Chapter 1: The Introduction

Disclaimer: One day, there shall come a time when Naruto belongs to the people… But, not yet.

"Poor Kita-chan." Regular Speech

"She was a good kitsune." Kyuubi speech

'I miss her a lot.' Regular Thoughts

'So do I, kit. So do I.'Kyuubi Thoughts

The small boy ran down the dark alley, cupping something to his chest as he ran. He glanced behind him in fear and anticipation, then tripped over an old cardboard box. His back hit the paced floor of the alley with a thump, tears coming to his small eyes. He looked down at the front of his shirt, hoping that the little thing wasn't hurt. He separated his cupped arms, looking at the furry thing they held.

For a moment, nothing moved, and he feared the worst. His eyes started to tear up, but were stopped by a small noise. He looked again at the bundle, out of which a small fox head was peeking around blearily. The little kitsune looked directly at the boy, who was still lying on the ground, and let out a little happy noise, almost a purr. The boy hugged the fox cub close, embracing her warmly but carefully, and let the little fox lick his face in affection. Then he looked over towards the opening of the alley, his eyes widening in fear.

Quickly, he got up and ran for it, hugging his little friend close. Just then, a small crowd of people rounded the corner into the alley, chasing after him, shouting at him. He turned his head to look at them as he ran. Gasping a little in fear, he tried to run faster. However, he ran into something hard. Stumbling back and clutching his head, he looked at what he had run into. Staring back at him, hatred written clearly on what features were visible, was a masked shinobi, dressed in the distinctive armor of the ANBU Black Ops division. His mask was resting on top of his head, and it revealed a face mostly hidden by a mask, with his forehead protector slanted across his left eye. His hair was an odd grey color, and rested at a weird angle. Most frightening of all was the look of pure contempt radiating from his one visible eye.

The boy stepped backwards, tripping and falling on his ass. As he did so, he accidentally dropped his foxy little friend. The poor animal fell onto the pavement, yipping as she hopped around in pain. She turned her eyes to the tall man that stood before her, before prancing towards him, making excited little squeaks. Obviously, she thought that she had a new friend, and had taken a liking to this strange shinobi. However, the feeling did not appear to be mutual, and the grey-haired man snarled. Roughly, he kicked the baby fox away from him, screaming at her. The fox yelped loudly as she hit the wall with a loud smack.

The boy screamed, tears falling from his eyes. "NO! Kita-chan!" He crawled towards the poor baby fox. Before he got close, though, the shinobi kicked him away, pulling a kunai out of the holster on his thigh. The little fox stood up again, and ran as fast as she could towards her friend. Unfortunately, she had broken her left foreleg when she hit the wall, and could go no faster than a limp. The stranger reached down and picked up the little one by the scruff of her furry neck. He glared at it with immense hatred and malice.

'You little bitch! It was one of you that killed my sensei! One of you that massacred half of our population. IT WAS ONE OF YOU THAT DID THIS TO US!" he hurled her against the wall with tremendous force, before turning to the little boy. He grabbed him by the scruff of his filthy shirt, holding him several feet above the ground. "What the hell do you think you're doing, you damn brat! If I see you with a fox ever again, I'll kill you myself! Got that, Naruto?" he released Naruto and turned away, twirling his kunai around in his hand.

Naruto, shaking in fear, watched his little Kita-chan get picked up by the ninja. She looked at Naruto one last time, with visible love in her eyes, and she strained against the iron hard grip of the trained shinobi in an effort to get back to Naruto. He stretched a hand out towards his little fox, eyes wide in fear. Naruto could do nothing as he watched the masked ninja raise the kunai high into the air, then bring it down to decapitate the little kitsune. The ninja then tossed the headless corpse high into the air, forming several hand seals. As the fox came down, the ninja caught it in his left hand, which suddenly was covered in lighting. Naruto screamed again as he saw the body of his precious friend being roasted and set aflame by the jutsu of the ninja.

The masked man held the fox for a bit longer, and then threw the charred corpse against the ground, grinding it into the pavement with his heel. He turned to the crowd of civilians that were gathered at the other end of the alley, and gave them a sadistic smile. They grinned back, laughing at the demise of the hated fox. They had sworn to kill any fox on sight, in remembrance of the Yondaime's tragic sacrifice to bring down the Fox Clan head, Kyuubi no Kitsune. They glared at the weeping boy with anger in their eyes, some with hate, some with sadistic glee. They turned and walked away, muttering amongst themselves.

