a groan, falling to his knees. A black swirl appeared on his abdomen, surrounded by various markings and kanji characters. The symbols flared in a crimson red. His eyes were forced shut, the agony too strong to bear. He let out a loud cry, hoping someone had heard it. Someone…someone had to have the heart to help him.
It all happened very quickly then.
A sharp pain erupted from his fingers, forcing him to open one eye. He watched his nails darken, thicken, and lengthen, causing his fingertips to bleed. They sharpened and curled, a thin layer of his blood coating them. Naruto stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
Claws.
His feet lengthened and reshaped, forcing him to assume an animalistic position on all fours. Identical black talons formed from his toenails, digging into the hard wooden floor. Naruto was too scared to even think about what was happening to him. He was overcome by a multitude of emotions, none of which he could express. Anger, horror, agony, and confusion all bundled up into one.
An itching sensation ran across his skin. Desperately, he wanted to scratch at it, but was absolutely immobilized. From the backs of his hands, small reddish hairs began to sprout. It grew and spread up his arms and down his back and chest. His blonde mane turned a dark red, growing slightly longer and more spiked. He let out a low, guttural growl.
Naruto could hear and feel his bones crunch together. It felt as if his innards were being stretched from their natural positions. He hunched over involuntarily. His blood ran cold through his chest and his heartbeat slowed for a moment. His muscles convulsed, rippling under his tightening skin. His black, baggy pants grew tight on his body, small tears appearing.
At last, he let out a terrifying scream from this torture, but it had no quality of a twelve year old boy. It was deeper, louder, and beastly. It haunted his ears, its rhythmic sound never ending in his mind.
A tight, constricted feeling drew his attention to the base of his spine. Sudden, internal nerve impulses ran down his spine, causing his limbs to jerk wildly. He had difficulty preventing himself from collapsing. Pain struck him hard as his tailbone seemed to split. It extended above his rear. First it was a single appendage, but soon became a multitude of them. New flesh, muscle, bone, and nerves became apparent in his mind. Red bushy fur covered them as they swayed around freely.
Naruto’s face emitted a loud snap, pushing out. He clenched his teeth together, his heart skipping a beat. His teeth lengthened and sharpened into a set of fangs. His jaws stretched out into a sleek triangular muzzle, his incisors and molars enlarging to fit. His ears traveled closer to the top of his skull as they elongated, tipping with demonic points. The tip of his nose turned black and widened, melding with his upper lip. A thin layer of fur traveled up his head.
At that moment, everything stopped.
Everything stood silent and still for what seemed like an eternity…
The pain and suffrage was disappearing. He breathed deep, short whines emitting from his mouth. Naruto was completely traumatized. He had not the slightest clue to what just occurred. His gaze moved around his room carefully, searching for a hint.
His eyes met with his mirror. Naruto gasped in fright.
Staring back at him was not the Naruto he knew. Feral red eyes, feline-like and deep. Orange fur coated his skin, the locks long and silky. He had gained claws and fangs, much like a beast’s. Stronger and contorted muscles replaced his frail human tendon. He back away slowly from the image, finding difficulty in doing so. Tears formed in his eyes.
His tails were the feature that really caught his eye. He had little control over their movement. They swayed and twisted violently, making it difficult to keep his focus elsewhere. Naruto knew immediately, simply by looking at these, who was responsible for this sudden change.
“Kyuubi…” he thought with terror, but then with anger.
He was so confused. Naruto clutched his head, repeating the word “no” under his breath consistently, shaking his head in protest. So badly he wanted to deny it. He had become the very monster the village accused him of being since birth: the Kyuubi no Kitsune.
He didn’t deserve this…what’d he done wrong?
What was going to happen now? Would Kyuubi control him? Go on a rampage? Force him to kill? His muscles tensed at the thoughts.
A strange calm ran across his mind. His body loosened up as a cool feeling rushed over him. Inhuman thoughts clouded his own, destroying his emotions. Though pleasurable, he fought it. His claws dug into the wooden floor, a deep growl emitting from his mouth. He attempted to shake it all off just to keep him somewhat sane.
Naruto just wasn’t strong enough.
Compelled by an unknown instinct, he raised his head and let out a shrill, monstrous yowl. He grinned a sly, fox grin, baring his claws. He felt so powerful, untamed. Almost as if he was no longer himself.
Naruto leaped, crashing through his window, his feral red eyes piercing the night with his hunger. Hunger for freedom. Hunger for blood. Hunger…for revenge.
End of Chapter
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