Taking a deep breath, he tries to recall the feeling of Naruto's chakra, of his person. He turns again into him, though it's a slightly younger version than the one he remembers. His clothes again are like Mito's but simpler because even if he's weak he's not going to let others look at him with his orange jumpsuit. His ego wouldn't let him.
There are gasps around him but he ignores them as he kneels in front of the kid. The transformation demands more concentration, but it's somehow easier to split that concentration into doing other things. His right hand turns into a less solid yellow and he presses it into the kid's arm. It's harder to heal someone from the outside than it is from the inside, it seems. Harder but still doable. He doesn't have that much energy but that rest seems to have worked as it's not as taxing. Or perhaps is not that strenuous because he's borrowing from Nature.
It seems in the same way Nature it's taking his energy away, he can take some of it back too.
He closes the wound and disinfects it, but does not completely heal it. He then moves to the head and recedes some of the pain to make it at least bearable.
Kurama sits back with an inhuman fluidity as he inspects his work with slightly frowning eyes, posture straight and cold. He then shrugs and stands up, giving his legs a shake to erase the wrinkles that formed in the clothes.
"Is he going to be okay?" Donna asks breathless, her hands somewhat trembling as she inspects his son's wounds. He doesn't know if she's trembling because of what she's seen him do or for the relief.
"Better than nothing, I guess."
"Better than nothing?"
A hand goes to his hip as he turns his head back to look at Adam. He raises an eyebrow. "I'm not going to waste more of the energy I've already wasted. It'll take a while to fully heal but I've seen kids his age with worse and still going to battle. He's going to be fine with that."
Kurama doesn't mention that the kids he's talking about are actually ninjas, child soldiers, but he never claimed to be good at comforting people.
"He seems better, Adam." Donna's hand leaves her son's forehead to look up at him. "Thank you."
Kurama makes a face at the sincerity of her words. Honest gratitude is hard to swallow even coming from Naruto.
"Whatever."
Sasha huffs somewhat shakily. "Not good at receiving thanks, huh?"
"You're getting off lucky, actually. I threw the last guy who thanked me against a wall," Kurama grumbles as he gives her a passing glance, but his lips curl at the memory of Naruto shouting at him.
"I get he didn't die then," deadpans Adam.
Smirking, he glances down at the hand that is solid again. "He's a resilient kid. Hard to kill."
"Is that your friend? We're going in the general direction you told me to."
Kurama's head shots up to look at Sophia, his body losing some of its form at the slip of concentration. He looks from side to side as if a giant red arrow is going to appear and signal him towards the last place he felt Naruto. He spreads his awareness to its limit, ignoring how Nature latches more into him. Adam, who was standing next to him, stumbles. He grabs the car's door to keep him upright but Kurama ignores that as he concentrates, barely registering that he is once again in his fox form.
He feels Naruto. Or at least the vague direction in which he is in. The point in which he used his chakra for the last time is stronger as it left an imprint but he can sense Naruto, too. He can also sense the Uchiha brat but it's an easy to forget dot, just enough to know he's alive, so he ignores it.
There's an answering pulse and something in him warms because that's Naruto going into sage mode. He wants to focus more until he can know exactly where he is but Nature breaks away from his grip, leaving him. The action takes more from him than he'd have thought and Kurama staggers back.
He wants to try again and takes a step forward to do it, but Sophia's "Nine, don't!" stops him. Kurama looks over his shoulder, marveling for a second at the way the world shifts its axis and his vision blurs, his mind moving far slower than normal. He notices Sophia kneeling next to him. He ignores it, choosing to press his head between his paws and groan, cursing left and right, before he looks up again.
The other humans are gripping the car tightly. They look scared. Sophia's no better; she's pale and terrified but determined enough to be that close to him.
"Don't do that again," she says with a hard tone he doesn't remember ever hearing coming from her. Kurama wants to berate her for it but doesn't have the strength to do it. Something tells him he kind of deserves it, too.
"What was that?" Sasha breaths.
"Fucking Nature," he answers, even if he doesn't exactly know what they've experienced. It's still the truth though because fucking Nature.
The silence that forms is broken by Tyreese who clears his throat, making everyone look at him. "Maybe we should go," he says looking around. "Donna's right. We should look for a safe place. More now that the Ben's better. We can talk later."
Kurama's ear twitches as he remembers sensing some empty spaces void of Nature he guesses are houses. He points in a direction with a tail. "There are a couple of houses down to that path. They're are free of walkers from what I could sense earlier."
