Voraciously

Drastic Measures

(Naruto's P.O.V)

I ran inside almost slamming the door behind me. My hand not leaving my ear. I kept tracing the unfamiliar growth that has happened. I burst open the bathroom room door, looking for the switch frantically in the dark. Finally feeling for what I need, I flipped it up. The light instantly shot on, but all I could was freeze. 

Right in front me was someone I did not completely recognize. I was looking at a reflection of myself, but it felt like a stranger was looking right back at me. My ears have grown, maybe half an inch at the top. Even if I fluffed out my hair, it wouldn't hide their points. Although, even with this sudden change, I couldn't even come close to what else I saw in this mirror. My eyes were violet and I know my eye color. My eyes are naturally blue, but this it was darker.

I leaned in closer to examine my irises even more. It felt like an eternity. The longer I stared, the more perplexed I became. What was causing this phenomenon? I blinked a few times, hoping my eyes would revert back to its original color, but nothing changed. Did Sasuke not notice this? I admit it was dark, and he hasn't seen me enough to really see a change, but could he have notice? Did Iruka not saying anything? Did Iruka see? Why wouldn't he say anything? These questions just kept piling up on me. If this was adolescence, I wanted out. 

I looked at my eyes one more time before leaning back from the mirror. I looked down and sighed. I turned the faucet on and dove my hands under the cascading water in the sink. I cupped my hands to collect some water and I splashed it on my face. The water felt so rejuvenating. My skin tingled with warmth and something else I couldn't quite understand. I reached out and grabbed the hand towel off the towel rack to dry my face. I turned to look back at my reflection. 

My towel dropped to my floor, completely forgotten. I leaned closer into the mirror to inspect my eyes again. My face was dripping wet from the water residue. I saw something within my eyes move. I looked closer. The violet was slowly turning into red. This red color seeped through my irises like blood within veins, conquering every part of violet, until my eyes completely changed red. I stared until I couldn't stare anymore and blinked. When I opened my eyes, my pupils switched from their circular shape to a slit shape, like that of a cat's eye. I screamed and fell back, closing my eyes and pushed away from the mirror. Whatever that was, those weren't my eyes, they couldn't be. I slipped over the rug and fell back. 

Next thing I heard, were feet stomping down the hallway and bursting through the door. It was Iruka. I've completely forgot Iruka was asleep. 

"Why did you sneak it?" Iruka questioned, completely overlooking my situation for just a second.

"You knew I sneaked out?" I asked, Iruka helped me get up and grabbed the dropped towel and handed it to me. 

"Dry your face." Iruka commanded ignoring my question. "I've always known when you sneak out. You aren't as prowl as you think. Besides, I'm a dryad of this forest. If I wish it, the trees speak to me." 

I scoffed, "Well, these trees are a bunch of tattle-tails."I whipped my face, drying it off. A thought popped into my head. "If that's the case, why couldn't you find me THAT night." I emphasized the night I woke up in the forest a few days, trying not to bring up any other memories. 

Iruka pondered, "Well....the trees didn't want to find you..." He confessed. 

"What? Do the trees hate me or something?" I asked. Iruka sighed and leaned against the counter. He looked like he was debating on telling me anything. 

"You can tell me the truth Iruka." I said, gently, I didn't want what little family we had together ruined by harbored lies. 

"They were...trying to keep me safe..." He said calmly. 

"Keep you safe? From me?" I asked, Iruka only nodded. I felt disheartened. My head was downcast. Was I really that dangerous? The thought brought back to my predicament. 

"Iruka did you know...I was changing. My appearance, its different now." I said.

Iruka sat down on the toilet seat lid, using it as a chair. He waved me forward and told me to crouch on my knees. He rubbed my head and pushed hair out of my face. It felt so comfortable, I had the urge to lean into his touch and hug him. He grabbed my shoulders and commanded me to look at him.

"Naruto. What I am about to tell you. I need you to listen and focus, okay?" Iruka said sternly. The tone was almost unfamiliar with me, the seriousness behind it started to scare me.

"Of course Iruka." I finally said.

Iruka shook his head and held my shoulders harder. "You must be serious Naruto!" He snapped. 

I nearly flinched from his touch but held my ground. 

"Naruto, what happened in the forest...it wasn't entirely your fault. You couldn't control it. You were just-" 

"What did I do Iruka?!" I interrupted, my heart beat was speeding up. I knew that I might of done it, but I didn't want it to be true. I didn't want to hear, but I needed to know. 

"What did I do?!" I commanded, yelling at Iruka. My eyes slowly tearing up.

Iruka stared deeply into my eyes and hugged me.

"You killed her, Naruto. And the guy." He said. My body completely froze.

"You were so hungry Naruto, I should of been there. I should of helped you before you got to that point. If I only knew you need more...food...I would of given it to you, before all this happened." Iruka held me tighter refusing to look at me. Was he scared of me?

"Let me go." I said to Iruka. Iruka only held me tigher. 

"No...I can't. I don't want you to run off again." He cried. I teared up even more until my eyes finally leaked. 

"L-let me go, Iruka." I tried to nudge Iruka off, he only held tighter. 

"I'm sorry Naruto, I'm so sorry." He cried. I slouched my shoulders. Did Iruka think he was guilty.

"Listen to me Naruto, please." He said. I stayed completely frozen.

"This is only going to get harder for you. These changes. I-I don't know what I can do anymore, but I will try my best to protect you. I...You...my son. You are my son. No one or nothing will take that away from me. I can't lose you." Iruka cried.

"Is that why you didn't tell me about how I look?" I asked him, nudging him off me so we could talk to face-to-face.

"I was scared you would run off it. That night you disappeared Naruto, I never felt so lost in my entire life." Iruka confessed. I seized up, I've really must of caused so much worry for him, and yet I did nothing but push him farther away. I reached out and hugged him, he instantly returned it.

"What can we do Iruka?" I asked. Iruka sniffled and wiped his eyes away.

"That's what I wanted to tell you about, but you might not like it." Iruka straightened up. I got skeptical and stood up.

"What is it Iruka?" I asked suspiciously.

"W-well...I'm the prey-type Naruto. I'm a dryad, I don't leave the forest for every long or else the trees will die. I heal nature. I don't eat meat, Naruto. I think you need someone to help you with your instincts, someone who is a predator type like you."

"Where are you going with this, Iruka?" I asked, Iruka hesitated. 

"You will be living with Kakashi-san for a while, in the city." He finally blurted. I stared at him for a second before processing that information.

"What?!" I screamed.