Naruto watched them leave with tear-filled eyes, sobbing as his heart was torn asunder by the loss of his friend. He noted absently the fact that on each of their backs, a white and red fan was embroidered. The Uchihas… again… They killed her… They killed Kita-chan… Those bastards! I'll kill them! I'LL KILL THEM!!! The boy stood to his feet, no longer sobbing. His face was set into a mask of hatred, of utmost loathing. His fists clenched and unclenched in rage, and he bit his lip, drawing blood. He wished he had more power, more strength, so that he could avenge Kita-chan! When he was stronger, he would make them pay for killing his best friend! He screamed out his rage and sorrow into the night, his hoarse voice howling in agony.

There was one who watched from above. One who had followed the boy as he ran from the crowd, one who watched Kakashi brutally destroy the boy's companion. He thought of what he had seen on the backs of that mob. The Uchiha clan symbol. His clan symbol. His face narrowed in anger, and his Sharingan activated instinctively, his face blazing with the trademark eye of the Uchiha family. He gazed at the boy in sympathy, and he thought again of how his clan had acted towards the lad.

The stranger stood up, putting on a weasel-shaped mask. As he stood on the rooftop, the moon came out from behind a cloud, illuminating him. He was dressed in the traditional garb of the ANBU, with the addition of the Uchiha family symbol to the back of his armor. He wore a cloak that was thrown over his shoulder, a dark reddish-black in color.

Turning his gaze upon the moon for a moment, he contemplated his next course of action. Then, having come to a decision, he pulled a scroll out of his pouch. Tearing a small piece off, he wrote a few words on it and wrapped it around the handle of a kunai. He threw the kunai down at the kid. It buried itself into the pavement, causing the boy to look around in fear. No doubt he was thinking someone was attacking him again. He sighed softly, his Sharingan going dormant as his rage subsided, and ran across the rooftops towards the Hokage tower.

Naruto looked around fearfully, wiping tears from his eyes so he could see better. Not finding anyone, he turned his attention to the kunai that was embedded in the pavement in front of him. Grabbing it and pulling it out with a heave, he unwrapped the bit of paper. Spreading it out, he read it slowly. After all, he was only 5; he wasn't an expert reader by any means. The message said They will always fear you. Bare your fangs, and show them your potential. Remember the Weasel. He stared at the paper, wondering. Bare my fangs? What does that mean? And who's the Weasel?

He shrugged slightly, ripping up the note. He walked slowly towards the charred and broken remains of his precious Kita-chan. I'm so sorry. I couldn't protect you. I'm so sorry. So sorry… he broke down crying once more, remembering the first time he had met Kita. It was a month ago; he had found her in someone's dumpster. He was looking for food, and was about to raid the dumpster. Her mother was close by, but had been killed by those Uchiha bastards. He prayed for the spirit of the mother, and was about to carry her off for burial when he heard a small whining. It was coming from the direction of the dumpster, and when he looked inside, there was a small bundle of fluff.

He reached in and picked it up, cradling it in his tiny hands. A small foxy head poked out, wrinkling its nose at the little boy. He laughed softly, entranced by its utter cuteness. It uncurled from the little ball it had coiled itself into and walked around on his hands. He smiled at it, lifting his hands t up to his face. The little thing walked towards him and licked his nose, yelping in delight in finding a friend.

A warm feeling stole over Naruto's heart, and he nuzzled the cute baby fox with his nose. It nuzzled him right back, and hopped up onto his shoulder. It sniffed at his neck before curling into a ball and getting comfortable. He petted it with his left hand while picking up the mutilated corpse of its poor mother. He snuck out of town by one of his secret routes and buried it, praying over the little mound of dirt. The baby fox, which had been lying on the grass watching him dig the grave, stared up at him with sad eyes. He picked it up softly and held it close to him, sad tears streaming down his face.

He felt bad for the little fox. He knew what it was like to be alone in the world, to have no one to care for you, no one to love you. He resolved to never let it be alone again. At least this little one would not be lonely. There would always be someone there for it, someone to love it, someone to care for it. He cradled it in his arms, vowing silently that he would always protect it, always be there for it. The little fox nodded as if in silent understanding, and nuzzled him gently once more.