"You sensed them?" asks Adam, doubt clear in his tone.
Kurama glares at him and answers with a resolute 'Yes' that forbids any more questioning.
Sasha is the one who intercedes, even though she seems quite a skeptic too. "Like a town?"
"No, they were too separated to be that. Cabins, I think is the term."
Sasha hums as she looks in the direction he pointed before she glances at the sky. "It's going to rain soon. If they're separated enough, each must have some sort of generator so best to try it, don't you think?"
Her question goes to everyone and Kurama is kind of relieved everyone accepts. He jumps onto the roof box without prompting. No one tells him to go off so he lies down and waits for everyone to go to their positions and turn on the car.
.
They don't question him as soon as they reach the place, which he's glad for. Although the 'talk' still comes sooner than he'd have wanted. He thinks he'd have probably avoided it entirely for at least a day but he's not going to accept their food when he knows they've barely enough to survive. He's not that cruel.
(His mind quickly ignores the knowledge that he would have to do it with Naruto just for fun.)
"So… you don't need to eat?" Donna asks because Sophia is devouring her food and apparently she's been delegated to the position of interacting with him as he hasn't killed her when she talked back.
"Among other things."
"Like what?"
Kurama opens an eye to glare at her, though his head is still comfortably settled on top of his forepaws. He's ready to answer with something snarky but he can sense the curiosity of those around him. He sighs. It's better to do it like a band-aid—quick and painless.
"I don't need anything. I'm essentially sentient walking energy."
She shares a glance with her husband at that, clearly telling him to ask something else, but Sasha is the one that beats them. "So you were made by the government?"
Kurama's head shot up, insulted. "The what?"
"That's a no then."
"I'm not going to share my life story, so don't even try. Let's just leave it at that I'm something supernatural your mind would never get a grasp to understand, okay?"
Tyreese narrows his eyes, clearly pondering what he's just heard. "Supernatural…? Is that—You think that's what this is?"
"You mean your little apocalypse? Don't know. If I've had more power I could try to get a better look at what's wrong with those walking dead humans. Though I'm not that interested, to tell the truth."
Adam sits straighter, food is forgotten on his lap. "Not that int—You know how many have died because of this? If you could help—"
"You seem to forget I'm not human. I don't care what happens to your species. Besides, is not as if your species is really going to die. Something bad always happens to your kind that almost kills you but you manage to survive and get back up eventually. You're like cockroaches that way," he says, remembering all those centuries he's seen humans survive and thrive.
He doesn't think it must be that different if they're from another world. Humans are resilient even when they're the ones that try to annihilate their own species.
"So you're not going to help us, even if you could, Nine?" Sophia asks and there's something in her expression that reminds him of Naruto before he gives one of his speeches. Something fierce and firm.
It makes him slump on his spot as a flash of nostalgia hits him hard. "Please tell me you're not going to give a speech about love and friendship too?"
"What? No?"
Kurama let's a relieved (and somewhat disappointed) breath out at the surprise on her face.
"Nothing, kid. You can stop with that face, too. I don't want to help you. I really, really don't, but something tells me I'll end up doing it somehow. Naruto is a problem magnet and a self-sacrificing buffoon; he's going to drag me into helping and I know it. I'm just trying to enjoy being a cynic bastard for as long as I can."
There are raised eyebrows at his words, but it seems the shock at seeing a talking fox is waning. Humans are that adaptable. Probably it has to do with the fact their world is being threatened by dead walking people, too.
"Nar-huh-toh?"
"Naruto," he corrects Tyreese, recalling the feeling his sage mode gave him. "He's a human and my friend."
He sits on his ass, feeling tired and just wanting to rest, but he's got a clue and he'll be damned he if doesn't follow it. He glances at the humans, realizing that even if he's said he doesn't need them, he really does need them if he wants to go to Naruto and kick his ass for all his absence has made him do.
The eyes of the humans are heavy on him and Kurama can feel the questions they want to make. He looks down and ignores them because it'll be hard enough without looking. He knows he needs help, but asking for it is hard. He's pretty sure he can count how many times he's asked for help with the fingers of one paw. However, the situation demands it, so he lets go of his ego.
"I may need your—" He stops himself and clenches his jaw shut, feeling somewhat disgusted by what he's trying to do. He wants to think that he's trying to search Naruto because he needs him to power up again and not feel this constant tiredness with every step he takes, but that would be lying. He'd be insulting Naruto and the change Kurama's made because of him.
