Teardrop of the Wolf

Chapter 14

Special thanks to yoyocat22 and Aqulina for voting on this fanfiction! You guys made me smile when I saw the notification! This chapter is for you! <3

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Pain ran up and down Mori's spine as she lay on the ground as the white wolf. Her lips lifted in a silent snarl as the pain from her wounds made her back arch. A voice came suddenly and echoed through her pain-filled mind; soothing and calming her down. As Mori tried to concentrate on the voice, a wave of exhaustion settled over her, and she gave in to the numbing sleep as her body began the healing process.

A bird chirped nearby, and Mori opened her eyes slowly, ears twitching as something rustled beside her. Her nose picked up the scent of herbs as her red eyes focused on her surroundings. She was still in the forest, and a shape appeared in front of her. Blinking, Mori struggled to raise her head, a warning growl echoing from her chest.

"It's alright, I won't hurt you" a soft voice said from the shape.

Mori blinked again, and the shape cleared to reveal a young girl sitting in front of her. Big and kind hazel eyes stared back at Mori. Mori painfully rose to a sitting position, eyes still on the girl. She looked to be a little older then the Genin, and a basket was placed beside her. Mori's nose twitched as she glanced down at herself; gel was spread across her wounds that gave off an earthy smell.

So, the girl was the one who healed Mori's wounds. She lifted her head to gaze at the young girl sitting there in her pink kimono.

"Thank you, child" Mori rumbled.

The girl blinked and smiled. If she was surprised that Mori could speak, then she hid it well. The girl glanced down at her basket, obviously pleased with herself. Mori painfully got to her feet and shook out her fur.

"Who were you fighting?" the girl suddenly said, her voice calm and smooth.

"Someone very special to me" Mori said, eyes gazing at the sky.

Hideo. There was something wrong with him; her brother would never attack her like that.

"You can wash off the gel now. Your wounds will heal better now, but I suggest washing them in the water" the girl said with a small smile.

Mori looked down at the girl and with a swish of her tail, padded into the forest. She wanted to wash this gel off and get back to the genin. She raised her muzzle to the air, taking in the many scents of the forest. There! Water was nearby. Mori padded to where her nose led her to a small pond. She glanced around before reaching inside of herself, looking for the human chakra. When she was finally human, she glanced at her wounds. Thankfully the wounds from Hideo were on their way to healing, so she didn't have to worry about the wounds ripping back open through her form change.

Mori quickly shed her clothing and dipped one foot in, then the other. Soon, her entire body was immersed in the cool water. Mori quickly washed the gel from her body and got out of the pond, getting changed in the process.

Birds chirped from high above the trees as she started her journey back to the small house. The sun began to set, painting the sky with reds and dark blues. A sigh of relief forced itself out of her when she spied the house, and the sounds of Sakura scolding reached her ears. By this time, her wounds were slight marks upon her skin. Smiling slightly, Mori walked towards the sound and entered the house.

"Mori! You're back!" Sakura said, looking up from her scolding of Naruto and Sasuke.

Mori blinked in confusion when her red eyes noticed the two male genin on the floor, looking as if they had been in a fight.

"Yes, I apologize for my absence" she said as she sat down beside Sakura.

The young girl nodded after a moment and went right back to scolding her teammates. Mori smiled slightly as she closed her eyes and crossed her arms; her body relaxing slightly. It was weird, but Mori was beginning to relax with all of Sakura's scolding. Movement echoed beside her, and she opened her eyes to see who it was. Kakashi had decided to sit beside the woman, and was gazing at her with his one visible eye.

"So what happened? I heard a howl that wasn't yours" he murmured, too low for the genin to hear.

"I met...up with my past" Mori faltered, unsure of the possibility of telling the Jonin.

"The past have teeth?" he replied as he gazed at the healing wound on Mori's arm.

Of course he would know what a canine bite would look like. Mori sighed, placing a hand on said-wound. The images of her and Hideo fighting flashed in her mind, causing her heart to clench painfully.

"Yes..he does have teeth" she whispered, eyes hidden by the shadow of her bangs.

After a moment of silence, Kakashi sighed and stood up, saying that they should all get rest. Mori stood up as well and after helping Tsunami clean, shifted to the white wolf. She padded to a corner of the room and laid on her belly, tail curling over her muzzle. At this point, Mori did not feel like talking with anyone. Her ears twitched when she heard the Genin enter their appropriate rooms, and soon the house was silent.

She lifted her head up and gazed at the night sky through the window, red eyes searching the stars. With a small groan, she lifted herself up on her paws and nudged the front door open with her nose. The night was calm and warm as the nocturnal animals sang their songs. Mori sat on her haunches before lifting her muzzle to the night air, a howl echoing from her maw.

The howl rang through the trees and spoke of confusion and grief that the she-wolf was feeling. It was a heart wrenching sound to anyone who listened to it, and felt as if their own hearts were breaking in two. After a couple minutes, Mori stopped howling and sighed before laying on her stomach again, nose tucked under her tail.