Naruto and Wolf

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Spice and Wolf.

Warning, this will not be a typical Naruto shounen like story. It will still have the some elements that you'll come to expect from Naruto but it will not be full blown story of raising power level to fight an evil force. It will still have those elements but that's not the focus of the story. I will be focusing more on dialogue and relationships instead of crazy plot lines. I want to try my hand on writing in a different way than the one's I've written before. You'll find that Naruto seems more eloquent and completely out of character. I justify it by saying that if you speak in the same manner today as you did 10 years ago then I'd ask you if you've left your house at all in the past 10 years. People change they're way of speaking to fit the social norm and Naruto's no exception to that. As for him demeanor, well you can't expect him to always be that love-able idiot we all love his whole life. It's still there but at this point cynicism has buried it. Well that's all I have to say, I know people have preconceived notions of how certain characters should act since its fanfiction but I implore you all to keep an open mind and not to say that this is how it should be done or this is how someone should act. If you have a complaint about why you think I'm doing something wrong with the character then know that I have probably already thought of it and have a reason for why they are the way they are. Well that's all for my warning, I hope you all enjoy the story!

Chapter 1

The weather was good; there was no wind. It was a perfect day for dozing in the wagon as he crossed the plains. It seemed absurd that only recently he had felt the chill of the approaching winter.

He wasn't completely sure how long it had been since his time but it was only recently that he had taken to traveling the world to see what had become of it. If he had to guess this would be the tenth year since that decision, as time was a bit temporal to him. He had no concept of time after living so long. Decades was but a blink of an eye when compared to the life he had, and will, live.

He gave a huge yawn in the driver's box. He didn't really need a wagon to cross any great distance but it would look strange to the common man if he traveled by foot. Humans had grown weak. The thought of controlling the elements and ensnaring the mind of others were considered the 'devil's' work. There were very few that would believe that such feats could be done without the help of evil entities from the, now, ruling religion. He would have chuckled at the thought of God when he, himself, had defied the laws of man and lived far longer than any mortal was even remotely capable of. Then again thinking of himself as man would be a stretch.

At the edge of his field of vision, he could see a monastery that had been built some years ago. The masonry of the building was magnificent, even more so since it had an iron gate. Another change in time was technological advancement. It seemed that humans had ended up degrading to the point where electricity was not even a seed of thought and running water in your home was the epitome of wealth. How this happened during his solitude could have been for a number of reasons but he just shrugged off the occurrence as a quirk in the advancement of man.

"What's this?"

From the direction of the monastery, someone was waving at him. The figure did not look like a manservant as his clothing was of different colors. Naruto reluctantly turned his horse towards the figure. Even after having realized that he was heading his way, the figure did not approach the wagon after having stopped his waving. Focusing a bit of 'unholy' power, which would no doubt land him in the throes of the church should anyone learn of his ability to use chakra, through his eyes he found the figure clearing up. Naruto muttered in spite of himself once he was able to ascertain just exactly who had waived him over.

"…A knight. Of course, only they could be so arrogant as to wave a man over and not even meet him half way."

He had to stop himself from visibly scowling at the so called soldier of this time. Waving their over weighted swords like a child. Most were a disgrace to the true practitioner of the sword from his time. Though he could not refute that there were a few worthy of being called a true swordsman even without the aid of chakra, the few did nothing to sway his opinion on knights when the many far outweighed the skilled.

"You, there! What is your business here?" The distance made it so the knight had to shout, and apparently found no need to introduce himself as if his position were obvious.

"I am Naruto, a traveler. Is there something that I can help you with?" Even though his tone was cordial and polite Naruto was far from feeling friendly. He would have done away with the knight if there wasn't another nearby as a witness.

"A traveler you say? There are no towns from the direction you came from," said the knight haughtily, sticking his chest out, as if to proudly display the golden cross embroider on his clothing.

He wasn't impressed though. He could tell from the gray mantle over his shoulders that he was of low rank. Even if he did not have his colors shown he could easily tell than the man was green from the way his body moved clumsily in armor. Usually he wouldn't care to humor them as the types tend to be excitable but he traversed through this road often and didn't want to have to deal with future problems.