So he swallows back his pride and this time it's easier. He looks squarely at every member of the group in front of him, ready to talk.
.
"I need your help. Sophia knows this, so I'm just informing you: I got separated from my friend when we came here and I'm looking for him. I'm not as strong as I once was so I don't think I can make long trips. I need your help to accomplish that."
"I will help you," says Sophia, standing up from her seat. She then looks at the people around her. "I told you about him before. Nine saved me. He's taught me so much and while he can be somewhat grumpy, he's nice to be around and he's helped us a lot. I—I would like to travel with you and I would like it if you could come with us. But it doesn't matter if you don't want to help him, I will."
Sophia is standing straight, glaring at the grow-ups she once tried to make acknowledge her, daring them to tell them the contrary. It's so familiar that Kurama can't help the snort that escapes him.
"Nine?"
Now she's looking at him with confused wide eyes and the snort turns into laughter. Because he pictures Naruto giving him that look after a speech and that's too good to hold.
"I'm serious!" she snaps indignantly.
"Oh kid, believe me, I know," he answers between chuckles, body sprawled on the floor. "Didn't you tell me you weren't going to give a speech? I give it five out of ten. Sorry, but heard too many of those and if it makes you feel better, it improves with time. You can go from changing criminals' hearts to demon beasts the size of buildings."
He snorts again. "Just don't use an orange jumpsuit."
"I think I speak for everyone when I say, what?"
He flips a tail at Sasha, not bothering to sit straight again. He likes the floor. "It's an inside joke. If you help me, you'll probably get to understand when we meet Naruto."
"What kind of guy is he anyway?" asks Adam, not as faced as the others with his change of mood. Kurama sits right once again.
"Let's just say that if a stranger would have asked him for help like I just did, he would instantly agree, not caring if the one asking is an innocent kid, a talking animal, or a criminal determined to destroy the world. Actually, he'd especially help the criminal. Then he'd make them see the error of their ways and they'd end up like best friends or something as crazy. Usually, a fight between ideals would happen before that."
A similar deadpan, disbelieving look is shared by the people around him and Kurama agrees with the feeling. He often feels it when he's with Naruto.
"He sounds like a nice guy," Sophia says, though she even sounds dubious. "You didn't mention him like that the other time."
"It's because he really is an idiotic, stubborn goof that goes face-first into a problem without thinking, too."
If possible, the incredulity on their faces increases.
"See? That's why I can't leave him alone. A personality like that asks for problems. And trouble finds him faster than I'd like, unfortunately."
"Do I want to ask how you became friends?" Sasha asks.
"I wouldn't say that he 'made me see the error of my ways', but I can't think of a better explanation, so let's go with that."
"But you say he's human. And that he gets into a lot of trouble." Tyreese looks around, as if not sure how to continue. "I mean, are you sure he's even alive?"
Kurama snorts. "He's fine. Not even a goddess could kill him. He's the ultimate cockroach."
"I thought you said he was your friend," Adam says, letting the 'goddess' bit slide.
"A nice cockroach then. So, are you going to help me? I can just offer protection and whatever energy I can waste on helping you from time to time. Nothing else."
There's another round of silent talking and Kurama's frankly getting bored of those. He still waits though. He's slightly sure they're going to agree if only because they know what he has to offer is more than that from the way he shrugged it off. Humans are good at taking advantage of dire situations.
"I'll help you with or without their help," Sophia murmurs as she sits next to him, her legs pressed against her chest. "I don't know if you consider me a friend, but I do. I owe you so much, Nine."
"I'm not good with this friendship gig but for what it's worth, thank you, Sophia."
She smiles down at him, blue eyes bright and blonde hair longer than it was before, noticeable even with the ponytail. She seems ready to say something else but Sasha clearing her throat makes them look at the other humans.
"I think we could help each other by staying together. Surviving is what's important these days and it's not as if we have an actual place to go, so... We agree, Nine."
Kurama dips his head in thanks. He doesn't think his ego would take saying 'thank you' out loud. One thing is saying it to Sophia, another is to them. It still doesn't feel enough though.
"Kurama," he offers. At her raised eyebrow, he clarifies, "Kurama is my given name. Not Nine."
Sasha smiles slightly. "Okay then, Kurama."
