The Fox Hole

Chapter 38: Ah, it's this bozo…

– Haru –

Rias and I arrived at the Inuzuka compound. It seemed like an open and friendly place. There were no guards at the gates. As soon as we stepped through, my nose was hit with a bunch of scents all at once. There were a lot of dogs here.

Rias squealed in delight as her eyes landed on a group of dogs running around, some chasing each other and others tumbling in playful fights. "Oh my gosh! So cute and fluffy!" she cried, dashing over to a cluster of puppies. She immediately dropped to her knees and began hugging and cuddling them, her hands lost in their soft fur.

I couldn't help but smile at the sight. Rias looked completely in her element, her usual refined demeanor replaced by unrestrained joy. I followed her over, chuckling when one particularly rambunctious pup tumbled into her lap.

"Who is this lady?"

"Don't know, but she gives nice pets."

"I want more pets!"

I laughed and translated the puppies' words for Rias. "They're loving all the attention you're giving them."

"I'll give you guys all the pats you want!" Rias said, beaming as she obliged the squirming pups.

A few of the puppies trotted over to me, sniffing curiously.

"He smells weird."

"Not like us."

"Is he a dog man?"

I crouched down, giving them all a few gentle head pats. "Close, but I'm actually a fox man," I told them with a grin. The pups looked at me in confusion, clearly too young to know what a fox was, but they seemed content with my pats.

The sound of approaching voices and paws caught my attention. Two humans and two larger dogs were heading our way. I straightened as Kiba Inuzuka and a woman I assumed was Kiba's mother came into view.

"You look familiar," Kiba said, squinting at me. "Have I seen you around somewhere?"

Before I could answer, the woman smacked Kiba on the back of the head. "You just spent a week running a mission for him, dumbass," she said, exasperated. Turning to me, she smiled, revealing a wolfish grin. "Well, hello there, handsome. The name's Tsume Inuzuka, leader of the Inuzuka clan. I have to say, you have a lovely scent. You smell strong, like an alpha."

"Thanks," I replied, doing my best to keep a straight face. "You smell like an alpha too…" I trailed off, mentally filing this as one of the more interesting greetings I'd ever received.

Tsume chuckled, clearly enjoying my reaction. "Thank you for the large mission you gave the village recently. Clearing out that cold place… what was it called? Oh, the North. All those Bolton bandits took a lot of time, but it was fun. Our clan really enjoyed the hunt… and the pay. That whole Dreadfort place's basement was filled with gold!"

I nodded. That was part of the contract. The ninjas could keep anything they looted from the Boltons as long as it wasn't stolen from Sansa or Catelyn's family first. "Thanks for taking the contract," I added. "I wasn't really sure who they sent out to do it. I mostly just operate my restaurant and leave the finer details to my mother."

"Pffft… mama's boy," Kiba snorted, smirking at me.

"What was that, brat?!" Tsume snapped, turning to her son with a glare. Kiba immediately paled, taking a step back.

"I'm sorry, Momma! I didn't mean it!" he yelped, practically shaking under her intense gaze. Even Akamaru, his loyal dog, took a couple of cautious steps away.

"That's what I thought," Tsume said, crossing her arms and snorting dismissively. She turned back to me and Rias, who was still happily playing with the puppies. "So, what brings you to our compound?" Tsume asked, her grin returning. "Was it just to see me, handsome? I'll have you know I'm single at the moment, and even if I wasn't, it wouldn't matter because I'm the alpha."

I gaped at the unashamed statement while Kiba sputtered in embarrassment.

"Moooom! I'm pretty sure this guy is Naruko's boyfriend… now that I remember," Kiba muttered, glancing at me. "Man, you're crazy… that girl is scary. Actually, all the girls in my generation are scary," he mumbled under his breath.

I cleared my throat. "My little sister Kunou got a new puppy. He's a golden retriever and sheds like crazy. It's everywhere, and while training him isn't too hard since we can talk to him, the fur is another story. I was hoping your clan might have a solution."

Tsume's grin widened. "Oh, we've got just the thing for that. Regular pets, ninja pets—doesn't matter. We've got it covered."

She led us toward a small pet store nestled in the compound. As we walked, she kept throwing suggestive comments my way. 

Rias let out an audible huff, grabbing my arm and pulling me closer. She shot Tsume a pointed look and stuck her tongue out, but Tsume only laughed, clearly amused by her reaction.

Kiba, who had been trailing behind us, finally spoke up. "So, uh, who's she?" He gestured toward Rias.

"I'm his fiancée," Rias declared with a triumphant smirk, her grip on my arm tightening.

Kiba's eyes widened. "Wait, fiancée? I thought you were with Naruko."

