Caught in the Whirlpool 17

Caught in the Whirlpool
Part XVII

Kushina was a bit irritated that the spectators had been largely silent during and after the battle, but she wasn't too surprised.  And she was very annoyed when Kasshoku and Gin had tried to complain about her and Minato cheating somehow in a desperate attempt to save face.  But neither thing could dampen her enjoyment of the win.  She and Minato had beaten the jerks, and done it with style!

And then someone short latched onto her arm.

"Mom!"

Her brain briefly shorted out when she looked down and found her son staring up at her.  Naruto was supposed to be off on his pokémon journey again, somewhere—anywhere but here!  Yet here he was with his pikachu hanging off his backpack and looking upset…

"Naruto?" she blinked.  "What are you doing here?"

Off to the side, she could hear Genma start to choke on his toothpick.

"I came to see you; Professor Sarutobi said that you'd be here," the boy answered.  "But I lost a pokémon!"

"Which one?" she frowned.

"Kitsune!" he replied.

Kushina's brow furrowed in puzzlement.  "What's that?"

"This zorua that I caught in the Safari Zone in Kusa no Kuni," he hurriedly explained.

"In the Land of Grass?" she repeated.  "But that Safari Zone is closed for renovations.  How did you get in?"

"There was a special promotion," Naruto said, bouncing a bit with anxiety.  "I got in and caught all this cool stuff, but Kitsune keeps running away and this time I didn't even see her do it and now I can't find her!"

"Calm down," she advised and pulled her battered pokédex out of her pocket.  "A zorua you said?"  What the heck does that look like?

"Yeah," the boy nodded vigorously.  "But she can look like anything!"

Kushina glanced up from the tiny picture of the small black fox.  "What?  It can transform like a ditto?"

"It has the illusion ability," Minato piped up helpful as he consulted his own pokédex.  "It doesn't really transform, it projects false images to disguise itself as other pokémon species, or even as humans."

Naruto jumped and blinked owlishly at Minato, apparently not realizing that his father was also present.  Then he spied Genma, who was coughing and rubbing at watering eyes, and shifted to stand so that his mother was a human shield against the stranger.  Genma was too busy recovering from almost inhaling his toothpick to notice the boy's reaction.

"…However this power works, it's going to make looking for this pokémon difficult," Kushina said.

"I know," Naruto mumbled.

"Well, the sooner we get started looking, the sooner this search should be over," the red-headed woman declared.

"True enough," Minato agreed.  "We should start at the edge of town.  When pokémon try to run away from their trainers they almost always head back to the wild."

"And if we don't catch it there, we should let Professor Utatane know what's going on and round up a bigger search party to check the wilderness along the coast, then work our way inland," Kushina said.

Naruto nodded enthusiastically at the adults' plan of action.  "Yeah!"

"Naruto!"  Her son's pink-haired female classmate jogged over to him with a cute little torchic skittering along at her heels.  "There you are!  We've checked all over the square and—oh!  Hello Mrs. Uzumaki."

"It's Ms. Uzumaki," Kushina sighed.  Naruto's brought some friends with him?  Wonderful…

"Okay Mrs. Uzumaki," Sakura nodded obediently.

"Never mind," Kushina muttered, giving up.  "Who all's here?"

"An older boy named Ken-Ichi Uzumaki brought Naruto, Sasuke-kun, and I here," Sakura informed her.

"Ken-Ichi…" Kushina repeated, twirling a loose strand of hair around her finger thoughtfully.  That's supposed to be Kenshin's kid's name, right?

The two other members of Naruto's group turned up at that moment.  Sasuke slouched over to them with his charmeleon, nodded politely to the two adults that he recognized, and then studied Genma, who was now fidgeting with a fresh toothpick and debating if it was safe enough to start chewing on it or not.  And the other boy that she presumed was Ken-Ichi—noticeably taller and older than Naruto's friends with dark gray eyes and red-brown hair—approached cautiously, eyeing all three adults with identical levels of wariness.

"I guess this means that looking up the theater schedule is going to have to wait," Genma sighed.

"You could check it out by yourself," Minato suggested.  "You don't have to help…"

"Nah, I'll help."  Genma slipped the toothpick in between his teeth.  "I just hope that there aren't any more surprises that you forgot to tell me about."

Minato smiled weakly.  "Sorry Genma."

"So…you're my Aunt Kushina?" the teenager asked after he'd studied her for a few minutes.

"If your dad's name is Kenshin Uzumaki…yes, I would be," Kushina nodded.

"That's his name," Ken-Ichi nodded slowly.

"Cool, can we start looking now?" Naruto begged, bouncing with impatience.

"Of course, of course," Kushina grinned and repeated the plan for the three who had missed hearing it.  

