Desert Flower

Water and Wind

  I was lost in thought while riding on Tsume's back, thinking back to a conversation I'd had with Sakura. Whatever had happened with the Three-Tails had unleashed something that had never come out before. The raw energy the bijuu had somehow caused more of Kami-sama's chakra to come out than even when I lost control any other time. Something had happened to me similar to Naruto with his Demon Fox Cloak and Gaara when Shukaku took over half of his body.

  It was Gakkotsu and Sakura who had found me after the battle on the lakeshore, still having the beastly parts from Kami-sama and sleeping soundly curled up in a ball. When they had tried to wake me up, the cloak of chakra around me had lashed out before turning into a sphere. Sakura had guessed it was a form of defense with me being passed out.

  It took Yamato wrapping the sphere in wood to move me to get me back to Konoha since I wasn't waking up. Gakkotsu explained that, with Kami-sama being a wolf, it was likely that was why I'd always pass out after feeding. Wolves had a tendency to nap off large meals.

  The sphere of chakra didn't dissipate until days later, which was when Naruto had seen me crying. Tests were run while I was still sleeping, but every result showed that nothing was wrong with me. I truly was just sleeping off eating so much chakra from the Three-Tails.

  Now, with Naruto leaving with the toads, I decided it was high time I looked to the wolves for some serious help. The fight with the Three-Tails had revealed that there was more power accessible to me than any of us knew before, and I would somehow need to learn to control it.

  I needed to get stronger.

  Now, with Naruto busy with his own training and Gaara no longer a jinchuriki, there was only one 'person' I knew left who could possibly handle Kami-sama if they came out again.

  "How much further?"

  "We're almost there, pup." Tsume replied just before I saw eyes appearing in the dark of the trees surrounding us. I could hear sniffing before whispers came from the shadows.

  "It's Sayuri!"

  "Sayuri?!"

  "The last Saboten is here!"

  "Isn't that Sayuri?"

  "I heard she's really strong, but she's so tiny!"

  "That's the pup on Tsume!"

  "What is Sayuri doing here?"

  "....The other wolves, I assume?" I said lowly to Tsume, and they nodded to answer.

  "They haven't seen a human in decades either, so try to be patient with them."

  "Understood."

  "Also try not to wander around here. It's not dangerous, but you can easily get lost here if you don't know the way." Tsume explained before a large nose pressed against my cheek. A wolf, bigger than Tsume but still smaller than Shirikoba, was looking down at me with curiosity in its big brown eyes. "Where are your manners, pup."

  "My manners? I'm the one getting sniffed here."

  "Sayuri." A voice like soft rain came from the giant, grey wolf. "A pleasure to finally meet you."

  "Uh....you, too?"

  "Oh, goodness me, you must not be accustomed to our ways. I'm Ame." She took a step back while still looking at me. "Tsume, what is Sayuri doing here?"

  "She needs our help."

  "Our help?" Ame cocked her head to the side while nudging Tsume with her nose.