"About a day's travel to the east of here is a small village. It's quaint but I stayed there for a night as sleeping in my cart tends to get tiresome."

"For a mere traveler your cart seems to be filled with a lot of cargo."

It was actually a fair question but he couldn't help the slight annoyance he felt. "Aye, I do carry a lot," he turned around and removed the tarp that covered his load, revealing bundles of golden wheat. While usually the crop would not be such a value, but with the coming of winter it wouldn't be a stretch to say that the knight's yearly salary was a mere portion compared to his stores. "I deal business with a town near here. Sadly they do not always give the best prices for what I have but you could say… that I have grown attached to the people and find my loyalty outweighs my greed."

At the mention of the nearby town the knight perked up as if finding something worthy of his attention. "The monks have heard of a pagan festival that's approaching. Thus the increase in patrol and guard around the area, you wouldn't happen to know of this festival?"

"I fear that I know nothing of this festival," that was a huge lie of course but he hid the truth with a pained expression as if truly troubled for not having been of help. "Even though I deal around this area I don't tend to stick around long enough to hear whispers of festivals or celebrations. There is much to see in the worlds and a day or two is the most I can spare for any one area."

The knighted nodded and thanked him for his help anyways, "Perhaps it truly is held in secret, the pagans are a cowardly lot, after all. Still I thank you good sir for your help. If you should come upon more information then know that the church is willing to reward the deeds of man for their service to god."

He nodded and bid the knight farewell and made his way down the dirt road. He had no need for money and such possessions; such things were bellow someone like him. He had long past done away with such things but still he did dabble from time to time with the workings of a merchant. He didn't do it for the need of money but because he found it to be his current muse.

Living for, what seems like, centuries he found that he didn't always want to stay in the profession of fighting. He had lived lives where he was a cook, mason, carpenter, fisherman, and even as a slave just to understand the nature of man even more. He found that only a few things ruled in the world of man and among those was wealth. He already knew the side of power and was quite curious how the side of money goes, and what better way to learn than to live as a merchant whose whole life was to deal in money and greed.

Still he calls himself a traveler, even when he lived life as those other professions, because in the end that was what he truly was. Even when he would put up the façade of a cook, a carpenter, or any of those other lines of work in the end he was just a man going from place to place because it was the only this he could do. He did not have a place to call home anymore and he could not stay in any one place long enough to settle for fear of others learning of his inhumanity but also because in the heart of all things he had grown used to traveling.

It was a lonely way of life, that he could not refute, but it was his only way of life. He had tried, once, after his love ones in Konoha had died to live a life filled with the warmth of a family, once again, after he had succumbed to his loneliness. He had given in once, and he would rather live as a traveler than go through such a thing again. From the experience he concluded that a life of perpetual loneliness was better than to hurt, and lose, the ones he stayed near.

Still it wasn't in his nature to push away everything, and everyone, which manages to worm their way into his heart. There were few such people, like those in the village he was heading to deal his wheat, but even then they were kept at arm's length and he was never there long enough for a true bond to form. Regardless their easy nature and friendly acceptance had earned a spot in his frozen heart.

So to think that he would give out information to those 'knights' on what was more of a harvest festival as opposed to a pagan festival was preposterous. He would sooner convert to Christianity and proclaim himself a scion of the devil for his immortality.

This talk of a pagan festival was nothing more than a struggle for control. He knew that the church was desperate to reign control around this are as they had trouble keep an eye out here. True the festival was somewhat grander than the typical celebration, which was probably why the monastery was keeping an eye on things and reporting to the city. The church had been eager to hold inquisitions and convert heathens, as clashes between natural philosophers and theologians in the city were far from rare now a day. The time when the church could command the populace's unconditional submission was vanishing. The church had realized this and so did the people. Thus the church was desperate to regain its authority.

"And business everywhere shall suffer for it," said Naruto with rueful smile.

The skies were of the same golden hue as the wheat in the fields by the time Naruto arrived in the plains. Birds were but a shadow in the sky as they flew home to their nest as the insects sang a frenzy for the coming of darkness. The wheat field looked to be mostly harvested, so undoubtable the festival should begin soon.

