Disclaimer: I certainly don't own Naruto, Disney or any of its affiliated properties. If I did, I wouldn't be writing this now would I?
"The connection of our hearts…" : Speech (Bold for yelling ,Bijuu, or massive creatures)
'The connection of our hearts…' : Thought
Midnight, in the jungles of Madhya Pradesh, India…
Council Rock
Wolves are social animals and as such, they had a robust administrative sector that endeavored to keep all its constituents well informed as to the various events that happened or might happen in the jungle. Now this normally would just be regular busywork, such as filing complaints about Tabaqui the Jackal's reprehensible eating habits and how they attracted disease and other undesirable scavengers. However, ever since the introduction of their new 'honorary wolf' Mowgli, another, more pressing matter presented itself before the Wolven Elders.
"Akela, Raksha – the moment we have all been dreading is close at hand. Our brothers outside the jungle have just brought word that the man eating beast Shere Khan is on his way to our lands. Acting on the best interests of the pack and the inhabitants of this jungle, I must ask you to send your pup away…" The Alpha wolf said as Akela and Raksha looked shocked for a moment, turning to regard Mowgli, who had stopped wrestling with his lupine brothers and sisters to listen to this shocking news. To their great surprise though, the boy didn't react to the news the way they expected him to(basically throwing a tantrum, mocking the wolves' fear of the tiger before leaving) – the boy's jaw was set in a firm line so he didn't like the news but his eyes told another story entirely. They danced with a feverish light since much like Captain Ahab and his white whale, Mowgli had been anticipating this moment for as long as he could remember. Granted, he knew he had to tell Shanti about this or she'd lead ants to his bed again in the village (that was a painful way to wake up…) but he was still happy to finally get his revenge on Shere Khan. Off to the side of the wolven congregation, Bagheera was overlooking the proceedings at Naruto's behest (the two of them had really hit it off – the panther was an amicable fellow, if not a bit too mother hen like at times and Naruto was a genial father figure to most living things that couldn't be his best buds or wives) since he knew Anjali wouldn't let him hear the end of it if her son got lost in the jungle(never mind the fact that the kid probably knew the entire jungle better than most of the animals at this point – he was her precious baby boy after all).
"It seems the human has accepted the reality of the situation – Bagheera, please escort the child back to his own kind. I imagine the Golden One will protect the settlement and finally eradicate that loathsome tiger at long last – this should be a simple task, not lasting more than a fortnight. Now go – the moon is waning and so has this council. May your hunts be blessed and your dens warm…" The Alpha wolf said, formally ending the council as all the wolves except Mowgli and his family left Council Rock. It was a decision made with cold calculations – Shere Khan had an uncontrollable desire to kill humans and anyone harboring them. While the tiger could do that without much issue, the truth was that he was a coward who would scurry away when faced with a greater power (case in point, the encounter with Naruto had Shere Khan running off with his tail between his legs). When the inevitable human retribution would begin, it would be indiscriminate and all animals would suffer its wrath.
Mowgli had a brief session of farewells exchanged between his family members before Bagheera loped over to him and nudged his waist.
"Come with me Mowgli – it's high time that you returned to the human village. You were already due to return soon anyway so just think of this as an extended vacation-you can return once Naruto deals with Shere Khan!" Bagheera said, trying to be optimistic about the situation (he was scared out of his mind but knowing that there was someone who could challenge, nay, defeat that monster really put him in good spirits).
"That's great Bagheera, I was beginning to miss Momma Anjali anyway. If only Naruto could live with us in a separate hut I would be happy because I just know Shanti is going to be on my case when I come back…" Mowgli grumbled as the panther laughed at the boy's disgruntled look.
"Haha, you know Shanti only does that because she cares about you! You two have such an adorable dynamic with how she worries about you while you run around the jungle willy nilly…" He said as Mowgli huffed, unwilling to tell him exactly why the girl worried so much about him.
'We're basically brother and sister so of course she'd try to lord her age over me as a big sister should…it doesn't help that both our moms are pining after the same man when he clearly only has eyes for his own wife…' He thought as he climbed onto Bagheera's back for a speedy trip to the village.
Twenty minutes later, Human Village…
Bagheera dropped Mowgli off at the gates of the village, where Naruto was waiting for them. He was well aware of the Council Rock meeting so Mowgli's late arrival didn't faze him much.
"Welcome back Mowgli – go visit your mother immediately since she refused to go to bed before seeing you. Bagheera, stay behind for a moment and tell me what happened at the council meeting. Did those old dogs say anything interesting this time around or was it just more preaching about how Mowgli would spell the end of them all?" Naruto said, watching Mowgli look a little guilty before giving him a hug and running off to his mother.
Bagheera nodded before taking on a more serious expression.
"It's Shere Khan. He's back." He said as Naruto straightened his posture, the news effectively knocking his calm demeanor out of the window.
"Well, it's been ten years but he's finally back huh? Who else knows about this?" He said, wanting to keep the spread of the information as controlled and objective as possible(the villagers were a kindly sort but were prone to fits of drama, especially with news that could be exaggerated to a literal doomsday announcement with some of the more talkative villagers).
"So far, only the animals know of his return – your village scouts haven't discovered anything yet I presume?" Bagheera said as Naruto grunted in affirmation.
"Got in one – people here have gotten a little too comfortable with me around to protect them. I don't blame them since that tiger's not just an ordinary beast- I distinctly remember killing him when we first met but somehow, he was able to shrug off a steel blade to his spine!" Naruto grumbled, more than a little annoyed that some minor jungle predator was his primary foe in this world(in his defense, he'd been pitted up against some impressive foes, with Hook being the only detractor until now).
