The Beast Inside

Teamwork

We just got to Tazuna's house and put Kakashi on the bed. "I hope he's okay." I said to Naruto.
"Yea, it would suck to lose our Sensei." Naruto said.
Sakura hit Naruto on the back of his head.
"Don't talk about stuff like that, Naruto, Kakashi's fine!" Sakura yelled at him.
Naruto got up and looked at the ground.
"Come on, Sakura! He said it would suck to lose our Sensei, not that it would be a good thing." I said.
I'm still wondering what Kakashi wanted to talk to me about...

*IN OKAMI'S HEAD*

"So you activated the curse mark to protect your "friends"? Hisashi asked.
"They aren't my friends, they're my comrades." I replied.
"What about the blonde kid? The jinchuuriki? He's your friend, isn't he?" Hisashi asked me.
"He's the only one who understands what it's like to be a jinchuuriki..." I explained.
"Just watch, Okami, he'll turn on you... They always do. I'm not trying to be harsh, I'm trying to protect you. Keep that in mind." Hisashi told me.
"I know they do... Everyone already knows about me being a jinchuuriki, just think what they would do if they found out about my connection with Orochimaru." I said.
"They would kill you, that's what! No one let's anyone explain, they go straight to assumptions! They don't care about your opinions... They all hate you already, don't make it worse. If you die, I die..." Hisashi ranted.
"You're right, Hisashi, you always are..." I said.