Before him were the expanses of the village of Pasloe's fertile wheat field, the better the yield of the land the more prosperous the village. The area was managed by a noble of the name Count Ehrendott. He was peculiar in a sense that he found it enjoyable to join in with the farmers and get his hands dirty. Thus it was only proper that he joined in during the festival providing an abundance of wine and food.

Naruto had not once participated in the festival. Though this time he could not say that it was because of his reluctance to stay and enjoy such an event with those he felt a connection with, as slight it may be. No the reason why was due to the fact that outsiders were not permitted.

"Ho there, is that Naruto I see with my dim eyes?"

He smiled a tight smile but felt a slight warmth at being recognized. He did not know the name of the old man tending to the field but his name was somewhat well known around the town, regardless of how hard he tried to keep a low profile.

"Aye, 'tis I. Might you happen to know where I could find Yarei?"

"Oh, Yarei'll be over yonder – see where the crowd is gathering? It's all youngsters at his place this year. Whoever is slowest will wind up the Holo!"

Naruto flashed him a smile that he liked to call his merchant smile. It was the fake trustworthy grin he put up when dealing in trade that made him look less like the hollowed man that he was and more principled.

Just as the old farmer had said, there was a crowd gathering within its confines, and they were all shouting something. There were jeers and teasing aimed at those still working the field but it wasn't truly malicious. The taunts were only a part of the festival.

"There's a wolf! There's a wolf!" He heard some of the shouting.

"A wolf lies there!"

"Who will be the last and catch the wolf? Who, who, who?"

"If you cut too greedily, you won't catch the harvest god, and it will escape"

None of them noticed when Naruto pulled up with his cart. Holo the wolf was the harvest god, and according to village legend, it resided within the last stalk of wheat to be reaped. Whoever cut the last stalk down would be possessed by the wolf, or so it was said.

"Who, who, who will catch the wolf?" The crowd continued to chant.

"Who, who, who?"

"It's Yarei, it's Yarei!"

The shouting men suddenly gave chase to Yarei. The god of bountiful harvest, once cornered, would possess a human and try to escape. Capture it and it would remain for a year. Though not many believed the old tale anymore, the villagers still repeated it each year as it was tradition.

Naruto didn't bat an eyelash at the tradition that true believers of faith or church officials would have found outrages. He didn't believe anything when he defied the laws of nature with his very existence. Still the fact the Yarei was to be this year's Holo was an inconvenient. He would be locked in a granary stocked with treats until the festival was over, about a week, and would be impossible to talk to.

He had wanted to quickly unload his stocks and leave by sunrise but it looked like that would not be happening. At least the first part since he was still planning on leaving at sunrise. He would not be able to stay either way as he would be chased out due to the coming festival, which should begin tomorrow now that 'Holo' had shown.

Years before the Count had begun managing the region; it had come under heavy taxes the drove the price of export. Naruto had bought some of the unfavorable priced wheat and sold it for a slight loss. He did it to help the people and in turn he had won over their gratitude. To this day the village was thankful for his business and Yarei had become sort of the middle man for the deals.

It was just bad timing and even if he felt something for the people here he would not return until the next year. He could not allow himself to linger for too long. As he passed through the town he made polite small talk with the various people that called on him in recognition. He politely declined the offers to stay the night putting the village behind him.

Having to return to his lonely travels, Naruto couldn't help but feel a twang of jealousy at the free nature the farmers have. Nibbling on some vegetable he had been given as a souvenir, he took the road west, past the cheerful villagers returning from their days work.

Naruto looked like a young man that was on the edge of teenage years and just about to enter adulthood. If anyone were to guess his age then they would usually guess, between, 18-20 as his youthful appearance hid the age his eyes showed.

He would not be able to tell you his true age since even he does not know the exact number. Still his bright blond hair never grayed and his tanned skin were free of wrinkles regardless of the years he had lived. There was an air of maturity about him but not many could get past his boyish looks to take him as seriously as you would an adult. Still that never held him back as he was above such things.