"Regardless of how Shere Khan survived, he's still a craven hunter (kudos to anyone who gets this reference) and I am confident you can finish the job. Sometimes I have to wonder – are you some kind of god? I am sure no human can do the things you can do…" Bagheera said, teasing Naruto since he knew that Naruto hated any ribbing about his supposed demigod status(he was the reincarnation of a half alien, not a demigod thank you…not like that was any better to be honest).
Naruto then rapped his knuckles on the panther's head playfully as he took on a faux annoyed expression.
"Ey ey – enough of that drivel! I already get a lot of that stuff from the villagers as it is…let's just keep this between us okay? I can get in the jungle, hunt that bugger down and be back in around a week tops – I just need to make an excuse convincing enough that the kids and their mothers don't think anything strange is going on…" Naruto said as Bagheera deadpanned at his,sometimes foolish friend.
"A splendid plan my friend. Just one problem though – Mowgli does know that Shere Khan has returned and is probably telling the others about that. If not Anjali and Messua, then at least Shanti…you know how those two feel about Shere Khan…" He said, watching with some dry amusement at how Naruto facepalmed in exasperation.
"Well shit…"
Meanwhile, back with Mowgli…
Mowgli was about to get to his cot bed after talking to his mom when he was surprised by Shanti, who was waiting for him while sitting on his cot.
"Sooo, why did you spend more time than usual in the jungle this week? Don't you know how much grief you're giving your poor mom? Honestly, sometimes I think you like the jungle and its denizens more than your own kind…" Shanti said as Mowgli rolled his eyes before walking over to her with a grave expression. The girl immediately stopped her teasing then, recognizing the importance of the information her brother was about to impart.
"Yeah,yeah, whatever – you know the only reason you stay in the village so much is so Tiger can train you enough that Naruto will notice you when you grow up…seriously though, why you have a crush on Father when our moms both like him is beyond me. Anyways, I wanted to tell you that it's time – Shere Khan has returned!" Mowgli said as he grinned at Shanti, who shared his conspiratorial smile.
The two children had a shared vendetta regarding the tiger as they both wanted to slay the beast in memory of their fathers. As their motivations were similar, they had decided from a young age that they would work together, much like the pair they were aiming to emulate (Naruto and Tiger Lily). What happened after that however, was something they had yet to consider…
"Excellent. Let me get our packs and supplies – I only need to pack some food since, y'know, that stuff goes bad if left in a pack for too long…" She said, scurrying off to a little cubby in the walls of the hut where two small packs were hidden. Given all the combat and field training she received from Tiger and Naruto, she was confident that the two of them could ensnare the beast before dealing the final blow. Surely after that, Naruto and Tiger would finally take her seriously and take her with them when they inevitably left the village (she wasn't dumb – she noticed how the two of them didn't seem to age one bit despite the years that passed…she supposed that was why Naruto didn't respond to both Anjali and Messua's subtle flirtations…but she was different! She could wait until she was old enough but she had to prove herself to him…yeah, she had a big crush on her father figure…).
"Very nice – your over controlling nature finally proves to be useful! This is great – all we need to do is sleep for a few hours and leave in the early hours of dawn, before anyone gets up! Naruto will be 'sleeping' with Tiger tonight so he'll be a late riser tomorrow~!" Mowgli said, intentionally annoying Shanti since she was all too aware of Naruto's and Tiger's marital traditions (she was a precocious girl, go figure…she couldn't wait to get older…).
"Shut up! I wish I could see your face in three years when you have to deal with your hordes of horny little followers…" She mumbled as Mowgli only scoffed at her.
"Yeah right – me falling in love like some kind of sissy? You can forget about that! I am going to stay free and explore the jungle and have adventures for my whole life!" He said, casually brushing aside the fact that he had a veritable harem of fan amongst the village girls (as a young boy, he was still in the girls are icky phase of his life).
"You say that now, but love has conquered beings even as powerful as Naruto – what chance do you think you have??" She said, relishing in the uncertain look on Mowgli's face before the two retired to their beds for a short five hour power nap.
Naruto entered the hut a few minutes later and looking around the premises, could see that all its occupants were asleep. Wiping some nonexistent sweat off his brow (he was worried that Mowgli would have told Shanti about Shere Khan and that they would leave in the dead of the night) he snuck off to his room, where Tiger was sleeping in their bed. Taking a moment to appreciate how the moonlight really seemed to accentuate her curves (even if they were hidden under the sheets) Naruto decided that he'd perform his 'husbandly' duties in the morning and let her sleep a little more.
This decision would give the children the opportunity they needed to sneak off into the jungle – stocked and supplied, armed with the knowledge on what to expect when hunting their prey. Only one problem though – they were only ten years old and were up against a magically enhanced tiger. It would take a miracle for them to prevail against such an opponent!
Thankfully, they had a resident miracle worker in the form of Naruto, who would pick up on their trail (better late than never right…) and help them out when they needed him most…
And that was chapter 47! Mowgli and Shanti will hunt the hunter next chapter and Naruto will pull their keisters out the flame when things get too hot! Shanti will be another Alice type character – in a few more arcs, she'll be a new member of Naruto's harem. Mowgl will have his own romance (or should I say romances with the village girls so no worries there…).
If you'd like to support me you can find me on Patreon on the 'search for creators' bar under DudeWithaMac (I only get free time on Sundays since money's extremely tight-details on Panacea chapter 14). Alternatively, you guys can follow this link:p#at#re#on.#com/DudeWithaMac (remove the hash tags). Reviews and comments are always welcome!