[charles wilbourn]

The small boy's mama was very sympathetic; indeed, her eye filled with tears. She was choking back sobs for the--what she now considered the unjust switching she had given a naked Inu out of doors, under the willow tree, in plain view of kids playing around or carousing outside. She had hoped that the thrashing she had given Inu would open the boy's eyes to the fact that he now had a mama, one who was concerned with his life, past, present and future. She wanted her action of last night to show Inu that his mama cared so much for him that she would thrsh him when he did something she considered wrong. But when she found out that that monster's blow to the head to whom she considered a fragile little boy and now the most important person in her life, caused memory loss so that he forgot important matters, such as the fact that he had a loving mama, a home--he seemed to have at least an inkling of this knowledge before his dreadful injury, that he knew for a fact that he had a mama, somewhere, who would save him from the harsh grasp of this truly evil man--well, then she realised why her son had not attempted to get in touch with his mama; that he had been brain damaged by that son of a bitch, who apparently believed Inu was less than human--probably didn't have a "soul" since, even though he was half-daemon and this gave him the beautiful--communication with the Celestial world; that the gods themselves often depended on him, and they would not do this with, as his "doctor", whom Tsunade began referring to as "Dr. Mingele," a "souless beast"--though Tsunade knew that all beasts--dogs, wolves, bears, wildcats, "all creatures great and small," were as eternal as man, perhaps even ontologically equal to him.

She held Inu tightly as she thought about all this, and then she positioned him so that the could converse face to face. "InuYasha, I beg your forgiveness for punishing you unjustly last night. Really, the only justifications I have for it are that first, I did it in ignorance. I did not listen to any explanations you may have had; I was blind with anger. But, there IS one thing that I do not regret relevant to the incident: I switched your chief heckler, Clair, on the bare, with her feet, butt and breasts humiliatingly bare, harder actually than I did you, and as I understand it, she was taken by other kids to a near-by rock wall, turned over it, and belted soundly, her butt and the rest still uncovered; you are not the only one who is bullied by that attractive but arrogant, self-absorbed cheerleader, cruel to those who are "different," to those whom, as you said before, she considers "inferior." Also, related to the switching you so unjustly received from me last night, Claire happened to pass by our house at the same time, and your sister overcame that bigger, and supposedly stronger, girl, 14 years old, and bent her over, switching he bare butt. As I understand it, Kagome made Claire hand over her panties to her, and Claire, no matter how carefully she sat, was exposed and laughed at, and the wind did not help her. Anyway, these two incidents, connected as they were to your own punishment, make me feel a little less guilty because both Kagome and I demonstrated that we are fully capable of protecting you; we both love you and want what's best for you--and that includes being left the Hell alone by bullies. In addition, the proposed legislation Kagome is pressing on the jr. student council, to severely punish not only the bullies your age and younger, but kids in the upper form--like Clair. Kagome or you will have to report incidents that disturb your peace, and I know you don't like to complain or make a scene. But both your sister and I are going to press you into school activities, where we know you will win friends; did you know that lots of students, notwithstanding my own disapproval of what you did, consider you just like James Bond? Don't worry about shyness or friendlessness."

At this point Naruto finally entered the conversation, though as yet uninvited. "Mom, if you don't mind, I would like to say something."

"Go ahead, Naruto dear," said Tsunade, smiling.

"One way or another, Inu, I'm on your side; I'll always be there to protect you against those--brats--that tease you or force you to transform. I have your back, brother. I'll be around, and when I'm not, then I have lots of friends, even clones, who will be there--all of them black belts. You're gonna be safe, Inu. And Kagome--I know her--shell take care of you like a she-wolf protects her youngling. Don't worry, kid. You can go to the PS in confidence! And you won't have to lift a finger to protect yourself. But, so that you yourself will not be without defense, before we continue your training in the ancient martial arts of Japan, I'm gonna teach you to fist-fight--this summer, before school starts. You'll be FULLY equipped, armed, to face your hecklers and tormentors! And never be afraid to use what you know of the martial arts!"

"Thank you, Naruto!" Tsunade said, truly grateful. "I hope all this makes you feel just a little better, Puppy! Now, with regard to your sister's discipline of you this afternoon: I know that you thought it was manifestly unfair, and that her stripping of you served not only to embarrass you, but much more important, reminded you of how bullies--and even a few "good kids," I imagine--stripped you in school to help facilitate your daemonic, doggie shape, subsequently leading to your expulsion. Well, Inu, I KNOW their treatment of you was deplorable, and their belief, like Dr. Mingele's that you were only an animal, "inferior" to them: son, you showed A LOT of fortitude and will-power. You did not transform, even though you were stripped and cornered! I believe everyone can learn something when their Power is challenged, put in question, assaulted! YOU were vilely tested by totally unsympathetic examiners, and you passed their hateful, really inhuman "tests" everytime! You are morally, mentally, and physically strong! Someday you will be absolutely invincable!

"now," Tsunade continued, "back to Kagome: your sister knew no more of Dr. Mingele's experiments on you than I did; she did not know that stripping him forcibly for a spanking was WAY too close to the way those brats at school treated you; she may have heard something in the hall, may have known someone was being totured; but I doubt seriously she knew it was you. When it comes to punishment Kogame believes that accompanying nakedness to spanking is a very important part of corporal punishment because it increases humiliation. Such punishment is pretty effective on un-tormented kids; it gives them a sense, not only of humiliation but also the knowledge that they are not yet the "masters of their own destiny" but are still under the discipline of their mama, daddy, or older, more mature brother or sister. Kogame thought this added punishment--which, I think to you, was even worse than the actual thrashing, am I right?--would serve to help prevent what she considered bad behavior in you, and the fact that she did it in the afternoon, in plain sight of everyone, did not help your situation. The main reason that Kagome was so strict with you is that she was angry, because she thought you were lying, and secondly that you were calling her a liar, and this second reason had the effect, not mainly of angering her but, more importantly, hurt her feelings--really, this second reason was why she punished you so severely and humiliatingly. But, Inu, here again you showed strength, fortitude; you did assume your little doggie form so you could run away faster and be alone in your room, but you did not do this until Kagome's spanking of you was over, and you listened to what she had to say: not until the whole thing was over. I don't like them, and God knows you don't, but these tests, when you overcome them, make you stronger, and I noticed this during Kagome's--chastising--of you. Anyway, I promise, except in very exceptional circumstances, never again to spank or thrash you in the bare. I can't speak for Kagome, but I will talk to her about it privately in the morning. From now on, when you misbehave, I will as a rule only spank you with your pants and underwear down. Now, as regards to my and your sister's emotional outbursts that you heard while you were in your room--these came as a result of daddy's reminding us of your dual, daemon-doggie nature, and we did not take this into consideration when we disciplined. Inu, you, are by no means ontologically inferior to ANYONE. You have the advantage of assuming animal shape when it suits you and when you find it necessary--among other reasons. As a daemon you have unknown and untapped powers within you that can make you a great ruler of men later. Yes, you are "different," but this difference is your superiority to others, not to your "just a dog" appellation, as you are teased with by school mates." Suddenly Tsunade changed the subject. "One more thing I know about your sister: she is dominating; she always has to be the leader; and though for the most part she's sweet and charming to family--including you--she has the makings of a little tyrant, but your daddy and I will check this. Naruto, do you have anything to add?"

"It's getting late, mom, so I think I'll bring it up tomorrow."