Rias's smirk grew, and she tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Haru has a harem."

Kiba's expression shifted from shock to admiration as he stared at me like I was some kind of deity. "Dude. That's… that's amazing. You're my hero."

I scratched the back of my head. "It's… a lot of work, buddy. Trust me."

Tsume chuckled, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "An alpha with a harem, huh? You really are something else. Got room for one more?"

I held up my hands. "Honestly, I'm still trying to adjust to the amount of girls I have now."

Rias huffed again, clinging to me even more possessively. She shot Tsume another glare. "He doesn't need any more," she said firmly.

Tsume just laughed and led us into the pet store. She walked us over to a shelf lined with various products and grabbed a bottle of pills. "These should do the trick for your sister's pup. Just mix them in with his food. They'll stop him from shedding."

"Thanks," I said, taking the bottle from her. "How much do I owe you?"

Tsume waved me off. "Consider it a gift. Anything for a handsome alpha like you."

Rias narrowed her eyes but didn't say anything, though I could feel the tension radiating off her. 

Kiba's mom… was a lot. 

I thanked Tsume and Kiba as we stepped out of the small store, my mind still replaying the ridiculousness of the past few minutes. I couldn't help but chuckle when I caught the expression on Rias's face. It wasn't every day that a character she considered fictional for years started openly flirting with her boyfriend. It was a bit strange for me too, sure, but I was pretty used to weird shit by now.

Just as we were about to leave the compound, my senses picked up on something. A lot more people had entered the area. Their scents hit me all at once, muted and almost identical. It was the kind of smell you'd get from people who all used the same detergent and soap. My immediate thought was an army. And sure enough, when we turned the corner, I saw who was standing smugly in the middle of the Inuzuka compound.

Ah, it's this bozo…

Shimura Danzo. The Boogeyman of the Leaf Village. I'd honestly expected him to show up sooner or later, but it was still irritating to see his face. Rias recognized him immediately too, judging by the way her shoulders tensed.

Danzo barely acknowledged Tsume, even though we were right in the heart of her compound. Rude bastard.

"Haru, the owner of the Fox Hole," Danzo said, his voice carrying that infuriating tone of command. "You and your… companion will come with me immediately. For the safety of the village, I must take you into my custody."

I snorted. "Safety of the village? Yeah, right." Crossing my arms, I added, "Pretty sure I haven't broken any of the Leaf Village's laws. On top of that, I'm one of its best clients right now. I don't think the Hokage would order my capture."

Danzo bristled, his bandaged face twitching with irritation. "The Hokage doesn't need to know about everything that goes on in the village. As an elder, this is my right."

Rias snorted loudly next to me, her arms crossing over her chest. "I'm pretty sure this village is a military dictatorship. Of course the Hokage needs to know. We're not going anywhere with you, old man. Why don't you scurry back to that hole of yours and play with all those children you abducted for your secret army like the creep you are?" Her hands went to her hips, as she stood there.

Damn. I could tell she'd been holding that one in for a while...

"Children? Secret army? The hell is this girl talking about, Danzo?!" Tsume demanded, her voice sharp as she subtly shifted Kiba and Akamaru behind her and her own ninja hound. It was pretty obvious something was about to go down.

Danzo's eye narrowed at Rias. "You know far too much, girl! The secrets of the Leaf Village are not yours to divulge!" he barked.

With his good arm, he reached into a pouch on his waist and in one smooth motion, hurled a kunai straight at Rias's neck.

Her eyes widened for a split second, but her supernatural senses kicked in. With a quick gesture, she conjured a shimmering magical shield in front of herself. The kunai clanged off harmlessly, dropping to the ground.

I was pissed off. My pupils narrowed, and my tails swayed angrily behind me as waves of youki leaked from my body. This piece of shit had just tried to murder my fiancée, Rias, right in front of me. He went and fucked up.

Danzo's one good eye widened, just in time for my fist to violently slam into his stomach. The force of the bone-snapping blow crumpled his entire body before blasting him across the compound. The impact left a satisfying trail of destruction in his wake.

As soon as my attack landed, I sensed all the ninjas hidden nearby moving in to attack.

"Holy shit!" Kiba exclaimed in shock. "This guy does have a freaking secret army!"

"Traitor!" Tsume snarled, her voice filled with venom as at least thirty Root shinobi revealed themselves in the middle of the Inuzuka compound. Tsume raised her fingers to her lips and let out an ear-piercing whistle that made me wince. All the puppies and dogs immediately scattered, running to hide from the inevitable battle about to break out.