He makes a face, already regretting telling them his name. It just feels wrong to hear it say it by a human.
"I'd prefer if you called me Nine, though," he says quickly.
Her smile grows alongside the others in the group but no one says anything. Sophia glances curiously at him. "What about me?"
Ugh.
Kurama wants to say no, but those blue, still innocent, eyes are looking directly at him and… fucking Naruto.
"Sure, kid," he says but it's clear to the others how much it pains him to do it. Sophia realizes too, but it seems she's not going to be merciful to him. Damned brats.
"Thanks, Kurama!" she chirps and everyone laughs at how he faintly cringes.
"Okay, okay. Enough of that," says Adam, motioning with a hand to stop. "We agree to go look for your friend but do you've got a clue of where he is?"
Kurama settles his head on top of his paws and points to the direction he last felt Naruto with a tail. "That way. The thing I did on the road? It was to point out where he was. I just have a vague direction of where he is, but that's probably because he's not close."
"What's that thing you did anyway?"
He can sense something like dread in those around him and now that he's not a single-minded being focused on Naruto, Kurama admits he's curious.
"I don't know, what did you feel?"
There's a shared glance, as if they don't know how to answer, or are afraid to say the words aloud. It's Sophia the one that speaks in the end. "It was as if something sucked in deep inside of me, grabbing me. It was overpowering and it felt like it was crushing me."
Sophia shudders at the same time Kurama gives a 'Huh'.
Sasha frowns. "'Huh'? Is the only thing you've to say?"
"Well, what do you want me to say? I don't know what happened then. I was kind of panicking and I… connected into Nature? Yes, I did that."
Kurama looks down at himself and closes his eyes, focusing on that newfound connection he's been trying to ignore. It's sentient and slightly familiar in a way he doesn't want to look too deeply into.
"I think… I think that what you felt it's happening to me to a lesser degree. When I deliberately connected more to Nature, it got you too. Though I'm not so sure why."
"Are you fine? Has this happened to you before?" Sophia asks, her eyebrows furrowed together in worry.
"No, never," he answers though he's not entirely sure and that frightens him. He's been trying to connect to Nature to regain his energy more quickly. He's been too weak to notice if there have been any changes in his body. He's not even sure why now he's able to—
"It has noticed me," he murmurs, slowly looking up. "When I shot that bijuudama, Nature took notice of me. It's trying to assimilate me because I am energy."
"You… you speak of nature as if it was sentient," Adam says somewhat shakily, trying to lighten the mood with a laugh but it comes out weak.
"Because it is. Though I don't know what for Nature's harboring energy." A sense of foreboding slowly settles into his being, creeping into his mind with a cold grip. He stands up. "We need to find Naruto. Now."
His demanding tone startles them, but just momentarily. Sasha leans forward and tries with an understanding tone. "It's raining and we're tired. Ben needs rest, too. We agreed to help you find your friend, but we're humans and you've got to understand that. We can't just go now that we found a warm place."
"You don't understand," he says, something desperate crawling in him, making his voice weak. "I gave all my power to Naruto before we separated and he's more connected to Nature than I am. Whatever Nature is doing to me is nothing compared with what it must be doing to him. It could be draining him even more or making him into a time bomb that could decimate half of this planet. And knowing Naruto, it's probably the latter. Walkers would be the least of your problems if that happens."
Now he's scared them but he can't help it, he's scared himself too. Now he's not sure he wasn't able to pinpoint Naruto's because they were too far away or if it's his presence the one that grew too faint.
Sasha looks around and seems to be debating something, but she nods once after a couple of seconds have passed. "We will rest for a couple of hours, gain energy while the rain stops and then we go. You can help us avoid the walkers and hunt like you usually did before so we can move quickly."
Tyreese stands up. "I'll search around to see if we can replenish supplies. Adam, you've got the map?"
"Yeah, I'll look into it."
"I'll be taking the blankets out then," says Donna as she moves to where the backpacks are in the corner.
Sophia follows Donna. "I'll help you pack whatever we're not going to use."
"Sure, honey. Thanks."
Adam is walking past him before he stops. "You know how to read maps? I need you to give me the directions so we can see if there are towns or the like near."
Kurama nods, not being able to do more than that. He's glad they don't ask him how he's going to fix the problem because he's not sure himself. He just wants to go see Naruto even if he only manages to say a word to him before he blows up. He'll think about a solution later when his mind isn't too full of worry.