I do not own 'Naruto'
I'M STILL ALIVE-HERE IS MY LATEST STORY! PLEASE ANSWER THE QUESTION AT THE BOTTOM AND REVIEW!
Sealing
The Village Hidden in the leaves, the strongest of the Five great nations. The nine tailed fox known as Kyuubi, strongest of all nine Bijuu.
The two were in an all out war.
"Why Kyuubi?" Minato asked himself. I thought we were friends, a family.
Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage looked towards his wife. Kushina Uzumaki-Namikaze, mother of his children.
She was so weak from having the Kyuubi ripped from her stomach.
Who was that masked man? He asked himself.
"Minato?" Kushina called weakly. "Where are my babies?"
He looked at the two children in his arms. The eldest, Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze and the youngest, Menma Uzumaki-Namikaze, two blond and blue eyed babies. Both sporting whiskers on their faces.
"They're here." He answered softly.
"And the masked man?"
She was referring to the one that had forcefully removed the Bijuu from her.
"He's gone." Minato answered. "He retreated after I hit him with a Rasengan."
She smiled proudly at the man she loved.
"What's your plan?" She asked.
"I'm going to reseal the Kyuubi away." He answered.
"Have you finally mastered the Uzumaki 'Tailed Beast Sealing' method?" She asked with hope, it vanished when he didn't answer. "Minato?"
"I didn't master it, making it too dangerous to use." He explained sadly. "Instead, I'll use the 'Dead Demon Consuming Seal' on her."
"But that'll cost you your life!" She protested. "And there's no guarantee that whoever you seal Kyuubi into will be able to hold her back! Or even survive the sealing process!"
The Hokage didn't say anything.
"Minato..." She began worriedly. "Who do you plan on sealing Kyuubi into?" Silence. "Minato!"
The father turned towards Kushina an gave her a kiss on her brow.
"I've sent for Mikoto and Lady Hina." He spoke. "They'll be here shortly."
He placed Menma into Kushina's arms, but held onto Naruto.
"Don't do it!" She begged. "There's no guarantee that a non-Uzumaki seal can hold Kyu at bay!"
"Trust me." He whispered. "Goodbye."
With his final farewell, he disappeared in a yellow flash.
"Don't do it!" She wailed into the spot he once stood. "Don't turn my Naru-Kun into a monster!"
He was already gone, never to return.
Goodbye Naruto-Kun. She turned to the child in her arms. Menma, you're all I have left.
Minato stood on top of his summons, the toad chief, Gamabunta.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" An aged voice asked. "I could do it for you."
Minato turned his attention from the demon to his predecessor, Hiruzen.
"You've already done enough in your time as Hokage." He spoke. "As the Hokage, it's my duty to stop her."
Minato began going through the hand signs for the seal that would stop the demon.
"Kushina."
The red head turned her attention from her son to see the Third Hokage. She didn't say a thing, she just stared at the child in Hiruzen's arms.
"How did the sealing go?" Mikoto asked.
"The Kyuubi has successfully be sealed into little Naruto here." Hiruzen answered. "Would you like to hold your son?'
With those words, the dam burst.
"That thing is not my son!" Kushina snapped.
"Kushina!" The women spoke in shock.
"I only have one son, Menma." She held said baby tightly. "Minato made sure of that when he used a non-Uzumaki seal to put that demon in my baby! My Naru-Kun is gone before he had a chance to live!"
They could see all of her hate and grief though her eyes. And as if he could sense that hate of his own mother, Naruto cried.
"I shall take Naruto with me for the time being." The Third spoke.
As it turned out, the time being was longer than he had hoped for. It was a total of six months before Kushina finally acknowledged Naruto, and only through the Hokage's pestering.
The bigger problem was that the day she acknowledged him was the day she left.
"Kushina I beg you to reconsider this." Hiruzen begged.
"I no longer have a reason to stay in Konaha." She stated.
"Of course you do." Hiruzen protested. "You have your son."
"We've been over this, I'm taking Menma with me." She stated.
"You know what I mean." He stated. "Your first born son."
"Let me make this clear Hokage-Sama!" She said respectfully, but her tone anything but. "My first is dead, all I have is my Menma."
"Fine, what shall happen to Naruto?"
"I want his status as the demon's host revealed to the village." She stated. But I don't want his father's name tarnished. That gave her an idea. "I don't want the village to know that Minato was his father."
"You can't take his father's name away." He argued. "I'll fight against that."
"But little Naruto has such powerful parents." Kushina stated sweetly. "We don't want their enemies to know that he's alive, imagine the danger he'd be in."
"...Fine."
"Also, I renounce the Namikaze name from the child, but I'll leave him the Uzumaki." She stated. "I want Kyuubi to know that it was my family that put her away, time and time again."
That, and it keeps the major Clans from adopting him. She thought.
"I beg you to reconsider." Hiruzen begged.
He would have no choice in the matter. It was Clan business, meaning that as Hokage, he couldn't interfere.
