Desert Flower

Three-Tails

  "How is she?"

  "Healing." Sakura replied while holding her hands over Hinata. I managed to get the girl out of the crystal, and that was all I had to do since she'd managed to surround herself in a protective shroud of chakra before the crystal hardened around her.

  The others had gone off to chase down the woman while leaving Sakura and I behind to watch over Hinata. I was left back in case anyone else ended up crystallized so that I could get them out and not risk incapacitation before it could be done.

  Gakkotsu was sitting beside me, quietly observing the forest surrounding us. His ears flicked as his head suddenly shot up. The wolf's eyes narrowed, and he was looking in the direction the others had gone.

  "What is it, Gakkotsu?"

  "Something not good." He grumbled before quickly grabbing the back of my shirt with his teeth. He dragged me away from Hinata and Sakura without explanation before throwing me.

  "Gakkotsu?! What the fuck?!" I popped up out of a bush to see him taking a defensive stance while looking at me. It was as if he was purposefully putting himself between me and the other two girls.

  "It's coming." He lowered his head while bracing himself.

  "What is?" Sakura furrowed her brows, and I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. A wave of intensely strong chakra slammed into me, sending me to my knees as I held my head and groaned. "Sayuri?!"

  "Stay back!" Gakkotsu barked at the pink-haired girl as my claws were digging into my scalp. My stomach was churning and growling from the intensity of the chakra. However, despite how strong it was, it wasn't the fox. It had to be another tailed beast, but how?

  Not only that but how in the world could it be this strong? Not even Naruto's Demon Fox Cloak could make me feel this intense of a hunger anymore.

  Whatever Gakkotsu had heard just seconds before made him know this would happen.

  My head flew back with a scream that was bordering on a roar as I tried to fight to stay in control. It felt as if I was starving and hadn't eaten in so long with food just out of my reach.

  "Sayuri!"

  "I said stay back!" Gakkotsu snarled, keeping himself between the girls and myself as I was battling for control. The hunger was so strong and so savage, unlike anything I'd ever felt before. Drool already dribbled down my chin as I could feel Kami-sama screaming to be fed. No doubt about it; there was no way this couldn't be a tailed beast. Not with how it was affecting me.

  Panting, I couldn't hold it back any longer and bolted in the direction the scent was coming from. I barely registered the forest I ran through and hardly noticed the giant crystals rising from the lake as I landed on the giant turtle-looking beast. My body was changing even more from Kami-sama's influence as that wolf was slowly taking more control.

  Silver fur was sprouting over my arms and I could feel a tail swaying behind me. I couldn't tell if my ears were just pointed anymore or if they were actual wolf ears, but I could hear everything. I could hear the water sloshing below, the roar of the bijuu as crystals pelted against its hide, and even the quick heartbeat of a frightened child on a creaky old boat.

  Spearing my hand, I drove my claws into the beast's thick armor plate. A chunk chipped off, and I kept digging to break through.

  A giant spiked tail swept across the turtle's back, sending me flying into a crystal pillar. Baring my fangs as I roared, the crystal beneath me cracked when I jumped back at the beast. Silver chakra bubbled over my skin as I flew through the air, coating my arm and hardening it as I punched one of the beast's spikes off.