tampered | Log: Ongoing

Current Mood: good

Log: Ongoing

When: June 2nd
Rating: General
Characters: Naruto [

relimited], Kurama [

banditfox] and a really adorable fox cub
Summary: Naruto and Kurama meet in the gardens to go over the challenges of raising a young fox cub.
Log:

Kurama had been both surprised and amused to see that a fox cub had attached itself to one of the young ninjas that inhabited the city. Twenty years ago, he would have let the boy figure out how to deal with that challenge alone, and not concerned himself with the consequences to either the cub or its caretaker. His human mother's unfailing devotion had changed that outlook. Kurama wanted to help the boy if he was serious about looking after the cub. Besides, he was curious. At least in this instance, that trait didn't look like it would land him in too much trouble.

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It was still there. A whole week later and he was still being followed by a certain four-legged creature. No matter what he'd tried so far, he hadn't been able to get the cub to stop following him.

A trip back to the forest had only resulted in the fox deciding to venture closer to him. Yelling at the creature had only lasted long enough for the first word to escape him. He just couldn't yell at something that small. Trying to get away from it had only resulted in a series of yelps, each time he'd head back outside. The cub at least knew how to follow his scent. Whether that was a good thing or not, had yet to be seen.

And so, the blond was making his way toward the gardens, this time for a very different reason. He'd been offered some help in trying to raise the fox cub. He'd finally given in.

The source of that help was waiting patiently when Naruto arrived. Kurama liked like nothing more than an average young man, dressed in blue jeans and a button-up shirt with the collar left open. He smiled when he saw the boy and the fox approaching. The cub had certainly gotten quite attached. If the boy's willingness to learn was any indicator, it had at least chosen its caretaker well.

When the pair reached him, he bowed politely. "I'm Kurama. It's good to meet the both of you face to face."

Kurama? The same Kurama that Nell kept mentioning to him? But that meant he was a demon? But he looked human enough. Maybe there were just two people with the same name? That had to be the case, given what else Nell had mentioned during some of their previous talks.

Shaking his head slightly, Naruto glanced briefly over at the young cub as it made its way toward Kurama. "I'm Naruto." Turning his attention back to Kurama again, he smiled. "Thanks for offering to help."

"You're welcome. Hopefully it will make things go a little more smoothly for both of you." Kurama smiled and crouched in front of the fox, not reaching out to it, simply letting it meet him at eye level. He wasn't certain if it would recognize what he was, but he wondered if it had felt the same presence in Naruto that he did now and been attracted by it. "Well, at the very least, you won't have to worry about bottle-feeding."

"Bottle feeding?" Ah, that was right. It'd been something he'd read in one of the books Shizune had given him all those months ago. "So if it doesn't need to drink milk, what can it have?" Which led to the question of what had it been surviving on for the past week?

Looking back at the cub, he frowned, not sure whether to take its hesitance as a good sign or not. At least it seemed to be less worried about staying close than it had when Sasuke had been around.

Kurama stayed where he was, watching the cub and trying to judge its age and needs. "She'll probably be happy with a meat diet supplemented by a few other things--fruits, nuts, eggs. Insects are a favorite as well, but I know some people prefer not to deal with those. She looks as though she's managed to get by so far, though that may have been through luck or scavenging."

"I don't mind finding insects, if that's what she needs." He grinned, glad that he could finally stop calling the cub an 'it' now. Though a name would most likely come into existance at some point in the future. "I don't have to cook the meant, do I?" A nervous laugh. "I'm not really any good with anything other than boiling water." Though if he had to, then he'd find a way. Somehow. ...and hope he didn't end up poisoning the cub in the process.

"No, raw is just fine." Kurama grinned and looked up at the boy. "Relax. She's a fox, not a human baby. Feeding her is going to much easier than teaching her to forage and hunt."

"Yeah, I know. But it's just...I've never looked after something else before." Coming from the boy who'd made himself ill numerous times on expired food, that wasn't a good thing. And to have to teach her at the same time? "...how do I do that though? I'm not a fox, so I can't show her how foxes would do it." Another pause, and his voice dropped. "I don't even know how foxes do it."

"I think we can work that out without any problems. Foxes learn through play ... so play with her. Invent games that let her hide and stalk and chase. Her parents would bring her actual prey to toy with, but I understand if you'd rather not. There are oher ways. I'll continue to help you if you want me to."

Games, he could work with. Though trying to teach the cub how to actually play them in the first place, was a problem in itself. It wasn't as though it'd understand what he was saying. But then, neither did babies, and they still learnt. So maybe... "I do. If there's anything you can do to help, it'd be great."

Shifting uncomfortably, Naruto looked away, a small frown on his face. "...would that help her? If she had...live animals?"

Kurama sobered and rose, tucking his hands in his pockets as he faced Naruto. "It would, if she's meant to be able to fend for herself as an adult. You don't have to provide them for her if it makes you uncomfortable. I can do that for you."

"...thank you." As much as he knew that animals ate other animals, he wasn't planning on being the one to have to watch while they were being killed. At least, not yet. If she didn't manage to kill them straight away... "At the start. I'll try to get used to it as soon as I can though so you don't have to."

Killing was as much instinct for Kurama as it was the result of training. He had no illusions of what it would be like when the cub was learning how to deal with live prey. "You're welcome. Don't force yourself on my account. It's something I'm used to."

"But..." He shook his head, clearing his current stream of thoughts. Kurama had offered to help, so he knew he didn't need to have to do everything alone now. "So, I just feed her until she's good enough to hunt for herself. You said she needed to learn to hide and stuff too. How do I do that?"

The mood lightened, and Kurama's friendly smile returned. "More games. You do know how to play hide and seek, don't you?"

"Hide and seek? Yeah, I know how to play." A soft ruffle of his trouser leg and Naruto glanced down, watching as the cub took a seat alongside him, seemingly bored with being forced to stay around in one place. "How do I explain it to her though?"

"She's a fox. She'll understand." Kurama glanced down at her. "Won't you?"

Cocking its head to the side, the cub glanced between both Kurama and Naruto, glad for the attention, no matter how brief. "...I hope so."

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Log: Ongoing

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