"Don't worry Hokage-Sama." She spoke. "I'll return with Menma, in time."
"Really?" He asked in hope. Maybe she isn't entirely lost.
"Yes, we'll return." She spoke coldly. "So that Menma can free Naruto's soul from the Kyuubi!" She spat. "Farewell Hokage-Sama."
With that, Kushina made her way out of the village with Menma in her arms.
The wails of her abandoned child did nothing against her cold heart.
Just as Kushina ordered, Naruto's status was made public.
The village's reaction was expected.
Anger.
Hate.
Fear.
These emotions were all turned against Naruto, the innocent sacrifice.
The villager did many things to hurt the boy, to break him. They tried beating him, starving him, poisoning him, even assassination attempts. But he would just get back up.
He could deal with the beatings, he'd heal when they were over. No, the beatings weren't the worst things. The worst things were the words. The villagers would tell him things.
Things about his parents.
They would say that his parents abandoned him. That they left him to die. That his father was worthless and that his mother hated him.
These things, these words, hurt the orphan more than the beatings ever did.
He would often cry himself to sleep at night, calling to his mother. He never received an answer.
Until that night.
Why?! He mentally wailed.
He would have vocalized his question if he could, but he didn't have it in him. It was his birthday, which meant the beating was the worst one of the year. His bones were broken in several places. His flesh was torn and bruised from the fists and weapons. His body carried leftover chakra residue from the Jutsus they used on him.
He was too hurt to do much of anything.
"Let's get out of here." A villager said. "The Hokage might be on his way."
"Right." The villagers spoke.
They left the broken boy in a pool of his own blood, sure he'd bleed out.
As they left, Naruto felt a warmth spread over him. It was a sensation that he'd grown to love and hate. He loved it because it made him feel safe. He hated it because it would heal him, never letting him die.
Sometimes, if he was scared or angry enough, the feeling gave him power. It gave him the energy to run away from the villagers, to fight if he needed.
After only a few minutes, he was barely able to stand on wobbly knees.
"Need...to...move..." He needed to leave in case a random villager wanted to get a few shots in.
He made it to an alley no one would be able to see him. He laid himself down and relaxed, soon he began closing his eyes.
Just a little nap.
Usually this would't be a 'little nap' for a average person, it would be their final sleep. Even with the wounds that have healed, Naruto had too many still fatal ones.
But for the host of Kyuubi, a little nap was exactly what it was.
"Uh, where am I?" He asked no one.
He looked around and saw the closed off wall and water up to his knees. He realized that he was in a sewer.
"They through me into a sewer?" He asked out loud. "That's...new."
"Hello Naruto."
The voice caught Naruto by surprise, it came from a large cage he hadn't noticed.
"Who's there?" He asked frantically.
Whenever he couldn't see anyone, that meant pain was coming.
"Do you hate me?"
His attention was drawn to the cage that he had just noticed. From the back of it walked a giant fox, as large as the Hokage monument.
"I am the Kyuubi. " The demon spoke. "I am Queen of the Kitsune and strongest of the Tailed beast and the cause of the pain in your life." She continued, in a lower tone. "Do you hate me?"
"This explains a lot." He mumbled to himself.
Naruto wasn't dumb, he couldn't afford to be. Doing so would have cost him his life. He was smart, prodigy level smart, even for his age. But he had to hide it, all of it, or he'd suffer. Even more than he already did.
"Do you hate me?"
Naruto gazed at the giant creature before him in confusion. For such a powerful being, seeing her so...vulnerable was a sad sight.
"Why would I hate you?"
"You are suffering because of me." She answered sadly.
"NO, I'm suffering because of those dumb villagers!" He snapped. "You may be a part of it," He admitted, adding to her sadness. "But they are the ones that choose to make me suffer." His voice was so low, it was only her luck that allowed her to hear. "They chose to give into their hate and make me miserable."
"So..."
"I don't hate you Kyuubi." He answered.
"...Thank you, kit." She said with such relief.
"Kit..." Naruto whispered.
"It's the term for fox children."
"oh..."
"You are now healed." She spoke.
"Do I have to leave?" He asked.
"No, you can stay." Honestly, she was happy that he wanted to be with her.
"Can you sing me a lullaby?" He suddenly asked.
"Kit, the only lullaby I know isn't...appropriate." She blushed, even through her red fur. "I made it while in a rage."
"Then I definitely want to hear it." He chirped. "Especially if it's original."
"Well...okay." She conceded before clearing her throat. "Hus-someone here!" She cut in. "An old friend."
As if those words were all that was needed, Naruto woke up.
Naruto looked up to see that he was back in the alleyway.
He suddenly felt a great deal of sadness. He was back in Konaha, back in Hell.
"Hello."
"Wha-?"
Naruto looked towards the source of the voice. He saw a woman, he couldn't make out much about her, he didn't want to. He just jumped to his feet and began running.
"Wait, I'm a friend!" She shouted as she ran after him.
As soon as she said that, he came to a complete stop.
"An old friend."