Naruto looked up at the moon and sighed. He realized that such sighs were more frequent now. His thoughts were filled with things pertaining only to the now. He held no hope for the future and the past was best left alone. He thought of the many places he visited and as much as he wanted to vehemently deny it he still longer for the companionship that people took for granted.

He would deny, deny, deny, and deny some more but he knew that the truth was he would break at some point. No human, not even the inhuman, could live in perpetual solitude. That was why he had decided to end his isolation and travel the world. Still the way he had kept others at arm's length did little to sate his need for companionship.

Sighing once again he pulled back on the reigns to stop the beast. His horse stopped at the signal all too happy to finally receive its long-anticipated rest. He felt bad for the creature for having to run it ragged. If he could travel on foot without suspicion then he would gladly spare the horse of the tiresome task of lugging around his possession.

Giving the rest of the vegetable he received from the villagers to the horse, Naruto took out a bucket from the wagon bed and drew some water from the river and set it before the animal. The creature happily drank the liquid while he too drank his fill from the water he had gotten from the villagers.

He would have preferred some alcohol, the stronger the better, but drinking without company was not something he indulged himself in often. That is to say it's been quite a long time since he had a taste of alcohol and the craving itself was peculiar.

With little to do he decided to sleep to rid himself of his silly thoughts. He whisked the tarp off the wagon bed to make himself comfortable. Usually he would sleep on the ground or the trees if he could but with a bed filled with soft wheat was too good of a luxury to pass up. Of course it would lower the quality as his weight would no doubt crush the sheaf under him but he cared little. If he made a silver or five less than what he would have made if he chose to sleep in a more comfortable spot then he would make that choice 9 times out of 10.

The only reason he didn't shout was due to his discipline and the sheer absurdity of the sight. Apparently, he had a guest. He actually had to rub his eyes and pinch himself to make sure that he wasn't caught in some genjutsu but the idea was quickly out of his mind when he was reminded of the fact that he was the last of his people.

A beautiful girl was sleeping soundly on the bed of wheat he had planned on slumbering upon. She looked so peaceful and content that he almost wanted to just let her lay there.

"Hey," none the less he still inquired to wake her. It wouldn't be good if she was some village runaway that had somehow managed to sneak into his cart. Still he would give her respect for being able to enter the wagon without his knowledge. "Wake up."

"…hrmmm?" came the girls defenseless response, her eyes still close, her voice so sweet it could make a lonely man lightheaded. It was alluring, the girl herself was alluring, despite her obvious youth. Nestled in between straws of wheat and illuminated by the bright moonlight he found himself entranced by her.

"Hey, you there. What are you doing, sleeping in someone's cart?" Regardless, a pretty face was nothing new to him. Despite the fact that it had been many of years since he had been in the company of a woman as beautiful as the one before him it was not enough to distract him from his main objective.

"…mhmmm." The girl did not awaken.

Naruto reached out and shook her shoulders and to his slight shock found skin. Now he wasn't surprised at skin contact but the fact that her shoulders were not covered. In the old days during his ninja years provocative clothing was nothing new yet in this age a woman showing her shoulders would be considered a prostitute. He didn't take the girl to be such a woman but then again he did not know her and could be wrong.

The shaking seemed to have done the trick as the girl slowly awakened before him. Her body rose from the bed entirely naked, and unspeakably beautiful. Her hair, illuminated by the moonlight in the wagon, looked as soft as silk and fell over her shoulders like the finest cloak. The strands that fell down her neck to her collarbone drew a line so beautiful it put the finest paintings to shame. Exposed now in the middle of her body were two small breasts, so beautiful they gave the impression of being carved from some inorganic material. She gave off a strangely vital scent, as if housed within her arresting charm was warmth.

While her beauty was the first thing that drew his eyes it was the appearance of two soft mounds placed upon her head. The same colors as her warm auburn hair were two furry ears with white frosted tips. Now he would be the first to admit that he was anything but normal but the sight of animal ears on a beautiful young girl was something he had never seen before.

His eyes caught hers and felt himself entranced by those wine red orbs. The girl slowly opened her mouth and broke their gaze and looked skyward. Closing her eyes she howled.

"Auwoooooooo!"