"What the hell is going on here?!" a voice demanded to know. Before the Root ninja could move, a puff of white smoke appeared right next to Rias and me. When it cleared, Tsunade stood there between all of us.

Talk about good timing.

"I was on a secret booze run… er, I mean just running an errand nearby when I felt a massive amount of chakra. What's going on, Haru?" Tsunade asked, her sharp eyes scanning the scene. "Who are all these ANBU? And why are their masks blank?"

"It's Danzo's secret shadow army," Rias explained quickly. "He wants to capture Haru and me. Probably kill us now." Her face lit up suddenly. "Also! It's so cool to meet you! I'm a huge fan!"

"Er… thanks," Tsunade replied, clearly taken aback. "Who are you again?"

"I'm one of Haru's girls. I'm his fiancée, Rias!"

Tsunade gave me a cheeky look. "One of his girls, huh?" she said, but her amusement was cut short when Danzo emerged from the rubble, completely unharmed despite the damage I'd inflicted.

The bandages on his right arm were unwrapped, revealing a grotesque white limb covered in Sharingan. Each eye stared lifelessly, their origins clear. He'd harvested them from the corpses of the Uchiha clan. Seeing it in real life was genuinely horrific.

Tsunade's face twisted in horror. "Is that… an arm made from my grandfather's cells combined with Sharingan? What have you done, Danzo?!" she shouted, her voice filled with rage.

Danzo snarled, his face contorted with anger. He removed the final bandage covering his face, revealing yet another Sharingan implanted in his eye socket. "Everything I've done has been for the village!" he declared before locking eyes with Tsunade.

I realized what he was about to do and dove in front of the Hokage just as his voice rang out.

"You will serve me from now on!" Danzo commanded as our eyes met. I immediately felt the force of his will slamming into my mind like a battering ram. It was a powerful illusion, one meant to bend me to his will. But if there's one thing we yokai excel at, it's breaking illusions.

Gritting my teeth, I pushed back against the invasive force. "I've never said this as a proud chef before," I growled, "but go eat a bag of dicks!" With a final surge of willpower, I completely shattered Danzo's Kotoamatsukami mind control.

Fighting erupted immediately after Danzo's attempt at mind control failed. The Root ninjas moved in, completely ignoring Tsunade's shouted orders to stand down. Tsunade stood her ground, her fists clenched as her chakra flared to life. "You bastards dare ignore a direct order from the Hokage?" she roared. Her voice carried a weight that made even some of the Root shinobi hesitate. But hesitation wasn't enough to stop them for more than a few seconds.

One of them lunged at her with a short sword but she caught his wrist mid-strike.

With a flick of her arm, she snapped the man's wrist like it was a twig, forcing him to drop the blade. Her other hand followed through with a punch to his chest. The force sent him flying across the compound, slamming into a wall with enough impact to leave cracks in the stone.

Another shinobi came at her from the side, this one using a lightning-based jutsu. The crackling energy surged toward her, but she dodged effortlessly, closing the gap between them in an instant. Her heel connected with his ribs in a brutal sidekick that sent him sprawling. "If you want to throw your lives away for Danzo, that's on you!" she growled.

Three more Root operatives tried to overwhelm her, coordinating their attacks with precision. One came from above, kunai glinting in the light, while the other two flanked her with fireball jutsu. Tsunade slammed her fist into the ground, sending a shockwave rippling outward. The sheer force of it disrupted the fireballs mid-flight and knocked all three attackers off balance.

"I'm not just some bureaucrat sitting behind a desk, you idiots!" she shouted, leaping into the air and delivering a devastating axe kick to one of the downed shinobi. The ground beneath him cracked under the impact, leaving him motionless.

A Root shinobi with a spear rushed her from behind, aiming for her exposed back. But Tsunade didn't even turn around. She pivoted slightly, catching the spear with one hand. Her chakra flared visibly as she shattered the weapon into splinters with a single squeeze. Spinning around, she drove her fist into his stomach, lifting him off the ground and sending him flying into another group of Root operatives.

Meanwhile, Tsume and Kiba didn't hesitate. Tsume's voice rang out over the compound. "Traitors to the Leaf! How dare you attack our compound!" she snarled, her chakra spiking as she lunged forward.

Akamaru and Tsume's ninja hound tore into the nearest Root operatives, they took down enemies with brutal efficiency. Tsume wasn't far behind, moving like a whirlwind as she fought side by side with her partner. She dodged a blade aimed for her throat and countered with a vicious uppercut that sent her attacker sprawling.

Kiba wasn't far behind, his movements more wild because of his youth. "You picked the wrong clan to mess with!" he shouted, slashing at a Root ninja with his claws. Akamaru leapt into the fray, taking down another operative with a bone-crunching bite to the arm.