Those were the words that Kyuubi had use to describe her when he was healing. He decided to trust her, a sign of good faith to Kyuubi.
"Who are you?" Naruto asked.
The lady came closer and took a look at the child and nearly let lose a sob.
He was covered in blood, lots of dried blood. With the amount she saw, it was a miracle he hadn't been dead, an adult would have been. His clothes were torn, he was basically covered in rags. The parts of his body showing were just as awful, he was so malnutritioned that she could see his bones through his skin. The worst part was his eyes.
His eyes were full of more distrust then a paranoid rogue Shinobi. Behind the paranoia was a look that made him look old, and the distrust justifiable. Behind that, was bottled anger, sadness and something else.
As she studied him, he studied her.
He saw from the way she dressed that she came from wealth. Though what caught his attention was her eyes. They were large and pupiless, but had a light blue tint to them.
Funny eyes. He though to himself.
"Who are you?" He repeated.
"I told you." She spoke kindly. "A friend."
Naruto sent her a glare.
"I've heard that before." He spat.
"I am Lady Hina of the Hyuuga clan." She spoke with nobility. "I am here to offer you a place where you can get a good meal and a little rest."
"I've heard that too." He spoke. "People say that they're friends, even give me food only for it to be poisoned." He glared. "Or they wait for me to relax before stabbing me with a knife."
She frowned sadly as she heard those words.
Kushina, you've done such a horrible thing. She thought. Abandoning your child!
"I have a child of my own." Hina spoke. "Maybe you two can be friends."
"Why would you want that?" Naruto asked.
"Not everyone hates you Naruto." She spoke, using his name.
"Yeah well, not everyone wants to help either." He spoke as he turned to leave. "Good night."
He was stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He would have tried to break free, but then he felt her pull him into a hug.
"I want to help you." She whispered. "If you let me."
Naruto had barely heard the words come out of her mouth. He was more focused at how nice the hug had felt, how warm it was.
So this is how a hug feels. He thought peacefully.
He barely noticed her lead him out of the alley.
"THIS IS WHERE YOU LIVE?" Naruto shouted at the top of his lungs.
He had taken one look at the Hyuuga compound and saw that it was larger than his entire apartment building.
Hina could only giggle at his outburst.
"Yes, this is where I and the main branch live." She answered. "Though please try to keep your voice down, people usually prefer to sleep at this time."
It was then that Naruto realized how late it was. The stars were high in the sky and most of the village was quite, most of the night owls were beginning to start their night.
"Sorry." He whispered. "I'll be quite."
As if luck were against him, his stomach rebelled against his mouth. It let loose a loud grumble, demanding immediate attention.
"...That's just bad timing." Naruto mumbled.
Lady Hina would have found his pout along with the scenario cute and probably laughed, but couldn't. She had seen his stomach and knew that it was no laughing matter.
"Let me get you something to eat."
She led him to the kitchen, which was bigger than his bedroom, and began working. He watched as she began pulling out specific ingredients that made him drool.
"You're making ramen!" He said in a loud whisper.
She blushed as she looked back at him.
"Yes, I apologize that my cooking skills are limited."
"Limited, ramen is the best food in the world!" He spoke a little louder.
"Then I hope I don't disappoint." She spoke as she handed him a bowl. "Plenty more where that came from."
She watched with a heavy heart as he ate the food with near desperate vigor. As if the food would abandon him if he didn't get it all down.
"Lady Hina?" Naruto spoke.
"Yes?"
"Who are they?"
She noticed him looking towards a picture of her and her closest friends. Mikoto and Kushina.
"Old friends Naruto." She whispered.
She froze when her husband walked in. He was Hiashi Hyuuga, the clan head.
"Hina, what are you doing up this-" Whatever he was going to say died in his mouth when he saw Naruto. "What's going on?"
Naruto stopped eating when he noticed Hiashi's gaze, like the villagers. He slowly pushed the bowl away and tried to leave.
"What are you doing Naruto?" Hina asked, already knowing. "I worked really hard on that, are you going to waste it?"
"But..."
"You best finish that ramen!" She spoke in a less Hyuuga-like tone.
"Yes ma'am!"
Naruto went back to eating his ramen, but with far less vigor.
"Hina, can I speak with you in the other room." Hiashi spoke. It wasn't a request.
"What's wrong?" Hina asked innocently.
"Don't play coy!" He snapped. "Don't you know what that thing was?"
"He isn't a thing!" She spoke. "He's a innocent boy with a great burden."
"If any of the elders hear about this, or the other clans..." He trailed off.
"How could you say that?" Hina asked in shock.
"I will not have this discussion with you!" Hiashi snapped. "Remove him or I will!"
Before she could retort, there was the sound of a window closing.
Hina and Hiashi made their way back to the kitchen, only to see it empty. The dishes were neatly set away and there was a note.
Hina read it once to herself then out loud.
Thank you Mis Hina for being a nice lady. Sory for getin u in truble with yor husband. I wish more peeple was nice like you.
