Past

SASUKE

I felt someone move my arm, in a single movement I knocked that person down and stood on top, threatening, with a kunai threatening his life. Until I opened my eyes from my dream.

- Sakura? - I pulled away with a grimace, I thought ... well, that didn't matter now, completely ignoring my partner I went to Kakashi.

- I see that Sakura has already woken you up. - I nodded.

- What happen? - He pointed up. Raindrops were falling. - You woke me up just by a few drops of water ... have you been drinking?

Kakashi looked at me silently, it seemed like he was going to say something when those wolf friends of Naruto appeared ... wait, where was Naruto?

I looked for him with my eyes, nothing, there was no sign of him.

Kakashi approached the wolf, Sakura and I began to gather our things so that they did not get wet, surely we would look for a cave or something similar to shelter from the rain. Still I was attentive to what they were both saying.

- Pick up your things and follow me. - I tried to remain indifferent to what the gigantic wolf said.

- What happen? We are in danger?

- Right now we are all in danger ... - I hurried, something very big was happening, surely it was the Guardian of the Forest.

- I understand ... Sasuke, Sakura! - We both turned, With our things already packed and half soaked. - Let's go.

We follow the animal until we reach a quite hidden cave, among lianas and climbing plants as well as moss.

I turned to look back, without his guide, we would never have been able to find that cave ... I doubted we could have even gotten that far without running into an animal. A great crash took me out of my thoughts ...

What the hell...?

Another roar, this time closer, the sky turned black in a matter of moments although with each roar it lit up a soft bluish hue.

Damn ... blue? And thunder ... it was a storm, and a dangerous one.

- Quick, come in. - We obeyed, it was a dry, warm cave. There were logs of firewood stacked on one side, on the other bones of prey ... In the middle was a she-wolf lying with her two cubs.

We did not approach, we were at his house and that could be disrespectful. We waited for his permission, with a shake of the head we sat around him.

- What is happening? Sakura asked scared. - This chackra ... he's not normal, he's not human ... And the storm? It has appeared suddenly. Also ... Naruto has disappeared, I hope he's safe.

- You don't have to worry about him. Kakashi looked closely at the wolf before speaking.

- What do you mean? -The two wolves looked at each other, her mother nodded, as if they had spoken by telepathy, as if her gazes were enough to communicate. She got up and woke the cubs, they greeted us with respect and walked into the darkness.

- Well, now that we are alone, I think I should tell you something ...

"You know what's going on," she stared into her eyes, "right?"

She clicked her tongue in annoyance and looked at me like I was an annoying know-it-all.

"As the brat says, the storm was created by Naruto ..." She paused for us to assimilate what was said. -... and he's the only one who can stop her.

- Do you know how long it will last? - The wolf fixed his eyes on Sakura.

- The last time it was like this for almost a year, we could barely go out to get something to eat, it was ... devastating.

"One year ..." Kakashi whispered. - What happened? How can Naruto do that?

- For that I'm going to have to tell you a somewhat longer story so, please, make yourself comfortable and I don't want any interruptions. - He took a heavy breath. - after all ... we have time ...

We obeyed, expectantly, the wolf gave a somewhat nostalgic look.

<< I guess it all started with the old Guardian, Kurama ... He was our protector, our dearest one, our father, our God, our Yang.

We lived in peace, nature did his work and Kurama helped her, supplemented her ... he fulfilled the circle of life.

Until Naruto arrived. No one knew how he was born ... he just appeared, as if someone had sent him to us with a destination in mind. At first none of them knew what to do with him, until he opened his eyes. They were red as blood and in them you could see hell itself.

With that simple movement he was able to create a wind that blew us meters away. Then we understood.

He was the yin, he would complete the circle of death.

We could not keep it under control, he destroyed everything in his path, as if he had no conscience. As if he was looking for something.

But Kurama found him first, when they saw each other they stopped, they were staring at each other. They growled at each other, began to walk in circles. Threatening, the others fled, I stayed, I was worried in a way about the puppy, he was so small ... Kurama could crush him with one of his legs.

I was about to intervene when I saw how he threw himself at the boy, there was no way I could have ever arrived on time, even though it wasn't necessary either, Naruto stopped him with one hand. He pushed back the Guardian. I couldn't believe my eyes.

Kurama was enveloped by a soft light, he was instantly human.

A human who approached Naruto who was growling threateningly at him.

It was all very strange, confusing.

Until Kurama caught him, knocked him unconscious, and took him away.

It wasn't until the following spring that we found out what became of the little boy. He had grown up, his eyes were blue ... And he no longer had the Yin instinct.

At first, no one trusted him, it took us almost another year to even get close to talking to him. Then things were better, we saw how he took care of the forest with Kurama. My cubs became friends with the Yin, I myself became his friend and companion in some of his explorations through the dangerous areas of the forest.

Naruto became one of us.

After ... Kurama died.

I don't know the details, but we all know that ... sadness and pain presented themselves to Naruto. Everything got out of hand.

He isolated himself at home, at first we thought it was normal ... that we just had to give him a little time but after a month we were all surviving as best we could.

Time passed until one year old, we watched the storm subside. It disappeared. As if it never came.

The Forest was just a sad shadow of what it was.

When we saw Naruto we plagued him with questions, complaints and screams. He didn't say anything, he just kept that sad smile in his eyes. He simply turned and started walking through the Forest that, as if he could feel Naruto's soul, began to take color, the buds grew in moments ... Hope returned to our hearts.

Then he approached a tree and kissed him softly, a swirling air whipping us, forcing us to close our eyes. I opened them for an instant, in time to see it, Yin's shirt had moved in the wind, letting me see the mark on his shoulder.

A brand of couple. A brand for life.

And I understood everything.

Kurama had marked Naruto, Kurama had done the cruelest act knowing that he had little life left. Kurama had condemned Naruto to a life of loneliness, sadness and vague memories of him.

He had condemned Naruto to want only him.

Forever.

Once that wind passed, we opened our eyes. We contemplate the forest full of life, as if nothing had happened, as if Kurama had never left.

We all looked for Naruto but he had disappeared.

We haven't heard from him until now. >>

So that meant ...

- Naruto is the Guardian of the Forest.