He felt the sound blow through his body like the wind. The howl was like that of a wolf calling its comrades, to chase and corner its prey. This was nothing like the playful howls of the villagers pretending to be beasts.

She dropped her head and let the howl fade away. Drawing her chin up, and smiling lightly Naruto felt like a spell had broken when she spoke.

"…Hmph, 'tis a good moon. Have you no wine?"

He wasn't sure if it was a wolf or if it was a girl but still she was beautiful.

"I have none," he said in a slow drawl as if considering what to say. "What are you?"

"What so you have no wine? Food, then?" said the girl completely ignoring his question. Her nose twitched slightly as if catching a scent before diving into the pile of wheat with her butt straight up. A tail, of course since she had the ears of a beast he should have expected a tail to come with it. How silly of him not even anticipate it.

The fluffy tail swished to and fro as she dug into the pile. At once it straightened and the girl returned from underneath the wheat with a bag of jerky he had hidden within. As she chewed on the smoked meat he did not fail to notice the two sharp fangs behind the girl's lips.

"So what are you? Maybe a demon?"

The girl stared owlishly at him with a piece of jerky hanging from her mouth. A moment passed before she started laughing at him heartily.

"Ahahahaha! Me, a demon?"

He thought it was a fair assessment considering the circumstance but he couldn't help but feel a little sheepish at her reaction. Though he did find her to be disarmingly adorable, added on with the two sharp fangs to her charm, it did not deter his curiosity.

"So not a demon then, well I figured it to be a good guess."

"Oh, that was quite amusing! This is surely the first time I have been called a demon."

She bent over to pick up the meat that had fallen from her mouth due to laughter. Every now and then the fit of giggles would return making the sheepish feeling return.

"Well if you're no demon then what are you?"

"Me?" She pointed to herself as if asking if he was talking to her.

"Who but you would I be talking to?"

"Perhaps the horse?"

Naruto gave the girl a blank look drawing a grin from her— a completely charming and guileless grin.

"My apologies! I had forgotten myself. I am called Holo. It has been some time since I have taken this form, but, well, it is quite nice, isn't it?"

"Holo?"

"Mhm, Holo. A good name, no?"

Naruto had been to many places far and wide but there was only one place where he had heard of the name Holo.

"What a coincidence. I know of a harvest god that goes by Holo."

The girl's moonlit face drew back slightly as a troubled look formed on her face but the moment passed as a smile replaced it.

"I am nothing so great a deity to be called a god. I have long been merely Holo but I was also called a god just as long."

He couldn't deny that she wasn't anything 'normal'. The ears and tail had long doused that but it would be a stretch to believe that this girl was the pagan god of harvest. The again his own existence was a contradiction so it wouldn't be too hard to believe in a wolf god existing if he did.

"I'll say you're taking this in far too calmly. Is this situation not strange to you?"

"I've seen stranger." He replied with a rueful smile.

The ears on her head twitched as a pensive look crossed her face. "You do not lie. I find that to be even stranger."

"You could tell?"

"Of course," she replied with a hint of pride in her tone. "These ears of mine are quite handy when ascertaining the truthfulness of a man words. They're not there merely to enhance my already beautiful features you know."

He couldn't help himself but find the pride she had for herself to be quite amusing, if not adorable. "Yes I suppose they are more than what they seem."

"As are you," she said her eyes narrowing a bit. "I would think only a young child, still full of wonder, would be the only ones unafraid of me."

"You're not a threat to me." He said with a shrug. "You haven't done anything wrong so there is no reason for me to be afraid of you."

"'Tis true," she said looking slightly put out. "Still I find it slightly bothersome that you find me to be of no threat to you. Why I am Holo, the wise wolf of Yoitsu!"

She tried to pose an imposing figure with her hands at her hips but without clothing she looked as regal as any naked girl. Suddenly she sneezed shattering any thought of any imperialistic image.

"While I do not mind taking human form, it is unavoidably cold. Not enough fur." Said Holo, laughing and hiding herself in the pile of wheat once again to stave off the chill.

Naruto did not find the action quite as amusing though. He found her existence to be quite intriguing but he did not like the fact that she had smuggled herself in his cart.