Luv Naruto.
At the bottom of the note was a chibi Naruto.
"Oh Naruto." She turned to her husband in disappointment. "You and Minato used to best of friends, yet you do this to him, to his son."
Naruto had overheard part of the argument the Hyuugas were having. He had left, not wanting to cause Hina any trouble. Now he was back in his small and crappy apartment. Cold and alone.
I wish I was back in the seal. He thought bitterly.
'That's sweet.' A comforting voice spoke.
"Kyuubi?!" He spoke in a loud whisper.
'Hello kit.'
"Where are you?" Naruto asked as he searched the room.
'In your head.' She answered. 'Actually, I'm in your stomach.
"You-"
'You shouldn't talk aloud.' She warned. 'People may think your crazy, and you never know who's listening. Just think and I'll hear it.'
Like this? He asked.
'Perfect.'
You said that Lady Hina was a friend, but I never met her before today. Is she a friend of yours?
'Well, not directly.'
Then how?
'...It's late, go to sleep Naruto.'
Naruto wanted to protest, but was cut off by a yawn. His yawn.
Goodnight.
A new day was shining for Naruto, brighter than usual. The reason for this was that he had a friend, Kyuubi.
Maybe I should tell the old man about my new friend. He mused.
'That would be a very bad idea kit.' Kyuubi warned. 'If you did that, they would just tighten the seal to make it so we couldn't talk.'
I...understand. He hesitantly stated.
With no real plan or responsibilities, Naruto did the one thing he could think of. He went to the park in hopes of making a friend.
Unfortunately, he turned away by the parents of all the children, as always.
'I'm sorry.' Kyuubi spoke sadly.
Naruto would repeatedly tell her that it wasn't her fault.
"Freak!"
Naruto heard some kid cry, that was nothing strange. What was strange was that the insult wasn't directed towards him.
He turned his attention to the group kids picking on a single one, a little girl. They had to be at least a year or two older than he was. She had to be the same age as Naruto.
But there was something off.
From her eyes, he could tell that she was a Hyuuga. A member of Lady Hina's clan. Since he didn't see a mark on her forehead, he new that she was from the main branch.
'Help her.' Kyuubi urged.
Naruto didn't need her to urge him on, he had already planned on helping her. Lady Hina had been nice to him, so he would return the favor.
"Hey!" Naruto shouted. "Get away from her!"
The kids had turned their attention from the little girl.
"What are you going to do about it?" The lead kid asked as he stepped closer.
Naruto said nothing, he just glared at the elder child. He felt something familiar growing inside him.
What are you doing Kyuubi? He asked.
'Just keep glaring.' She ordered.
He did as he was told and was soon rewarded. The kids began backing away before running away in tears.
What happened? He asked.
'I made your eyes turn red.' Kyuubi answered. 'Check the girl.'
Naruto turned to see that the little Hyuuga was picking herself from the ground. She began dusting herself off before she noticed him.
"Hey, what's your name?" He asked. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki."
"I-I'm Hi-nata H-Hyuu-ga." She nervously answered. "T-thank you for s-saving me."
"Are you related to Lady Hina?" He asked.
"She's m-my mom." Hinata answered.
'Ask her to play.' Kyuubi spoke.
"Would you like to play?" Naruto asked.
The girl nodded shyly.
"Wh-at w-would you l-like t-to play?"
Naruto was about to answer before he stopped dead in his tracks. He had no idea, no one ever wanted to play with him.
"What do kids usually play?" He asked, more than a little embarrassed.
"I'm sorry!" She cried apologetically, thinking he was being sarcastic. "I don't have many friends, so I don't know many games."
"...You didn't stutter."
The comment caused the girl to lower her head in shame. Naruto noticed a sad look cross her eyes before she did.
"Hey don't worry." Naruto spoke. "I don't have any friends, so this is all new to me too."
They shy girl raised her head and met Naruto's eyes.
They're so blue. She thought. She turned tomato red.
'Here.' Kyuubi spoke.
Naruto's stomach began feeling very weird before the oddest thing happened. A small orb appeared from thin air. It was like a marble with a nine pointed star in the middle.
Naruto grabbed it and it expanded to the size of a kick-ball.
Kyuubi?
'You're welcome.'
"...Want to play catch?" He asked.
She nodded enthusiastically.
Naruto was having the time of his young life.
He was playing a simple game of catch with Hinata and loving it. He never played catch with anyone before, it was fun.
"What is this!?"
Then it all went down hill.
They two children turned to see an Lady Hina and an enraged Hiashi.
"Father!"
"What are you going with this boy?" He asked. "Where is you escort?"
"I-I-I d-don't k-know." She answered, her stutter worse than ever.
"Pitiful." He sneered.
"Hiashi!" Lady Hina exclaimed.
Hiashi turned his angered gaze towards his wife. "I will not have out daughter sully the Hyuuga name by associating with him!"
"He's just a child!" Hina screamed. "The first child Hinata has had make her smile."
