Chapter 1 - Prologue
A 6 year old Naruto walked slowly down the streets of his home village. Home he thought, As if it's ever felt that way. Even with his eyes cast downwards at the rocks he kicked along, he could feel the glares of the villagers around him. For as long as he could remember, he was always hated, thrown out of stores, treated to hostile glares and muttered curses. There were few places he could find edible food in the village, and fewer he could other necessities. The clothing he wore, what little he could piece together between outright refusal or inflated prices, was worn and frayed and hopelessly bright orange.
Glancing up at the nearest store he found his eyes drawn to a rack of masks. One drew his attention, it was white with red markings, like the dramatic heroes from kabuki plays. He always loved the fire festival, every year the streets would fill with vendors and music, great stages would be erected and actors would perform the epic stories of Konoha's most famous shinobi. In truth Naruto learned more of Konoha's history by sneaking off to watch those plays than he ever felt he would from a book.
His musings were cut short as the store owner noticed him. The man rose from his seat behind the counter and emerged to greet a potential customer, however, upon seeing who it was, he instead gave a familiar glare and made to shoo Naruto away. When the boy did not immediately flee the owner scowled, resisting the urge to shout insults. Noticing potential customers avoiding the boy he decided perhaps bribery might rid himself of the pest. Grabbing the mask that held Naruto's attention, the owner tossed it towards him, "Go on, get out of here, you're bothering the customers!" he shouted, Naruto broke from his stupor and snatched the mask up, bolting down the street as if the owner might change his mind, and call him a thief.
Only upon reaching the bench at the end of the road did Naruto stop to take a better look at the mask, it was indeed painted to match Kabuki style face paint, with lines of red accenting a pale white face. The bottom of the mask tapered into a long, narrowed nose, while the top had two triangular ears. All in all it reminded Naruto of a fox, and seemed to still hold him in an alluring trance. Turning it over he quickly attached it to his face, noting how it did nothing to stifle his vision. As he got used to the fixture he noticed several other children playing at a nearby park, and on impulse he made to join them. Nearly halfway there, however, he was stopped as a glass bottle broke before him.
A man, drunken by the look of how he walked, stumbled out to block his way. Muttered curses about foxes flowed from the man in slurred speech as he staggered threateningly towards Naruto. The street immediately lost all hints of life, the noise of the marketplace died as villagers all turned to watch. Seeing that nobody would come to his aid, Naruto fled away from the man, darting around thrown objects to the best of his ability. The crowd rose in front of him, unyielding to his desperate escape attempts, seeking to intimidate the mask-laden boy into facing the drunken assailant. Undeterred Naruto ran on, dodging and ducking around legs and carts, around corners and up steps until the cold glares of spectators gave way to surprised gasps, angry shouts. Fear clouding his instincts Naruto darted into the closest alley, when a sharp pain in the back of his head caused him to fall to the ground.
It took a moment for Naruto to come to his senses, and when he did, he found himself surrounded by a large group of villagers. "Well, well. Looks like the demon can't run anymore."
The villager who said that was on the larger side, with a quite majestic beard, Naruto noticed, and was holding a butcher's knife.
"Wha- What do you want from me?" Naruto asked, his face fearful now that he realized he had nowhere to run to. "I want you dead!" Came the answer in the form of a yell from a pink haired lady. "You killed my husband!" "My Son!" "My brother" More exclamations naming people Naruto supposedly killed filled the alleyway, and Naruto, fearing for his life, tried to scuttle away from the advancing mob.
"No.. I didn't! I didn't do it! I swear!" He yelled, tears spilling from his eyes, but the villagers where unsympathetic, and soon they where kicking his curled, crying form.
Just when he thought it couldn't get any worse, the man holding the knife walked towards him, and raised his weapon high. "Time to to take you out of our misery!" He yelled, and the blade descended.
"Naruto."
His eyes snapping open, Naruto got up from the wet ground and looked around. He was in a sewer. "Who... Who's there?"
"Your only hope for survival." The voice answered, and the memories of the recent attack surged to the front of his mind, causing tears to flow once again. "Why... Why do they hate me? Why do they call me demon? WHY?!" He cried, not noticing he suddenly was in front of a large cage. "They call you such names, because that is what you are, to them. To me, you are my child. My daughter." Naruto looked upwards, and saw, to his horror, what appeared to be a massive fox with nine tails. The fox looked at him with eyes filled with rage, sadness and despair, but also hope, love, and an almost unbearable warmth. "Da-Daughter?" he asked, confusion filling him. "But I'm a boy!" He yelled, trying to make the fox understand. "Not anymore." The Kyuubi answered. At that moment a feeling of dread descended upon Naruto, and he looked downwards at himself, and discovered he was naked, had a fox like tail, ears, and that a very important part was missing from between his legs. "WHAT HAPPENED?" She shrieked in a feminine voice. "Your body was too damaged. I had to work with what was available to me. The result, was you turning into a kitsune. As to why you turned into a girl, I do not know." The newly-created-girl curled and hugged herself in fear. "W...What now?" She asked, tears spilling from her Golden eyes. "Now, You wake up, And tell the hokage what I say."
END OF PROLOGUE