Ever since then, they had been inseparable. Wherever he went, he took little Kita-chan with him. He went to the library and got a couple of books, despite the nasty glares directed at him by most of the staff. He read the books, and discovered that his little Kita-chan was actually a female fox. He hadn't known that till then, and it made him happy. But whenever he went into the street, or anywhere where he could be seen, she would have to hide inside his shirt. Naruto was already the most hated person in the village, and foxes had been hunted and killed ever since the Kyuubi attack.

But they would often sneak out of the village and play in the forest, running, jumping and having fun. Kita got a little bigger, but was still a baby in Naruto's eyes. Half the time, he felt like he though a father would, the other half he felt like a brother. He loved Kita-chan more than anything else in the world, and he wouldn't have given her up for anything. Whenever he got food, which was rare enough, he would always share what he had with her. Sometimes, she would sniff out some scraps of food that he had overlooked, and he would praise her and hug her.

But, one evening, it had all gone wrong. This evening, as a matter of fact. He had gone back to his usual alley to sleep in the cardboard box he called home. However, when he got to the mouth of the alley, he realized that there had been people staring at him. Suddenly, he remembered that he had left Kita on top of his shoulder, and that everyone had seen her. And that meant…

Just then, he saw the crowd of several dozen people come running towards him. Each of them had black eyes and dark hair, the trademark features of the mighty Uchiha clan. He saw the anger in their faces and assumed the worst. He had chosen to run for it, cradling Kita-chan in the comparative safety of his arms. But then, he had been caught. And then…

Fresh tears welled up in his eyes. He snatched the kunai from where he had dropped it and held it against his wrist. With a snarl, he drew it across his wrist, slitting it open, letting his life blood flow from it. He sat on the ground before the corpse of his friend and waited for death, letting his mind drift as he felt his blood leave his body. Then, he felt an itching in his wrist, where he cut it. He glanced over at the wrist, then looked again, not believing what he saw. The cut had healed over.

He growled again, and thrust the kunai through his arm. Pulling it out again, he swiped it down the length of his inner forearm, cleaving his skin apart. He screamed from the pain, and wept hoarsely. He watched the blood stream out of him, and then saw the wound slowly close. His muscle reformed, his skin stitched itself back together. Even the great hole he had made in his wrist from his vicious stab was healing, the skin swirling back into place.

Any restraint he had broke then, and he viciously stabbed himself all over his body, trying to die, trying to follow after his friend. He had to be there for her, he had to help her, he had to protect her. I promised… I Promised…I PROMISED… I PROMISED!!! As he thought the final word, he howled it to the world. "I PROMISED!!!" Then he fainted dead away. The last thing he saw was the earthly shell of his dead friend, before darkness claimed his vision.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Drip.Drip.Drip.

Stop…

Drip. Drip.

Stop it…

Drip.

Make it go away…

A drop of water landed on his face, and slid softly down his cheek. Naruto blinked his eyes in the dim light, staring at the low, dark ceiling above him. He sat up, rubbing his eyes drowsily. Stretching his arms out to his side, he took a sleepy glance around him. He was in a sewer.

He blinked a couple of times, his eyes adjusting to the dim lighting. Surveying the area once more, he stood up straight. No doubt about it, he was definitely in a sewer. It was dark, wet, and it stank. He wrinkled his small nose in distaste, and gagged a little. He walked gingerly through the ankle-high muck towards a door he saw in front of him. Stopping in front of the doorway, he took a closer look at it.

It was a strange door, covered with strange markings. Chains were drawn across the doorway, barring the entry. Naruto reached out a small hand towards the surface of the door. As his fingertips touched it, the chains glowed a bright blue and broke apart, shattering into pieces. He blinked for a moment, looking at the door suspiciously. Then, curiosity getting the best of caution, he opened the door and walked through it.

He left the door open behind him and waded gingerly through the nasty muck that covered the floor. He hadn't gone far, though, before he saw the bars of a great cage in front of him. The cage was huge, and stretched farther than he could see. He ran towards it, feet sloshing their way through the filthy water. He ran up to the massive cage, cage, not noticing the bars turn a bright crimson. He stepped through the bars into the cage, too curious to be frightened. Slowly, he walked around, looking for the cages occupant. He didn't have to look for long, though. Before he had gone 10 steps, he saw something that he would never forget.