"I will hear no more of this!" He snapped. "Return to the compound immediately!"
"But..."
"NOW!"
Lady Hina glared at her husband, but couldn't match the unjustified rage behind his eyes. She turned a softer look towards Naruto.
"I'm sorry Naruto." She whispered.
The blond child said nothing, he was used to the anger. He just wished that his new friends didn't have to suffer too.
He watched as Lady Hina left with Hinata.
"It's not fair!" Naruto wailed.
As soon as the Hyuugas had left, he ran straight home and began crying. Kyuubi had pulled him into the seal where she used her tails as a security blanket for him.
"I know kit." Kyuubi comforted. "But some humans just don't understand."
"Well...then I wish I wasn't a human." Naruto mumbled, low enough for her to hear. "I wish I was more like you."
He felt her stiffen under his hands at the comment.
"Do...do you really mean that?" She asked.
"...Yeah." He answered.
"I could make you like me." She offered. "A Kitsune."
"Really!"
"Yes."
"Will there be any side-affects?" Naruto asked cautiously.
"Two." She admitted. "You will instinctively be bound to our ways."
"And the second?"
"You'll be a bit of..."She trailed off before speaking up
"What?"
"You'll be a bit of a pervert." She stated. "Kitsune are experts in the arts off seduction, I'll tell you why when you're older."
"Do it." It was a small price to pay.
"Done."
Nothing was different, Naruto had felt exactly the same as before. He examined himself in the water, like a mirror and began looking himself over, nothing was different.
"Wait, my eyes are different." They were fox-like, but that was the only change. "But what about my tails?" He had been looking forward to that.
"To get them, you must either earn your Tails or wait 100 years." She explained. "I can't make you into a true Kitsune unless you do so."
"How do I do earn them?" He asked.
"It's not something you can just go a do." She sighed. "You must actually earn it in your own right. You must prove you have the heart of a Kitsune."
"...Kitsunes are pranksters, right?"
"Yes." She already liked where this was going.
Naruto was currently moving through the village with the stealth of a Shinobi. His destination was the Hokage's office.
He planned on pranking the Hokage himself.
'You never told me your plan kit.' Kyuubi stated. 'I'm feeling a bit left out.'
"I plan on stealing the Old Man's perv book a cut out the scenes that make him giggle." Naruto explained out loud.
'Impressive.' She thought.
Naruto had entered the village leaders office with surprising ease, not a guard in sight. Even the Hokage himself wasn't around.
"This is supposed to be the toughest place to enter in the entire village." Naruto stated. "I'm not impressed."
'Neither am I.'
Naruto began looking around the office, it was so different at night. His eyes fell onto a picture of the Fourth Hokage.
'The man who sealed me.' Kyuubi stated.
Hey Kyuubi. Naruto began fidgety. Why did you attack Konaha?
'I had no choice in the matter.' She explained sadly. 'I was forced to do so by an old enemy of mine.'
How?
'Remember that ball I gave you to play with?' She asked. 'That is a Kitsune's life ball, whoever has that controls the Kitsune it belonged to. It is our most prized possession, if we are away from it for too long, we die.'
"You let me use your life ball as a toy?" Naruto asked incredulously.
'Yes.'
...
'...'
Will I have one?
'Since you became a Kitsune, you already do.' She answered. 'Would you like to see it?'
He nodded his head.
Naruto's stomach began feeling strange, just as it did at the park. Soon another orb appeared before him, but it was completely blank.
Cool!
Naruto began looking through the drawers for the book. He stopped searching when he found an envelope with the symbol he wore on his orange jumpsuit. Did the old man get me a gift. Now he almost felt bad for pranking the village leader, almost.
He would have opened it, but a memory struck.
"...But Hinata still has the ball." Naruto spoke offhandedly.
He was rewarded with a searing headache. 'GET. MY. BALL!'
He placed the envelope in his shirt for the time being, he would look at it later.
Hinata sat in her room, silently weeping to herself.
She clutched the ball they had played with tightly.
She missed her friend Naruto, her first real friend. In just one meeting he had found a special place in her heart. Just the thought of him was able to make her stop crying and even brought a blush to her face.
"I know that look." A comforting voice spoke. "You have a crush!"
Hinata jumped and looked at the voice, it was her mother. She was standing by her bed with a large and un-Hyuuga like smile on her face.
"M-mom, how long have you been there?" She asked as her face began heating up.
"Not important." She cheered. "What's his name?"
Hinata looked away an began playing with her fingers.
"Well...it's...I don't..."
"It's Naruto, right?"
Hinata jumped in response to her mothers words. "How did you know?!"
Lady Hina placed a finger on her nose. "A mother knows." She answered, suddenly pulling her into a hug. "I'm so proud of you!" She squealed. "Let's go celebrate."
"Celebrate?"
Lady Hina leaned in as if she were going to whisper a secret. "I heard that we just received a special order of cinnamon buns from the Land of snow."
Hinata nodded furiously, she had a cinnamon bun addiction almost as great as Naruto's ramen obsession.