"Please refrain from doing that as it will damage the wheat. Also please return to your home at once as I would prefer not to have a stowaway lounging around my wagon."

The girl stopped her rolling on the bed and gazed out into the distance.

"My home is quite a ways away. I was born far in the North where the summers there are short and the winters long. A world of silver." For a second Naruto felt a connection with the girl as he felt her loneliness, the same kind he had been feeling. The moment passed and a grin formed on her face as if the sadness was never there. "Have you ever been there?"

Naruto paused. "I'm assuming you mean Yoitsu?"

Her eyes lit up having heard the name of her home. "Yes! You know of it? How is Yoitsu these days? Is everyone well?"

There was a slight slump in her demeanor that the sadness couldn't have been an act. Naruto forced himself to say, "I don't know it," to quell the unease that rose from within him. He did know of a place called Yoitsu, from an old story he had heard at an inn but that place was said to have been destroyed.

Her shoulders slumped even more. "Yet you know of the name of my home."

"Only because you mentioned that you are the wise wolf of Yoitsu."

Her mouth formed an 'o' shape before she once again giggled madly. "I see that there is another worthy of being called wise." She said once she was able to get her giggling under control.

"I have been called many things yet wise might be a first for me."

"That I can believe, most men are surely fools."

"Yes, well my foolishness aside I'll ask you, why are you in my wagon?"

"You are a peculiar one," she said with a slight teasing tone. "You could ask many a question about me yet you ask only the obvious."

"If the answer is obvious then you have me at a disadvantage." He said knitting his brows in confusion.

"The answer is quite simple really. I am in your wagon for I want to return to Yoitsu."

The answer was quite obvious. From his observation it was easy to see that the girl longed to return to her homeland. The signs were all there regardless of how she tried to cover it up.

"I see, I guess you were right. I did ask a question with an obvious answer. Still if I'm incline to believe that you truly are Holo, the god of harvest, then should you not be within Yarei now since the wolf resides in the one who cuts the last stalk. Or so they say…"

The mischievous smile on the girls face looked more appropriate on a fox than the wolf she claimed to be. "Heh-heh-heh, I am Holo the Wise Wolf! I know well my own limitations. It is true that I live within the wheat. Without it I cannot live. And it is also true that during the harvest I was within the last wheat to be harvested, and usually I cannot escape from there. Not while any were watching. However, there is an exception." She paused for dramatics which truly did make him more curious. "If there is nearby a larger sheaf of wheat than the last one to be harvested, I can move unseen to that wheat. That's why they say it, you know, the villagers. 'If you cut too greedily, you won't catch the harvest god, and it will escape.'"

Naruto glanced at the pile of wheat in his wagon an ascertained that she had used his stores as a way to escape.

"So that is how it was done." She had a smug smile on her face as if telling him to praise her for her wit. "You could even say that it wouldn't be a stretch to call you my savior. If you haven't been there, I would never have escaped."

The haughty look on her face disappeared and in place was a demure appearance that accentuated her innocent face. Truly if he was a lesser man he would have easily fallen for such beauty. As he was cold and hollow such a tactic would not work on him.

"I see, well perhaps I should take that wheat back to the village, then. They'll be in a bad way without their harvest god. While I do not have close relations to the people of Pasloe I would still hate to see them suffer."

Holo looked at him as if stricken. "You… surely you're jesting?"

"Why not, I have no need for a pagan god willing to resort to trickery to get her way. Your beauty may win you the favor of any man but you'll find this one is a bit harder to charm."

When he looked back at Holo, her earlier bravado was almost entirely gone— now she truly looked down, as apprehensive as any princess in an old knight's tale. Yet he didn't falter at the sight. He felt her look to him and saw the young woman gazing at him beseechingly.

"Please, help me… won't you?"

He... didn't like the sight of Holo so meekly bowing her head. While he would be honest and say that he had found her early ruse of manipulation to be annoying, the sincerity behind her eyes when she looked at him like that made it hard for him to meet her gaze.

