Forming the Pack

Render kept his head low as he entered the Hokage's office. He had been sent for recently. He had hoped it was due to trying to find a cure for his condition. Even though the beast inside didn't come out on it's own accord anymore, it still clawed at his mind, trying to convince Render to let it free, for just a little while. Let it eat, feed and exist on the outside for just an hour or so. Flesh-Shredder was howling, growling inside. Since his first couple of transformations, he was able to learn speech, understand other people's emotions and share a couple of his own despite anger and hunger. The full moon was high in the sky, a time when the beast was truly at it's strongest. Render pulled his hood farther up and around his face. Now that he thought about it, what did the Hokage want? Render began to get nervous, almost visibly shaking. Upon fully entering, Render looked up and barely met the Hokage's eye.

"I-is there something you need from me, Lord Hokage...?"

Jason had heard strange rumors about a boy in his village. Incidents tended to happen around the boy, mainly when the moon was full like tonight. Some of the villagers said he had seen the boy transform completely into a bloodthirsty beast. Jason thought the rumors had to be false but he wanted to see this for himself. He had sent for the boy, Render was his name, and was waiting patiently in his office for him. 

There was a knock on the door at which the Hokage would say 'Enter.' Render would walk in, a hood pulled tightly over his face.The boy looked nervous as he entered though Jason could not sense any ill intent from him. 

"I-is there something you need from me, Lord Hokage..?"

Jason would have a serious look on his face as he spoke next. "Render. I've heard some disturbing rumors about you. Some say you turn into a bloodthirsty beast on the full moon. Others say you've killed entire villages out of anger. All of the rumors have in common one thing: that you are out of control. I would like to see some proof that you are not what these rumors make you out to be. I'd also like to know what started them in the first place."

Render looked up at Jason as he spelled out the rumors. He had just found out about his violent transformations himself. Eyes downcast, ashamed, he responded.

"It isn't entirely untrue, lord. I was bitten by a diseased wolf, which transmitted the disease to me. It did something to me, causing me to turn into some sort of man beast. The first time it happened, I had no control. I killed mindlessly. It was like something alien was controlling me from the inside. Somehow, I was able to retain control, not after slaughtering a large collection of people." Render shuddered as he recalled the grizzly scene.

"I can control it now. I only regret that I was too late the first time..." As he said this, he let the beast run free within him. Flesh-Shredder jumped to the surface, causing Render to fall to the floor, howling in pain as the transformation begun. His bones seemed to snap, reconnect and grow. His muscles tore and re-healed. Black hair sprouted over his body and his snout extended to something wolf-like in appearance. His eye color changed from blue to an angry, yet restrained, red. His teeth were now fangs, his nails, now claws. His hoodie had long since fallen off, lying in a heap on the ground beside him. As the transformation completed, what stood in front of the Hokage was a large wolf... man... beast... standing at a solid 6 ft 9 inches. Render was now no longer in total control, leaving Flesh-Shredder to interact with the leader of the Konoha. Flesh-Shredder raised his head to the sky, howling triumphantly. He was free! He was... wait... Flesh-Shredder looked over the Hokage with blazing red eyes.

"So... you are this 'Ho-kah-geh' Render keeps thinking about..." Flesh-Shredder murmured, voice low and throaty. He seemed to growl at the end of each sentence, as he sucked in breath through his gaping maw of a mouth.

"He told me you protect these humans..."

Jason was astounded at what was unfolding before his eyes. The boy, Render, seemed to be in sheer agony. Jason could only watch in shock as Render's bones broke and healed themselves, his form changing. Fur covered his body and his eyes were a deep red. Standing before Jason now was no longer the boy that had been there only moments before. This was something Jason had never seen before. He had never even heard of this happening. Before him, before his very eyes, stood a man-like wolf beast nearly seven feet tall. 

"Render..?"

Jason's senses were on high alert, his haki taking note of any unwarranted threat from the creature standing before him. This was strange indeed. His appearance, aura, voice and even personality had changed. What was this strange transformation he had just witnessed? Finally calming himself from his shock, Jason would speak.

"What happened to Render? It's obvious I'm not speaking to the same before that had been there just a moment ago."