The Hyuuga head turned.
And received a kunai into her stomach, just above kidney.
"All seeing eye my ass." A mysterious voice spat.
Hiruzen had just entered his office, ready for anything.
He had just been alerted by a special alarm in his office that an intruder had been rummaging around.
Now he was giving his office a calculative look over, for anything out of the ordinary.
There was no sign of forced entry, or chakra from any transportation Jutsu. None of the items were out of place. It was all exactly as he had left it.
Was the alarm faulty? He asked himself, knowing the answer.
It was because everything was in order that he knew something was wrong. This was the job of someone truly skilled in the art of stealth.
He needed to search as only a Shinobi of his skill and experience could.
Nothing was out of place, that was true. That didn't mean that there was't something added. If it hadn't been for all of his years as a Shinobi, he doubt he would have ever found it.
A single blond hair.
Only one blond in the entire village was skilled enough to break into his office at this or any time.
Hiruzen relaxed, he even let out a small chuckle.
Just Naruto pulling a prank. He mentally sighed.
The Hokage made his way towards his desk. The village leader decided to get to work, he had a long day ahead of him. Since he was there, why not start early.
Was this your plan? He asked himself. Making me deal with paper work?
He pulled open his desk drawer to grab his precious Icha Icha book.
Only to pale in horror.
The book was still there. Something more important was missing. It was the document containing the information concerning Naruto's family.
If Naruto read that, who knows what will happen! He panicked. I doubt the seal would contain his emotions!
He only had one choice. "ANBU!"
He had to stop Naruto.
Naruto slowly made his way back to the Hyuuga compound. As slowly and silently as possible, he climbed through the first open window he found.
"Sneaking through the window in the middle of the night?" A low voice chastised, freezing him in place. "Ah, young love."
With a sigh in defeat, he climbed the rest of the way into the window.
He slowly turned to the source of the voice as he prepared for his punishment. Naruto was greeted to a sight that broke his heart.
Lady Hina, his friend, was laying near death in a corner. Her hand was covering a wound on her side as the blood just flowed through. She was deathly pale, obviously she had lost a lot of blood.
"HINA!" He screamed as he ran to her side.
"Shh." She spoke. "People are trying to sleep."
"What happened?" He question.
"He-he took her Naruto." She began sobbing. "He t-took Hinata."
"Don't worry." Naruto assured. "We'll go save her after Kyuubi heals you."
"You know about..." She sighed. "There's nothing you can do, I'm already dead."
'She's right kit.' Kyuubi agreed.
But you've healed me from far worse! He stated.
'My chakra would be poison to her.' She explained. 'Since she is not my host, she would burn out.'
Lady Hina saw the light in Naruto's eyes fade and knew from the flickering emotions that he was talking to the fox. When the light returned and he was saddened, she knew her assumption had been right. There was no hope for her.
"Naruto." She spoke weakly. "I n-need you to save Hinata."
"What?"
"The kidnapper isn't too f-far." She explained. "I managed to weaken him before he e-escaped." She pointed past him. "Head that way."
"But I can't do it on my own!" He sobbed.
She raised a hand to his cheek. "Naruto." She soothed. "You are never alone, Kyuubi has always watched out for you."
'And I always will.'
Okay.
"Okay, I'll save Hinata."
"Promise me!" She begged.
"I promise."
"Pl-please, let...me g-g-go." Hinata begged.
Her kidnapper, a Cloud Shinobi, looked down at her.
"Are you sure you're a Hyuuga?" He asked. "You seem like you come from lesser stock."
That struck a nerve in Hinata. She could only look away as the tears fell freely.
"Struck a nerve did I?" He taunted. "Well, I've rested enough, let's get to Kumo."
He reached for the heiress only to jump away. He did so in time to dodge a flying object, a rock. He looked at his attacker.
"Naruto!" Hinata exclaimed.
Naruto had caught up with them, using every ounce of his speed and stamina. In his hand was the kunai that had been used on Lady Hina.
"Let her go!" Naruto shouted.
She Shinobi only barked with laughter the the child that was challenging him. "Run along kid, this has nothing to do with you."
"You have Hinata." Naruto growled. "I promised that I'd save her, and I will."
Naruto ran forward, kunai in hand.
He's fast! If the Kumo nin had been paying attention, he would have noticed the blond's red eyes.
Naruto had jumped directly towards the enemy, intending to tackle him.
The Kumo nin simply side-stepped and impaled Naruto in the back shoulder with a kunai of his own.
Naruto didn't even flinch from contact with the weapon. He was used to pain. He simply turned an prepared for another charge.
"Impressive, but useless." He spoke. "Why risk your life for her?"
"She's my friend." Naruto answered.
This was met with another bark of laughter.
"I almost forgot you were a child."
This time, the ninja ran forward and gave Naruto a solid blow to the nose. It sent the child back to the ground. Naruto tried to stand, only to be knocked back down. The Kumo nin then placed a heavy foot on the blond, close to the kunai, he began adding pressure.