He had found that it was easier to say no when you never got asked a question. He stayed true to that belief and kept people at a distance so he would never have to come to a decision like this. For all of his power and all of his intellect Naruto found that he was still weak at the sight of sincere cry for help. Maybe it was the 'chosen one' in him from his days as a ninja that propelled him to give in, regardless the decision was made when the wise wolf herself discarded her pride and truly showed herself.

"Very well, I will help you. Though there is something I must ask of you."

"…all right."

"If you leave the village, will they still be able to raise wheat?"

He had expected Holo to answer in a way that wouldn't weaken her position. He would have accepted her answer regardless of the outcome if she was telling the truth. When he looked at her, she wore an expression completely different from what he had seen so far; she looked angry and near tears as she stared at the edge of the wagon bed.

"The village's crops shall continue to harvest in abundance without me," she spat, her voice surprisingly irate.

He said nothing as he saw that the girl still had much to say. Already he could tell how prideful of a woman she was and would not allow anyone to think little of her.

"Long did I stay in the village; as many years as I have hairs on my tail. I had wished to leave so long ago, but for the sake of a promise I made with a youth of the village I stayed. I stayed to ensure the village's harvest would be fruitful."

Perhaps it was because she couldn't stomach it, but she could not even look at him as she spoke. Earlier her wit and words had been quick and easy; now she stumbled uncertainly. Yet he found that this side of Holo to be more trusting.

"I… I am the wolf that lives in the wheat. My knowledge of wheat, of the things that grow on the ground, is second to none. That is why I made the village's fields so magnificent, as I had promised. But to do that, occasionally the harvest must be poor. Forcing the land to produce requires compensation. But whenever the harvest was poor, the villagers attributed it to my caprices, and it has only gotten worse in the recent years. I have wanted to leave. I can stand it no longer. I long ago fulfilled my promise."

Now he understood. It was true that the years before the land came upon Count Ehrendott's control that the villages suffered droughts of little harvest. With the new farming techniques the yield had increased in the years. Holo thus felt her presence was no longer necessary. If the people were starting to think the God of Christianity could not be real then a pagan god such as Holo would no doubt be painted with the same brush.

"The village's good harvest will continue. There will be a poor yield every few years, but that will be of their own doing. They will overcome it on their own. The land does not need me, and the people certainly have no need for me either."

With her piece done Holo sighed deeply and fell over on the pile of wheat yet again. She curled up and pulled the crop over her to cover herself. Her tailed curled into her body and her ears folded down as if to hide herself even further.

He could tell that she was not crying. Even now she tries to use trickery to make him feel sorry for her but there was no need. He had already felt a connection with her from her tale and couldn't help but relate. She had no doubt suffered as he has the loneliness of isolation.

"In any case there is no need for you to act in such a way. I have already stated that I will help you and I don't give my word out so freely."

The ears on her head twitched as she uncurled herself from her ball and gave him a dry look. "You are a hard man to read."

"And I plan to stay unreadable. Still what will you have me do to help you. Where do you plan to go, having left the village?"

She did not answer immediately, but Naruto saw her ears prick at his questions, so he waited patiently. She had just delivered a significant confession, ignoring her acting afterwards, and he figured that she simply couldn't face anyone for a moment.

"I wish to return north," she said flatly.

"I would assume to Yoitsu?"

Holo nodded, turning her gaze up and off into the distance. He didn't need to follow her line of sight to know where she was looking: true north.

"My birthplace, the forest of Yoitsu. So many years have passed that I can no longer count them… I wish to return home."

He could understand the feeling. He didn't need to guess at her loneliness because he already knew the feeling.

"Though I would like to travel a bit," she said with a guilty smile. "I've come all the way to this distant place and surely much has changed over the months and years, so it would be nice to see what have become of this world. So to ask for your help I only ask of two things. I wish for you to help me return to Yoitsu and I'd like it if I could travel with you."

She regarded him with a friendly smile that suggested that she had seen right through him and knew he would not betray her. She sounded like an old friend asking for a simple favor.

"You are a merchant, are you not?"

"A traveler," he replied almost instinctively. "I dabble but I am just a traveler."

The smile on her face was charming yet her eyes pierced his as if searching for more. "I see, well traveler that just makes this partnership all the more accommodating."

