Of cats and dogs, part 1 a Naruto Shippuden Fanfic

There is something you must know.
Cats do not fear dogs.
And dogs, well, they don't hate cats.
It's just that we don't speak the same langage.
But sometimes, we can learn.

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Part one
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The master had told me to keep low and quiet. He had wanted to send Bear, but Bear was slowly starving himself and the master couldn't make him eat, couldn't order him to.
So he send me. I was to look around and come back. He had ordered me to, before checking the collar. I hate the collar. It hurts and it's heavy and stinky of fear and pain, it messes with my head. The master can make me change with the collar. He did so, so many times, to show me how silly it was to try and run away. It hurts when he does it.

I wonder if I too, could stop eating, like Bear, and wait for the end. But right now as I slide in the shadows, I can smell food, and hear voices, and I'm hungry. Master didn't feed me the last two days, telling Bear it was his fault, hoping it would make him waver. Bear just looked at me and closed his eyes again. I am not angry at Bear. He has been here much longer than me and the collar has carved himself a nest in his flesh, a perpetual wound. I tried to lick it clean once but he growled at me, so I left.

The master had told me not to be seen, but the food smelled so good.

I could hear boy's voices, babbling and laughing, and the aroma of sizzling meat was enthralling. I crawled nearer and nearer in the bushes, till I could see them.

They had made a small fire pit and were roasting sausages and fishes over it. Since how long have I had warm food? I couldn't remember. I didn't remember much anyway. Maybe it's better.

There were bushes near the fire, near enough that I could dart and grab some of the pieces of meat. They were so loud anyway, and the smoke was curling toward them, I figured I wouldn't be seen.

I retreated farther away with my prize, and started to tear at it. Th meat was hot and juicy and dripping with blood and I gobbled it, not caring that I burned myself. Maybe if I could bring some to Bear he would agree to eat it. I didn't want to be alone with the master.

I went back, it was silly of me to risk it but this small warm bite of food in my stomach had made me even hungrier. I stalked in the shrub, silent, ears pricked. They were still turning their backs to me, oblivious. There was a steak, bigger than all the others, outside already brown and sizzling. This would do for Bear.

"Well well well, what have we here?"

The voice had sounded just near to me and I scrambled back into the thorny bushes, heart in my throat.

"Guys, we got a thief here! Come on, little one, show yourself."

Someone was staring at me. How could he see me? I was well hidden, I knew how to stalk in the shadows, how to disappear from the sight of everyone, not even making the grass whisper at my passage.


From the depths of the bushes, Kiba could only see greenish yellow eyes, and black pupils dilated in fear. Had Akamaru not warned him, he would never had sensed the stranger. In his unhurried way, Shikamaru circled the bush, hands in his pockets, trying to get a look at the thief while Kiba still tried to coax it out.

"Come on, little one. Get out. We can share if you want."

"No way! My mom made this picnic for us!"

"And we've got plenty of it, Choji, so cut some slack. Kiba, can you try to get it out of here?"

Damn this collar, she hadn't been able to smell the beast that was now trying to circle her. If they caught her, the master would be mad, and hurt her, and Bear. She jumped backwards, hissing, and bolted in the forest.

"What the...? Akamaru, no!"

Millenias of instinct had kicked in, and the huge beast was at her heels. She tried to go up the trees but the white monster was following her with terrible ease. She bounded back on a tree, twisting, and clawed down the nose of the enemy, spitting defiance but he brought her down with a swat of his huge paw, tearing the tender skin and flesh of her belly. She yowled under the pain, and uncontrollable, she changed.

Kiba, Choji and Shikamaru were  bolting after Akamaru and they saw it, the small white and black panther turn into a scrawny girl under the gigantic dog attack, and stay limp on the forest ground.

"Akamaru, what happened?"

The big dog was whining softly, nuzzling the girl that smelled of soft musk and fear, lying unconscious under him. He hadn't mean to hurt a human, just to have a bit of tag with this funny creature that ran so well and he pricked his ears, baffled. The three boys circled the inert girl, sharing unsure looks. Choji spoke first, pity twisting the corners of his lips down as he looked at her.

"We've got to take her to the hospital."

"Better take her to my sister."

"Your sister is a vet, Kiba!"

"So? She was a cat till a minut ago so.."

They turned to Shikamaru, waiting for his opinion.

With a cynical shrug and a sigh, he answered their silent question.

"Better take her to the Inuzuka compound, I guess. How troublesome. I wonder where she comes from."


On the forest ground, I was listening, still feigning to be unconscious. I had been caught, and I knew I wouldn't manage to get away, not with this monster at my heels. Better to wait. The bigger one, the one that smelled like  warm bread and roasted chicken, gathered me in his arms, carefully, and hoisted me up.

"She is so thin!"

