Yeah, in know. Another story. I promise I'll finish the other ones too.

Kitsune Rising

Prologue

Naruto limped down the road, on his way home from a rather difficult mission. He had broken his leg in a battle, and, though it was healing quickly, his leg was still very tender.

The blonde grumbled incoherently, getting strange looks from random travelers passing him by. Most of them just ignored him, but there was one who didn't.

Turning around quicker than physically possible for any normal human, Naruto grabbed a boy's wrist, pulled the boy close, and held a kunai to his throat.

"You should think twice before you try to pick pocket someone," hissed Naruto. "You never know if that person has a weapon or not." Normally, he would have been kinder, but his leg was really hurting him and his temper was short.

A closer look at the boy showed that he couldn't have been more than twelve years old.

"Please!" cried the boy. "I wasn't trying to rob you! I was trying to get your attention!"

"Naruto nodded and slipped his kunai back up his sleeve.

"Well, you're got my attention," said Naruto. "What is it? I'm in a hurry."

The boy recoiled at Naruto's harsh tone. Naruto winced and smiled.

"Sorry," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "I don't mean to be rude. It's just that my leg hurts a lot. And I really want to get home." The boy nodded and returned the smile with a sheepish grin.

"I'm sorry for bothering you, mister, but I thought if anyone could help him you can."

"Help who?" asked Naruto, finally interested. "Is someone hurt?"

"Sort of," said the boy. "Come on." The boy took Naruto's hand and pulled him towards a small wood. Ignoring the stabbing pain in his leg, Naruto kept with the boy. After what seemed like twenty minutes, they came to a clearing.

Naruto gasped. In the center of the clearing was a small fox kid, bleeding and gasping. It was skinny, as if it was malnourished. Naruto could see its ribs poking through.

Completely forgetting about the pain in his leg, Naruto rushed over to the baby fox and knelt down beside it. Closer observation revealed that the kit's right eye had been torn out by something. Naruto shuddered.

"I thought you could help," said the boy. "You smell like a fox, so I thought he might be yours."

Surprised, Naruto looked up. "What are you…?" but the boy was gone.

Naruto cocked an eyebrow and scratched his head.

"Weird," he muttered. He shrugged and turned back to the wounded kit. "I can't just leave you here."

Shrugging off his jacket, Naruto wrapped the baby fox up in it, careful not to touch its injuries. "This should keep you warm until we get home," said Naruto. Holding the baby fox close to his chest, Naruto limped off toward Konoha.

"I'll take you to Kiba's sister," Naruto told the kit. "She'll fix you up." Naruto watched the little fox sleep, its small breaths irregular. "Then you'll live with me. You could be my familiar, like Akamaru and Kiba. That would be cool, eh Kitsu?"