There, stretched out on the floor before him, was an immense fox. Naruto looked at its massive head, its huge paws, it gigantic tails. But, most of all, its fluffy red fur. His eyes teared up as he recalled the death of Kita-chan. He slumped down onto his knees on the wet floor and began to sob, forgetting about the gigantic kitsune before him. Naruto wept his eyes out in renewed pain, mourning again for the loss of his only friend.

As he cried, his sobs were heard by the Kyuubi. The Kyuubi's eyes snapped open, and he gazed at the boy intently. He had not expected anyone to ever enter his cage. The fact that this boy had entered his lair was amazing enough, but what made it even more interesting was that the boy was just sitting there, weeping. He had expected an attack, or at the very least a verbal persecution. After all, it was Kyuubi's fault that the boy had grown up alone, that he had no one to be there for him. There's something interesting about this boy…

The Kyuubi rose from his resting place, stepping softly towards the child. Foxes have incredible skill in prowling and silent movement, and it exercised all of the skill it had learned over the millennia to sneak up on the crying lad. It lowered its great head until its nose was barely five feet from the boy. it sniffed the child gingerly, testing his scent. Its eyes widened in surprise. This boy… He smells of Kitsune! How can this be?

It got over its shock and realized that the boy was still crying. Well, at least I can find out why he's here. It nuzzled the lad with its huge nose, pushing at him slightly. The boy looked up from his crying, eyes widening. The fox groaned mentally. Here it goes. First the shock, then the anger. It's always the same. Serves me right for trying to- his thoughts were cut off as he felt something at the end of his nose. He looked down at it, and was startled. The lad was hugging his nose, crying his eyes out into his crimson fur.

Naruto was feeling better. As he was crying, something wet and cold had pressed itself against his side. When he looked up, he saw the giant fox standing there, looking at him. At first, he had been surprised, and somewhat afraid. But then, he remembered Kita-chan, and convinced himself that this giant kitsune didn't mean any harm. After all, what had a fox ever done to him. He jumped up and grabbed the giant nose. He began crying again, since the presence of the big fox reminded him of poor Kita-chan.

The fox was immensely surprised. For millennia, he had received nothing more than pain and torment. He had constantly been attacked, hated and feared because of his immense size. He and his clan had always been persecuted, and half of the things that went wrong were blamed on them. Trickster, he had been called. Murderer, Deceiver, and, worst of all, Demon. He had never intended any harm, but somehow everything would always go wrong. But now, from the one person that he would expect the most anger from, there was nothing.

He was genuinely intrigued in the boy now, and decided to find out more about the lad. He lifted his nose into the air, the boy still clinging to it. He tossed the boy onto his head and ran off into the darkness. Naruto was holding onto the fox's fur for dear life, spread eagled on the fox's head. He grabbed tightly onto whatever he could find, wondering where his ride was taking him. Eventually, they came to a stop a little ways away from a large dome.

It was a strange dome, as it was glowing a dull red, like dried blood, and it was made from some kind of black stone. But Naruto didn't have much time to look at it, as the fox had laid its head on the ground, obviously telling Naruto to get off. After Naruto clambered off the fox's giant head, the kitsune began walking towards the dome. Naruto, still puzzled, followed him.

When they reached the curved wall of the dome, the fox nudged him gently with one of its nine tails, pushing the lad towards the smooth unbroken wall. The boy stumbled forward, then reached out his hand towards the obsidian stone. He rested his hand flat against it, his warm palm splayed on the smooth surface. Surprisingly, the stone was quite warm, instead of cold like most stone is.

The Kyuubi watched the boy touch the wall, and gave a toothy grin. It seems that he was not rejected by the stone. Perhaps there is hope for me yet… It reached one of its tail up to the peak of the dome, touching it softly. The dome glowed an even brighter shade of red for a moment, then faded. As the glow faded, the rock separated right in front of Naruto, revealing a small opening. Naruto peered inside curiously, before glancing up at the giant fox. After receiving a nod from him, he went inside the dark innards of the dome.