"And dirty, too, look at those rags she is wearing!"

"Better take her to your sister."

"Should we warn someone else?"

"Not yet, Let's see first what she can tell us."


They took me to a big place full of stark, pungent smells, and I had to fight hard not to sneeze.

After some heated exchanges, I was settled on a white, cold table and a woman, sharing the same family's smell as the first boy, stinking of dog, came to me. She patted some lotion on my belly wound. It stung, but I didn't flinch, I am used to discomfort.

I stared at the woman, curious, sniffing the air around her, taking in the environment. She seemed curious too, and her hands were soft on the collar, trying to find the seam, to unclasp it, to no avail.

"This is nothing but a scratch, and it will be fine in a couple of days, but you can't bring a stranger here, Kiba!"

"We saw her, she was a big cat, a panther in fact, and when Akamaru went after her because she stole some of our food, she shifted to human."

"Has she spoken?"

"Not a word."

"Go get mother, she must be warned."

The woman and the boys get out of the room. I could hear the definitive click of the lock on the door. No windows, no escape. Another cage. I settled and waited.

Noises coming closer, and the door opened again. Dogs, two of them, storming in, sniffing around, and a woman, older, the same smell as the two others. Red marks on her cheeks, hard, narrowed eyes, smelling of anger. Instinct made me lean back, a small warning growl vibrating at the back of my throat.

"Who are you?"

No answers, what could I answer anyway?

"Where are you from?"

I would have slided down of the table if those wretched beasts hadn't circled me, answering my warning growls with some of their owns, excited by my fear in this enclosed space.

"Mother, you're frightening her. Look at her, she is starving and dirty and wounded. At least let me give her some food."

The younger one had spoken in her soft voice, and was already pulling out a rather battered sandwich from one of his pockets.

"Here, do you want some? It's ham and mustard. It's good, I swear."

I could smell the meat and despites the fear I felt myself salivating, but the older woman grabbed the sandwich, waving it just out of my reach.

"You want it, you ask for it. Come on, at least tell us your name."

Tsume's voice had changed, less stern, less autoritative, as she took in the state of the waif in front of her. Since how long had this kid not seen a proper meal?

"Come on, little one. Cat got your tongue?" She said that in an almost joking voice, trying to coax the girl.

Cat didn't got my tongue. Master got it. Since she had the meat, and I was hungry, I showed her, opening wide my mouth as she seemed to ask for it.

"Ho shit."

Tsume and Hana had sworn at the same time, a vicious hiss for the Inuzuka leader, a horrified whisper for her daughter. The teeth were white, long, pointy, curved in like a cat, but there was nothing but a stump where the tongue should have been.


"Good grief, who did that to you?" The younger woman has come closer, and was gently trying to pry my mouth open again.

"Come on, show me. I won't hurt you, I promise."

She smelled sincere, but she was too earnest, crowding me, and I turned my head asides, growling a warning.

"Back off, Hana."

"Yes, mother"

The older one came near me, all hostility evaporated.

"What are you, little one?"

She gave me her wrist to sniff, carefully, and I leaned in, taking her smell in smalls huffs, feeling her fingers curl on the side of my hair, not tugging harshly like the master do, just staying there.

"Kiba, help me take her to our house. I want her cleaned and feeded. Hana, go get the Hokage, she will want to see her. Kuromaru, can you try to follow her trail? I want to know where she came from."

"But what is she? A cat that can turn into a human, or a human able to change in a cat?"

It was the beast that spoke, his voice a growl of menace, his murderous eyes on me. He came closer, pushing his nose against me, a flash of fangs visible. If I was to change, he would tear me to shreds. I shuddered.

"I have no idea. But one thing is sure, I would love to know who did this to her. Go, all of you."

She turned to me, and tore the sandwich in two.

"Here. Eat. I will give you the rest after."

I tried not to gulp too quick, and watched her doing so. She had stepped back, her beasts outside.

She motioned with her hand.

"Come with me, come on."

She wanted me to go out? Perfect, I could bolt away then. I slided down my precarious shelter on the table and followed her. As soon as we were outside, two more of the big dogs came closer, sniffing at me, menace in ther eyes.

"Come on, they won't hurt you. Come with me, now."

She stepped away and one of the beasts head butted me in the knees, making their intent clear. I had to follow. There were dogs everywhere around us, coming close, sniffing at me, dribbling saliva. I came closer to the woman, falling in her steps, seeking the shelter of her shadow, till she entered a house, motioning me to come in too.

"Bug off, you all, you're freaking her out. Come in, little one. Let's get you cleaned up and fed."

I was already going to get a beating by the master, so why not? And maybe later I could go and find what he asked me to bring him back. I came inside the house. The stench of dog was omnipresent, but there was no one in sight, and I felt myself relax.