"You speak to Flesh-Shredder. The child is no longer present." Render, fully awake under Flesh-Shredder's consciousness, tried to regain control, however, Flesh-Shredder's control was too great and he suppressed him back down again.

"You need not concern yourself with him." Flesh-Shredder snorted as he sucked in air through his nose, smelling Jason. He could sense the power radiating of him... He would make an excellent addition to his pack. The edges of Flesh-Shredder's mouth seemed to curl into a mockery of a smile.

"I'm here, standing before you, human, to make you an offer..." Flesh-Ripper held out a large paw of a hand, open palm facing the sky.

"You are powerful... much more than I... But I can make you more... I can make you like me..." Flesh-Shredder growled low as he struggled to keep his beastial nature in check. He wasn't here to feed. No... that came later...

"I offer you this gift..." Flesh-Shredder rumbled. "You, human, would be able to protect your pack much more if you were more powerful..."

What was this....Flesh-Shredder....talking about? Make Jason like him...lead his pack...become more powerful...This all seemed familiar somehow, as if Jason had read it somewhere in a book or scroll. Maybe a myth or legend..? That was it. Jason vaguely recalled a myth about...Werewolves. That was what this was. He couldn't believe that they were real. 

Jason looked over the werewolf in front of him. So Flesh-Shredder was it's name. Jason wasn't fond of having another personality take over him like that. If he were to become a werewolf he wanted to be in complete and total control at all times. It wouldn't do for some bloodthirsty creature to take control of his body and run around killing his villagers. Still, the offer was intriguing. Jason had been looking for a way to become stronger. 

"Flesh-Shredder was it? I have a few questions for you. If I were to accept your offer how would turning into a beast make me stronger? Do all werewolves have separate personalities? You are a werewolf are you not?"

Flesh-Shredder snarled, disgusted with Jason's apprehensiveness.

"You would become faster, stronger. Your senses would become much more developed." He growled when Jason asked about the Benefits. When he asked about separate personalities, Flesh-Shredder growled again, lower, more menacing.

"Bah... this child was weak... His mind could not take the stress of the transformation. I was born from the shattered pieces of his psyche..."

When Jason asked if Flesh-Shredder was a werewolf, he cocked his head to the side, confused. A were-what? Then he recalled a myth that had been spread around. One that fit Flesh-Shredder solidly.

"I know of these "werewolves". Your kind had myths of them... I suppose you could label me as such..." Flesh-Shredder was growing impatient. his fingers twitched, his hair stood up on end.

"What will it be...?" Flesh-Shredder asked. He would not ask again. If Jason rejected him, he would leave. He had found other potential options for his pack.

Jason's worries had been put aside about having separate personalities. The boy's mind had not been strong enough to handle what he had become. The enhanced speed and strength was certainly appealing, not to mention the ferocity becoming a werewolf would give him. He let the question hang in the air for only a moment before making his decision.

"Very well. How do I become like you?"

Jason would listen closely, paying complete attention to what the werewolf had to say.

Hearing Jason's response, Flesh-Shredder's mockery of a smile grew once again.

"You don't struggle!" He would growl before lunging at Jason. he would grab Jason's head with one paw, shoving it out of the way to expose his neck. He would use his other paw to bat away any flailing Jason would be doing during this apparent transgression. If he was able to get to this point, Flesh-Shredder would sink his teeth into Jason's neck, drawing blood and having them sink in just deep enough not to kill. He would then shove Jason away, lapping the excess blood into his mouth and grinning in relish.

"You are part of the pack..." Flesh-Shredder growled. Jason's transformation should happen in a matter of mere hours. Flesh-Shredder grinned in anticipation for the glorious slaughter that was to come.

Jason would be bitten on his neck by the werewolf. Of course it had to be a damn bite. Why did it have to be his neck though? Jason was sure a bite to his torso somewhere would have had the same effect. Nonetheless Jason did not struggle. Struggling would have given the possibility of accidentally tearing a major artery during this little bite. By the time Flesh-Shredder had moved away from Jason the bite would have already healed.

"That was a little unnecessary. You could have simply bitten another part of my body. What if I had died?" Jason would say to Flesh-Shredder. Already he could feel the power coursing through him. He would need to learn how to control it and quickly or else he risked letting a bloodthirsty savage like Flesh-Shredder running around in control of Jason's body. That would be very bad.