"Mom, they just keep coming!" Kiba called out.

"They won't last long. We're not a bunch of pussies!" Tsume growled, spinning her body rapidly and using Fang Over Fang to grind the Root ninja into minced meat. Her chakra-enhanced rotations sent body parts flying as the sheer force shredded through their bodies, leaving a gory mess in her wake.

That jutsu was way more violent than it was in the anime! Naruto took a bunch of hits from it and was totally fine if I recalled correctly. That definitely didn't happen in this world!

More Inuzuka clan members arrived, their dogs barking furiously as they joined the battle. The air was filled with the sound of growls, snarls, and the clash of steel.

Then, out of nowhere, a swarm of purple insects descended upon us.

"I remember this guy from the anime," Rias shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos. "His bugs are dangerous. I'll handle him!" Without waiting for my response, she raised her hands, her crimson power of destruction flaring to life. Her attacks countered the poisonous insects, each wave of her energy disintegrating swathes of the swarm before they could get too close to everyone else.

That left me facing off against Danzo.

"It didn't have to be this way, man," I said, keeping my gaze locked on him. My tails swayed behind me, brimming with youki. "You're like seventy. Why didn't you just retire in peace and enjoy the rest of your life like a normal old person?"

Danzo sneered. "A shinobi can never know peace! He can only prepare himself for the next battle!" He moved swiftly, forming a series of hand signs before unleashing a vacuum spear jutsu. A concentrated blast of razor-sharp wind surged toward me!

"Fire beats wind, old man!" I countered, raising my palm and releasing a burst of blue fox fire. The flames roared to life, clashing against the wind. The intense heat and energy of my attack overwhelmed his jutsu, dispersing the sharp wind and pushing it back toward him.

Danzo allowed the combined fire and wind attack to slam into him. He let out a scream of agony as he was literally melted in seconds, but then, shortly afterward, he appeared right next to his own corpse, which faded away as if it was nothing more than an illusion.

"You cannot kill me, monster! I am immortal!" he said arrogantly, clearly trying to get into my head. Of course, I noticed that two of the ten Sharingan on his grotesque arm were now closed. That left him with about ten more lives if I included Shisui's eye embedded in his face.

Danzo took a moment to glance around, his expression darkening as he saw his Root ninja being systematically demolished by the Hokage and the Inuzuka clan members. He had an army of assassins who were masters of their craft, but assassins didn't tend to fare well in open warfare, as we were currently seeing.

"It will take me years to build up my forces again!" Danzo snarled, clearly pissed off.

"That sounds like a whole bunch of your problem," I replied with a smirk. Not that I thought Danzo would even live past today. Tsunade did not look pleased that his secret army was trying to kill her too.

Danzo's face twisted with rage. "I'm going to teach you what happens when someone opposes me!" he declared, starting to weave more hand signs. "Summoning Jutsu… BAKU!"

A massive orange elephant materialized beneath him. It's body was rippling with muscle...and meat. The creature looked to be about forty feet tall and immediately let out a deafening roar.

"That's just perfect," I said, unable to suppress a smirk. There's a lot of meat on those bones, and I couldn't wait to see what kind of dishes I can make from it!

I allowed blue flames to engulf me. My humanoid form disappeared, replaced by my towering 30-foot-tall golden nine-tailed fox form. In hindsight, I may have gotten a little too excited and completely forgotten which village I was in.

"The Kyuubi is back!"

"Run for it!"

"Our village is going to be destroyed again!"

The shouts of panic came from the growing crowd of onlookers who had gathered around the compound to watch the fighting. As soon as they saw the giant nine-tailed fox appear, the crowd completely lost it. Screams erupted, and people bolted like their lives depended on it. 

Tsunade finished off another Root ninja before leaping onto my back. "Oh my god, Haru! It's going to be so annoying calming down the villagers after today!" she complained, using her chakra to latch onto me for balance. "Also, please don't wreck the village in your giant form!"

Rias flew over and landed on my back next to Tsunade. "Woohoo! Kaiju battle! I choose you, Haru!" she cheered, pumping her fist in excitement.

XXX

Thanks for reading!!!

I have a patreo n. My subs can read advanced updates of my stories ahead of standard release and even check out pics for some of the more naughty chapters. That's a recent development though.

Link:

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Here is the list of Current Advanced Chapters:

The Fallen Gamer ch 311-315

The fox hole 43

The Fox Hole 42

The Titan 21

The Blood Queen 28

The Fox Hole 41

The Fox Hole 40

The Blood Queen 27

The Titan 20

The Fox Hole 39

The Blood Queen 26