There was no disagreement and the group of six headed for the edges of town to see if they could find any clues as to the location of the zorua.  Kushina decided to let Uzu-chan free, since the vaporeon was small and mobile, to help in the search, and Minato matched her by calling upon Senkou.  Genma brought out his lone pokémon, Zang the zangoose, to help and after a little hesitation Ken-Ichi produced a wartortle he called Gamera.

"Um, Mrs. Uzumaki?" Sakura piped up hesitantly.  "We saw the end of the pokémon battle, and it was really cool, but we couldn't see who the trainers were…"

"A couple of jerks started dropping insults and me and Minato ended up knocking them down to size," Kushina shrugged.

"You did that crazy solar beam from above move?" the blond boy asked.

"We did," Minato chuckled.

Naruto's wide blue eyes shone with excitement.  "That was so awesome!  I wish I got to see the whole thing."

"If you can find the right channel tomorrow night, you'll see a pokémon battle that's twice as cool as that one," Kushina promised.

"Only twice as cool," Minato sighed with a feigned pout.

"Yeah, since I wasn't involved in it," Kushina joked.

"Wow!"  Then a flash of worry dimmed Naruto's awed expression.  "I hope we find Kitsune in time for me to watch it…"

***

The zorua was really beginning to despair as she trotted through the increasingly hilly terrain.  Nothing looked familiar, nothing sounded familiar, nothing smelled familiar.  There were no landmarks that she recognized, and all of the pokémon that she spotted were strange to her.

Maybe things are different close to the ocean?

But the further she walked the thinner that hope became.  The plants weren't quite right and the soil seemed too rocky, too sandy.  The sky was gray and featureless and the faint smell of salt in the air made it impossible for her to tell if it might rain.

:.But I crossed the ocean,: she growled.  :I'm home now!  Why is everything different?:

No one answered her.  She drooped and plodded along a game trail to the top of the next little hill.  When she reached the crest she paused and—

Two hills away she caught sight of the first right thing.  A tiny herd of blitzle was grazing there, watched over by a bigger zebstrika.  She watched them for a few moments before darting off at redoubled speed.

I'm home, I'm home!  Her exaltation seemed to give her little red paws wings.  I need to get higher!

She spied a hill that was higher than all the others around it and raced straight for it.  From there she could she her mother coming to find her.  From there her mother could hear her cries.  And then they would go home together and everything would be great because she'd gotten away from the humans and there was no way that anyone would know that she'd been held captive.

There was a nice clear trail through the dense brush that covered the sides of the hill.  It smelled faintly of human, but it was weak and old so the trail wasn't used often and not recently.  And if there were humans up there, she could slip away or scare them away with her illusions.

At the top were human buildings, old and crude and made out of stone.  She hesitated, sniffed, the air, listened, but detected nothing except for the musk of an unfamiliar pokémon.  Whatever-it-was wasn't around and with no humans present she galloped past the half-sphere rocks to where the stone shack stood.

:Mommy!: she howled.  :Mommy!  Mommy, I'm here!  I'm here, I'm here, I'm here!:

No reply came.  But she'd only just started, and this could take time.  She wouldn't give up, couldn't give up, until her mother found her.

I should get higher…  She eyed the flat-topped stone shack speculatively.  Is there a way to get up there?

The little zorua started to circle the structure to see if she couldn't find a way onto the roof.  There was no way to climb the walls and it was too high for her to jump.  The ground was level and there was no ladder or raised spot that she could jump from.  She came back around to the small rectangular doorway and squinted into the darkness beyond.

Maybe if I go inside there's a way—

Dozens of tiny fireballs rained down around her and she yelped and the half-forgotten tan-cat-monster-with-a-bell disguise collapsed.  She spun around in search of the source of the fire—

There was a crack in the gray clouds and a ray of sunlight silhouetted a monster with a dozen lashing tentacles and glowing red eyes that was looming over her.

:Trespasser!  Vandal!  Thief!: it bellowed, spraying fiery sparks from its maw.  :.Be gone!:

***

Kyuumaru knew that he shouldn't have taken the pills that the healer had given him.  The previous day a nervous woman had come to him and treated his torn ear.  She wasn't happy to be there and that had made him a bit uneasy, but she hadn't needed a needle and thread to repair him, just some kind of magical glue.  The healer woman had taken away his ruined rope without replacing it (which had left him feeling naked), encouraged him to eat the pills, and had advised him to avoid fights for a few weeks to ensure that the tear healed and didn't reopen.

And then he'd slept most of the day, all of the night, and most of the morning away.