Naruto tried to push himself up, even with the enemies foot on his back.
A brat shouldn't be this strong! He thought as he actually put in effort.
He raised his foot and brought it down, hard. He repeatedly stomped onto the blond child. When he stopped, he saw Naruto struggling to stand, but still glaring.
"Why is a snot nosed kid risking his life for a spoiled brat!?" The nin asked incredulously. "Do you intend to die for her?"
Naruto looked at the nin with hate, but his eyes began drifting over to Hinata. His gaze softened he saw the heiress crying her eyes out. His mind wondered to his last memory of Lady Hina.
"Yes." Naruto whispered.
"What?"
"Yes, I'd die for her!" Naruto shouted. "I promised Lady Hina that I'd protect Hinata!" He began to pick himself up. "I would die before I broke a promise to the first person that ever showed me kindness! I'd die before I let her debt go unpaid!" The blond gave another glare of determination. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki, I never go back on my word!"
Naruto charged, he really was willing to die for this.
'Like a true Kitsune.'
What?!
Naruto froze in mid-step, unable to move. The world around him began to fade, all he saw was Kyuubi.
"What happened?" Naruto asked. "I have to go back and save Hinata!"
The fox just stared down at the blond Kitsune with a blank face. Though her eyes held a bit of both amusement and pride.
"Did you mean it?" She asked. "What you said about never breaking your word to save her, even if it kills you, did you mean it?"
"Of course!"
"Did you know that Kitsune never go back on their word?" She asked. "There word is a part of who they are, you acted like a true Kitsune." She smiled down at the child. "You've earned this, you'll need it to keep your word."
Naruto was back in the real world, still running. It was as if nothing had changed in the slightest. He suddenly came to a complete stop, confusing the Kumo nin and Hinata.
He new something was different.
"H-hey, were did you get a tail?" The nin asked suspiciously.
The blond gained a shit-eating grin at the question.
Naruto ripped the kunai that was lodged into his back out, he didn't flinch.
Naruto urged Kyuubi not to heal the wound, to let the blood fall freely. He began walking around the nin before heading towards him.
"You know, in class they think I'm not paying attention." Naruto spoke, much to the nins confusion. "Truthfully, I'm not." He admitted. "Most of the stuff is useless, but I paid attention to one thing."
As he spoke, he never stopped in his stride around the Kumo nin. Said Shinobi just kept himself at a specific distance from the kid. All of his alarms were going off, this kid was dangerous.
"Yeah, what is that one t-thing?"
He may not have known it, but Naruto had just herded the Kumo nin away from Hinata. Now the blond was standing next to the heiress, much to the Kumo nins annoyance.
"How to make explosive tags." Naruto answered as he motioned down.
The Kumo nin looked down and paled at the sight before him. The kid hadn't been walking around as randomly as he had assumed. Naruto had been herding him into an explosive seal made out of blood.
Naruto grabbed Hinata and jumped back a few feet.
"Boom." Naruto whispered.
The Kumo nin had no way to escape.
Naruto and Hinata looked at the spot the seal and man had been before the flash. Now there was nothing but fire.
Or at least, that was what should have happened.
Out of the fire limped the charred Shinobi.
"I'll admit, I'm impressed." He snarled. "But I'm a Jonin, did you think you could kill me that easily?"
"It wasn't meant to kill you." Naruto admitted. Though that would have been nice. "It was meant as a signal."
"A signal?" The Kumo asked confused.
"A Shinobi village doesn't just have an explosion and not check it out." Naruto explained. "Especially with a missing heiress and murdered clan head."
Already, Leaf Shinobi were beginning to surrounding them. From the numerous sources of chakra, there was a lot of them.
"How?" He asked the child.
"We Kitsune are clever." Naruto answered, low enough for only the man to hear. "And we keep our word."
Naruto watched as the foreign nin was apprehended.
He had been able to hide his fox features under a fox illusion.
Now he was busy comforting Hinata, she had just been informed of her mother.
"It'll be okay Hinata." Naruto spoke. "It'll be okay."
From a distance, the Third Hokage watched them with a heavy heart. He watched as Hinata held onto the blond like a security blanket, and how Naruto tried his best to comfort her.
He wanted to join, to help comfort, but he couldn't.
Right now, he had to close his heart as a leader.
"Naruto." He called.
"Yes."
"In my office, you took an envelope." He began, the blond nodding. "I need it back."
Naruto reached into his jacket to pull out the envelope. Sarutobi couldn't hold in his sigh of relief when he saw it was still sealed.
Unfortunately, Naruto caught on.
"What's in the envelope?" He asked.
Naruto's suspicious eyes met with Sarutobi's Hokage eyes, not the kind eyes he once knew.
The elder began reaching for the envelope. "Nothing that's of importance."
Naruto pulled the envelope out of his reach.
Thanks to his new Kitsune mind, he was processing everything in a different manner. It was less trusting and more calculative and curious.