"I have already agreed so you need not try to convince me further."

"'Tis true," Holo said with a coy smile. "So you have asked your question traveler so might I ask you one of my own."

Naruto tilted his head as a way to say yes.

"You already know that I am Holo the Wise Wolf, yet I still do not know the name of the one that I shall be accompanying during our travels."

He paused and found that he had indeed never introduced himself. Then again he was never really planning to give out his name in the first place. Though with the change in plans he figured it would only be prudent to give out his name.

"My name is Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto rose early the next morning. He was use to waking up early and hand never really found the need to change the habit. However when he woke he was surprised to see that Holo was awake and was next to him rummaging through something. He raised his head and looked over his shoulder to find that the girl had been looking for clothing among his things and was just now tying her shoes.

"You should ask before taking things that aren't yours, you know."

Turning around at his voice she spread her arms and smiled at him without a hint of shame for the theft.

"Oh, you're awake. What do you think of this? Do you think it looks good on me?" Far from chastised she actually looked proud. It would seem that the real Holo, the one he'd have to contend with from here on out, was this impudent, prancing thing.

He could only sigh at what he had gotten himself into. Coincidently the clothes she wore were one of the best outfits he owned. Though he had never worn them, preferring his more comfortable attire, they were still reserved for when he would need to make deals with rich traders and the like. He didn't particularly care for such etiquettes but if he was to learn how to be a merchant then he would need to act like one, outfit and all.

The top was a dark blue shirt with a slightly puffy three-quarters length vest. The pants were a combination of linen and silk with a skirt that wrapped fully around her lower body, tied with a fine fox sash. The boots themselves were of even higher quality made of tanned leather and triple layered good for even in the snowy mountains. Over all this she wore a bearskin greatcoat. This outfit had cost him a good amount of silver and now Holo wore those garments.

Despite that he couldn't find it in him to be too angry with her. All the clothes were clearly a few sizes too big for her yet it only made it look more charming on her. He never wore them anyways so in the end he decided it wasn't worth the fuss.

"The greatcoat is black— my brown hair looks lovely against it, eh? Though these trousers do get in the way of my tail, could I put a hole in them?"

While he did not care either ways what she did with them he still shook his head no. "If you were to parade through the city in those I'm certain that I could sell them for a big profit. Then we can find a set of clothes for you that are more appropriate. You may put as many holes as you want when that happens."

She jumped down from the wagon and gave a little twirl. "So you think my beauty will entice some poor merchant to think these clothes are of higher quality than they are?"

The coy smile on her face was teasing and playful. Yet he could not refute the statement as that was exactly what he thought.

"For a traveler that denies being a merchant you sure do think like one."

"I never denied being a merchant. Merely that I am more a traveler than one."

She took off the greatcoat and tossed it in the wagon bed. Evidently the coat, which was made in his height, was too big for her. "Tricky, tricky. Your words hold hidden meaning; one must look beneath to find more than just what your words offer."

He couldn't help but chuckle at her words. "A good ninja must look underneath the underneath."

She tilted her head in clear curiosity. "A ninja you say? I have never heard of such a term. Still I find myself learning more. Look underneath the underneath? I quite like that."

He just smiled ruefully and gave her his merchant smile. Glancing up above he took his place to drive the wagon and gave her a look.

"In any case, it will rain soon. We should make haste."

Holo just chuckled at him and scampered on board the wagon. She joined him in the driver's seat. It was too big for one person, but slightly too small for two. It wasn't uncomfortable but he wasn't inclined to say he was comfortable either.

He roused the horse and took the reins in hand. A tug on his shirt caused his eyes to stray from the road and land on his new companion.

"This proud wolf made a bit of a spectacle of herself last night," she said a bit self-deprecatingly, as if her flustered demeanor reflected her true feelings. "In any case, it is good to meet you Naruto."

Holo smiled and held her hand to him. A small smile did manage to for on his face as he took hers and shook it.

Her hand was small and warm.

"Yeah, it's good to meet you too Holo."

With the neigh of a horse, the pair's strange travels had begun.

Authors Note:

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