Naruto Karyuden

Chapter 64: Side Story: Kurama and Tamamo

Once upon a time...

A man is walking barefoot through a secluded forest. His dirtied feet step through fallen twigs and over jagged rocks but he doesn't seem to be bothered by it. The bottom of his grey robes are also somewhat dirty and torn, visibly not being kept in the best of shape. In contrast, his wild orange mane of hair is clean and shiny, and tied up in a ponytail. If it wasn't, it may just reach his feet.

He takes the time to stop and appreciate the sounds of the woodland beings around- the chirping of birds, the squeaking of squirrels, and the noticeable wails of a deer making her way directly toward him, where she stops right in front of him and bumps her head on his chest. He pats her on the neck with his clawed hand, nails long and sharpened to an unnatural degree, but the deer doesn't seem intimidated by it at all. She steps back and motions him to follow, which he does.

After a few minutes of walking, he hears humming. A very melodic, angelic humming that somehow puts his mind at ease. He wasn't even aware that his mind needed to be put at ease. It feels nostalgic even though he's never heard it before, and homely even though he doesn't really have a home.

When the deer leads him to the source of this voice, he finds himself standing in front of a small creek flowing through the woods, and the woman humming the song. He can only see her back, and even then, most of it is taken up by long flowing silky black hair. She's sitting on the muddy ground in her pure white robes, undoubtedly getting them much dirtier than she's probably even gotten them before. But the oddest thing is the young fawn lying on the ground next to her and an elk standing guard over them. The fawn has an injured leg that she's currently treating, washing away the blood with water from the creek, and wrapping it in long thick blades of grass.

The man approaches curiously, once she's done singing. "What are you doing?"

She doesn't turn around, choosing to focus on the fawn. "I'm tending to this young one, of course." Her voice is calm and serene.

He looks over the bite marks. "Why? The wolves were unable to get it this time, but they will eventually."

"Then it's lucky I was here to heal it."

"You've no reason to." His voice isn't mocking or condescending in any way, but he can't seem to comprehend why someone would do it.

"I saw an injured child, and I have the ability to heal it. That's all the reason I need."

"And in that way, you're depriving the wolf cubs of a meal. One child is starving because you saved a different one. You're not its mother, just leave it."

"Then I will become this forest's mother. Be it a fawn or a cub, I'll tend to their every need. Then there won't be any issues with me healing them."

The man scoffs. "That's a ridiculous sentiment."

"Perhaps." The tone of her voice shifts, becoming more somber. Even though he's yet to see her face, he can hear her smile drop. "But it's my own ridiculous sentiment. And no one can take that from me."

The man looks her over with a quizzical look before drawing closer, along with the deer. "What's your name, weird one?"

It's then that she turns around and they meet for the first time.

She's the pinnacle of beauty, with her smooth, snow white skin and dark eyes. Her soft features are highlighted by her kind smile, which has now returned to her for the benefit of her mysterious companion. Even her simplest movement is clearly calculated and trained, exhibiting the telltale signs of someone who's had etiquette drilled into them. She's most certainly not a peasant woman.