"That's a lie." Naruto stated. "If it weren't important, you wouldn't have been so relieved." He reasoned. "Plus, I was comforting Hinata. You would never interrupt someone during a situation like that...unless it was dire." He glanced one at the envelope. "Why does it have my seal on it?"
The Hokage snapped his finger.
Suddenly Naruto found himself surrounded by three imposing Leaf Shinobi.
'Careful Naruto.' Kyuubi warned.
One was wearing a dog mask with a weird standing hairstyle. The second was wearing a tiger mask. The third didn't wear a mask, from what he remembered, he was the father of his classmate, Ino.
Maybe he can handle it. Hiruzen thought.
"Naruto, what I'm about to tell and show you is top secret." Hiruzen spoke. "I don't know if you're ready for this, but I'm putting a lot of faith in you."
He opened the envelop and handed Naruto a picture from inside.
On the picture was a red-headed woman, the same woman from Lady Hina's picture. In her arms were two blond babies. She held one with the tender care of a mother, but the other she held carelessly.
"Who are they?"
He handed Naruto another picture. "Keep looking."
This time it was the same woman, and Naruto.
"How can I be in this picture with this lady?" Naruto asked "I've never met her before in my life.
'You're not.' Kyuubi spoke sadly.
What?
"That's not you." Hiruzen informed. "That woman is Kushina Uzumaki-Namikaze, your mother. And that boy is Menma, your twin brother."
Naruto felt his entire body go cold.
"Where are they?" He whispered. "Why haven't I met them?!"
'I'm sorry.'
"Kushina left you because of..." He trailed off.
'I'm sorry.'
"Because of..." He tried again.
"Kyuubi." Naruto whispered.
Now he understood, his own mother abandoned him!
"Naruto, how do you know of the fox?" Hiruzen asked cautiously.
Naruto stared the old man down, the Shinobi were preparing for something.
"I know about Kyuubi because I've met her." Naruto answered.
"...Yes, because of her." The Third admitted.
"Fine."
"Fine?"
'Fine?'
"Fine, I don't need her." Naruto spoke. "I have all the family I need here." He motioned to his stomach.
'RUN!'
Before Naruto could do as he was ordered, he was rooted to the spot.
Literally.
The roots from the ground had burst up and restrained his feet. They were quickly crawling up his entire body, holding him in place.
"Naruto, I can't have you talking to the Kyuubi." Hiruzen spoke. "I'm going to have to...separate you two."
"Why?" Naruto asked the village leader.
"I can't have you using the power of Kyuubi in hate." Hiruzen explained. "You are a...liability, and as Hokage, I can't risk it."
Kyuubi, help! He begged.
'There's nothing I can do.' She replied. 'The Wood is binding both of us.'
"What're you going to do?" Naruto asked.
"I'm going to have Inoichi erase your memories." Sarutobi answered sadly. "Then I will seal the fox away."
I don't want to be separated from you!
'Don't worry Kit, I will never leave you.' She promised. 'And Kitsune never break their word.'
Can I have that lullaby now?
'Hush little kitling, Don't say a word.
Kyuubi's earthquake will shake the world.'
Now Naruto understood why she didn't want to sing it to him. She really was in a rage, and was most likely in a new one.
'But if Konaha doesn't fall,
Fire comes at Kyuubi's call.'
Inoichi was beginning to going through some hand-signs as he stepped closer the the bound child. He placed his hand onto the blond's head.
'If Konaha doesn't burn,
Kyuubi will make the ocean churn.'
Naruto's head hurt, he didn't know why, it just did. It probably had something to do with the man grabbing it.
At least I have that nice voice. He thought, slightly soothed.
'But if Konaha doesn't drown,
Kyuubi's tornado will blow it down.'
Naruto watched as the man let go of his head and Old man Hokage walked up. In his hand was a brush and bottle of ink.
'And if Konaha stays as it's been,'
The Hokage began drawing the seals on the back of Naruto's neck.
'Kyuubi will start all over again...'
He was done. The markings began to vanish, hiding from plain sight.
Naruto didn't hear the nice voice, he was sleeping.
I'm sorry Naruto. Hiruzen thought.
He picked the boy up and used the Body-Flicker technique to get the boy home. He had laid the host down and gave another sigh of regret.
Hiruzen watched as the blond slept peacefully, though he was humming a lullaby.
"Sleep well Naruto."
He turned to leave when he heard one line of the lullaby. So innocent from the boys mouth, but it chilled him to the bones.
"Kyuubi will start all over again."
He prayed the seal would hold.
Review.
I was begged by a lot of you to put Hinata into the harem in 'Mirage Blade Fox', but no. I'm giving her this one, it'll be strictly Naru/Hina.
P.S.-I was given permission to use 'Beast's Lullaby' by 'Daydreamer74423'.
P.P.S.- If you know any of the lesser known fox-lore, let me know.
P.P.P.S.- I'm working on a Gravity Falls/Slenderman horror, tell me if you want it. (It'll either be solely Slenderman based, or have the big monsters from Creepypasta)