All of that sleeping meant that he wasn't doing his job in guarding the shrine.  There was no telling what he'd missed while he was unconscious.  If that odd cry hadn't finally roused him…

The ninetales slunk out of his den and crept up to the hilltop.  At first glance everything seemed to be in order.  But then he spied a meowth with a bell pacing around the shrine itself and staring up at the roof.

Other pokémon knew better than to come here.  Wild pokémon learned their lesson the first time he taught them and they made sure that all their friends stayed away too.  And tamed pokémon didn't need him to teach them to keep clear, their humans' warnings were more than enough.

It should not be here.

He would make it leave and it would learn to never trespass again.

As it stared into the dark shrine interior, he sprayed embers all around its feet.

:Trespasser!:  Trespassers came to vandalize. :Vandal!:  Vandals ruined and stole things. :Thief!:  Thieves would destroy Mito-sama's great work.  :.Be gone!:

The image of the meowth danced around to face him…and dissolved to reveal a little black canine thing with bits of red on its paws and head.  It gaped up at him with wide blue eyes filled with terror.  And then it started to cry.

:Mommy!:

Kyuumaru took a step back and relaxed his thrashing tails.  Pokémon didn't cry for their mothers when he confronted them; they fled, or begged for forgiveness, or both.  Adult humans rarely yelled for their parents when he had to chase them away.  Only young boys trespassing on a dare called for their mommies.

And as he stared at the strange black creature, he wondered just what exactly it was.  He had traveled extensively with Mito-sama and had visited every spot of consequence on the mainland, and met every kind of monster that dwelled there.  Yet he had never seen anything that looked like what sat wailing before him.

:Mommy, help me!:

:Your mother isn't here,: Kyuumaru informed the monster child.

:She'll come for me!: the black thing insisted.  :Mommy always finds me!:

:I don't know about that,: Kyuumaru frowned.  :What exactly are you?  I've never seen a monster like you before.:

:What?: the intruder frowned.  :Well…well of course you've never seen my kind before!  We're illusionists.  We can disguise ourselves as whatever we want.  We can even look like humans if the mood strikes us.  But believe me, we're around!:

Kyuumaru narrowed his ruby eyes and sat down, carefully coiling his nine fluffy tails around his paws.  :I've never heard of a race of monsters that could do such things before.  And if you're right and I've never had the chance to see your kind before, I would have most assured heard of them…and I haven't.:

:Us zorua and zoroark are a secretive bunch,: the zorua sniffed.

:Secretive or not, I would know about these "zorua" and "zoroark" of which you speak, and I don't,: he retorted.  :Where are you from?:

:That's a secret,: the zorua replied. :.But I traveled across the ocean to get here.:

:You came from the mainland?: Kyuumaru guessed and noticed that the bell it had worn as a false meowth was still there.  :I've been all over the mainland and your kind does not exist there.  Your human master must be wealthy or well-traveled or both to have acquired you—:

:I have no human master!: the zorua snarled, leaping into an aggressive stance.  :I am a free creature, and now that I have returned home I'm looking for my mother!:

:That bell around your neck says differently,: the ninetales snorted.  :And this isn't your home.  I know these islands far better than the mainland and you don't belong here.:

:I-island?: the zorua blinked.  :What's an island?:

:It is a small piece of land surrounded on all sides by water,: Kyuumaru answered.  :These islands are referred to as the Land of Whirlpools, and this island in particular is called Central Uzu Island.:  He tilted his head and concentrated.  :You're not from here, and you can't be from the mainland…you must be from one of the other continents—there are several of them, and I never visited the most remote of them.:

The zorua's eyes grew wide.  :How far away are these continent-things from here?:

:Several days by boat if the weather is good,: Kyuumaru shrugged.  :They're on the other side of the world.:

:.On the other side of the…:  The zorua's eyes narrowed and it bared its tiny teeth.  :You're lying!  You're lying to me!  I'm home!  I saw blitzle and zebstrika—pokémon that live around my home!:

:.Blitzle?  Zebstrika?: the ninetales repeated, puzzled.  :What are those?  I've never heard of them before either.:

:Liar!: it cried and lunged for his face to scratch him.

Kyuumaru easily batted the zorua aside with one paw and then pinned it down with a tail.  :Why would I lie?  I have no reason to.  I don't even know you!  …But I do know this: you are trespassing on a sacred site restored by my Mito-sama.  Leave and return to your human master.:

:Never!: the zorua cried and struggled.  :I'll never be a human's slave!:

:…Is that how your master treats you?: the ninetales asked, flattening his ears in disapproval.