*REALITY*

Everyone was walking towards the room Kakashi was laying down in.
I ran towards them to see that Kakashi was awake.
"Look, the Sensei's coming around." Naruto said.
Sakura nodded and walked up to Kakashi.
I waved at Kakashi but he turned his head.
"Listen, Sensei, your Sharingan is amazing and everything but if it puts that much strain on you maybe it's not worth it." Sakura said sitting by Kakashi.
"Sorry." Kakashi said quietly.
He looked at me.
"Can everyone leave the room, Okami and I still need to talk." Kakashi said.
Everyone nodded and left.
I walked up to Kakashi and sat down beside him.
"Okami, do you know who Orochimaru is?" Kakashi asked.
I nodded slowly.
"What is your connection with him?" Kakashi asked.
He looked angry.
"I- I- Well, here's how it started... Ever since I was born my family hated me. Kiba was the only one who cared. They abused me and made me do every chore. It was after I became a jinchuuriki... Hisashi told me to go to Orochimaru's hideout, so I did. I went there and Orochimaru longed for my power so I agreed to his... offer... I didn't know what I had gotten myself into. All I wanted to do was leave this cruel world. Orochimaru and I grew a bond, he acts as a father to me, and the Akastuki, they act like my siblings... My life got better and Orochimaru let me keep the curse mark but he wouldn't take my power. I don't follow his orders to kill and I've even beat him in battle. Please, don't tell anyone! I already can't stand everyone knowing I'm a dangerous monster, if they knew about this they wouldn't hesitate to burn me alive!" I explained.
"I won't. But eventually someone will know." Kakashi said.
I looked down.
"I understand, but for now I want to live..." I said, leaving the room.
Everyone came back in the room and Kakashi started explaining what an Elite Tracker Ninja was.
I ran outside and fell to my knees in front of the water and stared at my reflection.
"Summoning Jutsu..." I whispered as a wolf with black fur sat beside me.
"So, you told him?" Hisashi asked.
"I had no choice... But, Hisashi, I promise... Before I die, i'll make sure you're removed from my body so you can live on." I said.
"You won't die. I'll protect you." Hisashi said.
I started petting him.
"I hate them all... Except Naruto... He knows what it's like being a monster." I said.
Hisashi nodded and put his nose on my hand which made him dissapear.
"Okami?" I heard a voice say.
It was Naruto.
"What?" I asked as he sat beside me.
"Who were you talking to?" Naruto asked.
"Hisashi..." I said quietly.
"You can talk to your beast! Cool!" Naruto yelled.
"Naruto, you're alone too, right?" I asked suddenly.
Naruto's expression saddened.
"Yea..." Naruto whispered.
"I have a question." I said to Naruto.
He looked at me.
"Are you my friend?" I asked him.
"Y- Yea!" Naruto blushed.
"Don't get any ideas, we're just friends." I said, standing up and walking inside.
I walked inside where Kakashi and everyone else was and Naruto came out behind me.
"Oh, look, the lovebirds are back." Sasuke taunted.
I gave him a death glare and he looked intimidated.
One day he is going to get on my last nerve and I'll mess him up so bad he'll never be a ninja again...
Kakashi was talking about how he didn't feel right.
"Think about the weapons he used to take down Zabuza." Kakashi said.
I kept quiet.
"Throwing needles, no way." Sasuke said.
"Okami, you didn't answer, is something wrong?" Sakura asked.
She probably asked that because I know the answer to everything the Sensei asked.
"Shut up." I said coldly.
"None of it adds up." Kakashi said, thinking about Zabuza.
"What are you all yammering about? You demolished that assassin." Tazuna said coming in.
"Here's the truth. Zabuza's still alive." Kakashi said.
Sakura, Tazuna, and Naruto freaked out.
Everyone tried to convince themselves Zabuza was dead.
"His chakra flow never left, if someone would listen to me for once maybe we could've killed him properly." I said as everyone stared at me.
"But you said that his heart stopped!" Sakura yelled.
"It did stop but that was a temporary stage." Kakashi explained.
As they were talking I left the room again.
"Where are you going?" Sasuke asked me.
"To get some fresh air." I said.
"There's air everywhere, you can breath." Sasuke taunted.
"You won't able to when I'm done with you!" I yelled as I left the room.
I stood outside the door to listen.
"What's up with her?" Sakura asked.
"I don't know, when I went to talk to her she was acting weird. If I were you, I wouldn't bother her. She seems pretty sad and angry." Naruto said.
"She was acting weird?" Kakashi asked.
"Yea, she said she was talking to Hisashi and then she asked if I was alone just like her and then she asked if I was her friend." Naruto explained quickly.
"You guys shouldn't bother Okami, she's... Dangerous... And she hasn't lived a very good life." Kakashi said.
I'm dangerous...
I've heard that so many times but I'm used to neglect, hatred, and pity being targeted towards me.
I started digging my nails into my palm.
I'll never be normal and no one can help me with that.
I turned towards the door to see a kid standing there with the door wide open.
Guess I was too lost in thought.
"No, I don't believe it!" the kid yelled.
"Okami, you're bleeding!" Naruto yelled.
I stopped digging my nails into my palm.
"Yea, I... Fell." I said walking in.
"You heard us, didn't you?" Sasuke asked.
How did he know?!
I kept silent and everyone turned back to the kid.
"Who are you?!" Naruto asked the kid.
"Inari, where have you been?!" Tazuna yelled, opening his arms.
"Welcome back, grandpa!" Inari yelled as he hugged Tazuna.
"Inari, that was very rude! These ninjas helped your grandpa and brought him here safely!" the woman tending to Kakashi yelled.
I think that's the kid's mother.
Inari stared at us intently.
We all stared in interest.
"Mom, don't you see these people are gonna die! Gato and his men will come back and find them and wipe them out!" Inari yelled.
"What did yo-" Naruto yelled.
"No they won't." I cut Naruto off.
The kid stared at me.
"How do you know?" Inari mocked me.
"Because I won't let them. I made a promise and if anyone dies it's me." I said to Inari.
"Looks like that will happen! You're the shortest in the squad!" Inari yelled at me.
"Short people are fierce." I said to him.
He started ignoring me and focused his attention to Naruto.
Naruto tried to convince the kid he was gonna be Hokage.
"You are just full of stupid ideas." Inari said, turning around.
"You act like you can do better." I said.
"What'd you say?!" Naruto got mad at Inari for saying he was stupid.
Sakura held him back.
"Naruto, calm down!" Sakura yelled.
Inari turned around again.
"If you wanna stay alive, you should go back where you came from." Inari said, walking off.
"Learn your place, punk." I said to the kid.
Sasuke stared at him.
"Inari, wait. Where are you going?" Tazuna asked Inari.
"To look out at the ocean. I wanna be alone." Inari said, leaving.
"Sorry about that." Tazuna said to Naruto.
"Naruto, the kid's not worth it. You can be whatever you want." I said.
Naruto didn't calm down.