:I don't care how he treats me!: the zorua snarled and thrashed. :I'm a failure as a fox if I submit to a human's capture.  I won't be a failure!:

:Is that what your kind thinks?: Kyuumaru wondered.  :How foolish.  The right human can make you far stronger than you would ever be in the wild.  How would that make you a failure?:

:You're just a stupid human's slave,: the zorua grumbled.  :I couldn't expect you to understand.:

A flash of rage sparked in Kyuumaru's chest and he removed the tail from his prisoner to press his front paw on its neck.  :.Don't you dare call my Mito-sama stupid you foolish child!:

:All humans are dumb,: the zorua insisted.  :They're so easy to fool that even newly hatched pups can do it!  That's why I'd be a failure if I gave in to one—they're so stupid that if I can't avoid being caught by one than I'm…I'm even stupider.:  The little black fox's defiance faded into a whimper.  :I'm so stupid for running away from home…:

:…You ran away from home?:  Kyuumaru slowly removed his forepaw from the zorua's neck.  :Why?:

:They always treated me like a baby,: it pouted.  :They wouldn't let me try the harder training exercises that my brothers were working on.  My uncles wouldn't take me with them when they planned raids on human campsites.  Mommy always says "when you're older" and I never am old enough for anything!:  It slapped an angry paw on the ground.  :I'll never get to be a zoroark and be cool like Mommy!:

:So you left home seeking evolution?: Kyuumaru summarized.  :That can be hard to do on your own.  A human can help you…:

The zorua—which Kyuumaru was guessing was female now that he'd gotten a good long sniff—shook her body angrily, as if to deny his advice.

:What have you got to lose?: he asked.  :It doesn't seem likely that you'll be returned to the land that you came from.  So either waste your time fighting your new master, or try and make the best of your new situation and give this human a chance.  The choice is yours.:

:I don't like either choice!: she snarled.  :I want to go home!:

:We can't always have what we want,: Kyuumaru muttered, gazing off into the distance.  I'd very much like for my Mito-sama to come back to me…

:.But that's not fair!: the zorua wailed.

:Life isn't fair!: he barked at her, bristling.  The little black fox recoiled from him and he reined in his temper, reminding himself that she was just a pup, a stupid, stupid pup.  :We just have to deal with what life hands us.  That's part of growing up.:

:It's too hard,: she mumbled.

:No one ever said that growing up was easy,: Kyuumaru shrugged and padded over to lay in front of the shrine doorway.  :Now run along.  If you aren't here to admire the shrine, you have no business lingering.:

:Well…well why are you "lingering"?: she asked.

:My duty is to protect this place, so I don't "linger" I guard,: Kyuumaru replied.

:What does a bunch of rocks need protecting from?: the zorua wondered.

:Mito-sama restored these ruins and they are a point of pride for all Uzumaki,: he explained.  :.Once a band of Kurohi came in the night to try and destroy the shrine as an act of revenge and if I had not been here they would've succeeded!:

The zorua cocked her head in confusion.  :Uzumaki?  Kurohi?  Revenge?  Revenge for what?:

:The Uzumaki is my Mito-sama's clan, and the Kurohi is another clan that resides in this land.  Long before Mito-sama was born the two clans had a series of disagreements that grew into a full-on blood feud.  The two clans fought all of the time with their monster companions, their blades, their fists…monsters and humans got hurt, and some even died.:  He shook his head sadly.  :There have been many feuds between the ten families on these islands, but the one between the Uzumaki and the Kurohi is the longest and the ugliest.:

:Uzumaki…:  The small black fox rubbed at her nose with a red paw.  :Those humans said that name a few times.  This feud thing isn't still going on, is it?  I'm not going to die for a human.:

:It's…:  Kyuumaru frowned in thought.  :I…I think it's over.  I haven't heard anything about in a long time…a very long time.:

:Wouldn't your Mito-sama tell you if the feud was done?: she asked.

:As long as Mito-sama lived, the feud was active,: the ninetales muttered.  :She is…dead.  Has been for a very, very, very long time.:

The black fox squinted at him.  :How old are you?:

:…I've lost track,: he answered and then shook himself.  :That's not important.  I've already told you to leave once and you're still here.  Find your master or wander off into the wilds; whatever you want to do.:

The zorua didn't move.

:If you don't leave, I'll make you leave,: Kyuumaru warned.

:You can't make me leave if you can't see me,: she retorted.

Her blue eyes started to glow—

Kyuumaru blinked and she had vanished into thin air.  He leapt to his paws and looked around, but saw no trace of the odd foreign fox.  The fur along his spine stood on end and his nine tails started to lash in agitation.

What strange power is this?

"Hehehe~!" the invisible fox giggled.  :.Bet you can't find me, old man!:

The ninetales growled and narrowed his eyes.

This pup is very young and foolish indeed if she thinks that this is the time to play games with me…