It was really dark inside, and Naruto felt a little frightened. But, almost as if in response to his fear, a soft red glow permeated the room, illuminating the inside. He sighed in relief then took a look around the place. Surprisingly enough, despite its rocky exterior, the inside was built almost like a shrine. On the walls, beautiful murals of kitsune decorated the walls; some were of dancing foxes, while in others the foxes were locked in mortal combat. There was even one that he didn't understand at all, since the two kitsune seemed to be… hugging each other, or something weird like that. But, out of the entirety of the room, one thing interested him the most. There, on the far side of the room, was a long blade,

He walked up to the katana, gazing at it in awe. It was long, at least ten feet from tip to the hilt. The hilt was made of some kind of bone, finely polished and wrapped in crimson cords. The long curved blade was covered in a crimson sheath, made from the finest leather and ornately embroidered with complex symbols.

Wow. He thought to himself. That is cool. I wonder why it's there? He walked over to it slowly, never taking his gaze from the majestic blade. He stopped right beside it, and reached out a hand to touch it. But, before he could, a blaze of red energy shot from the sword and hit his hand, shocking him. Whimpering a little bit, he stuck his burned fingers into his mouth and sucked on them. Suddenly, he heard laughter from behind.

"Hahaha! That was quite the stupid thing to do, young one. Haven't you ever learned not to touch things that aren't yours?" Naruto spun around quickly, looking for the noise. Unfortunately, he tripped over his own feet and fell on his face. There was more deep laughter from his spectator at this, and he looked up from his prostrate position on the floor. There, standing before him, was a strange figure indeed.

The man was tall, appearing to be well over seven feet, but he slouched forward, which made it difficult to properly judge his height. A long, shaggy mane covered his back and shoulders, the strands of it a deep red in color. At first glance, he looked to be wearing no more than rags; his shirt was ripped and without sleeves, and his pants were in even worse condition, having lost all material from the knees down. But, if Naruto looked closer, he could see that the shredded clothing was very fine indeed, and there were marvelous decorations of purple and red that could still be made out. Over the ragged remnants of his clothes, he wore a great red coat, left open in the front, which billowed about him. He wore no shoes or hat, and he bore no weapons. But Naruto, after taking in all these facts, found his gaze drawn inexorably to the man's face.

Crimson eyes with slitted pupils met Naruto's own azure orbs, swallowing his vision in a sea of flaming scarlet. After a long moment, Naruto managed to jerk his eyes away from those frightening red orbs, and looked at the man's face. It was lined, its weathered features proving the passage of many long years. His nose was longer than usual, and his face seemed to be lengthier as well. His nose was also crooked, as if it was broken long ago and never set right. A long scar ran over his cheekbone, cutting a jagged line across the right side of his face down across his lip. His lips were parted, showing rows of sharp teeth. His canines were especially long, and Naruto gulped as he thought of those fangs piercing his flesh.

The man simply stood there, allowing Naruto to look him over for a bit. Then he raised his right hand, showing long and sharp claws jutting from his scarred fingers. He made sure Naruto's full attention was on his hand, and then snapped his long fingers loudly. Naruto jumped a little, but then he heard a strange humming coming from behind him, and he turned around to look. The sword was the source of the throbbing noise, and it floated in the air above its pedestal. Naruto was awed by this, turning his gaze back to the man. The man who, suddenly, was no longer there.

Naruto looked about in shock, wondering where the ragged stranger had disappeared to. Suddenly, he was knocked onto the floor, holding himself up with his hands and knees. There was a sharp pain in his back, and he cried out, wondering what had happened. Then, a cold chill went down his spine as he felt the blade of a sword on the back of his neck. He swallowed down his terror, hoping against hope that he wouldn't die. Despite his fear, one thing struck him as odd. 'Funny, the sword's warm. Almost hot. Strange…' Then he felt the sword lift from his throat, and he sighed in relief.

He got up off his hands, although he was still kneeling on the floor, and looked around again for the strange man. He was now in front of Naruto, simply staring at him strangely. Naruto met his gaze, wondering how he had just disappeared and reappeared like that. He opened his mouth to ask him about that, but then the man shook his head, obviously commanding Naruto to be silent. Obediently, he shut his mouth again, wondering what exactly was happening. Then the stranger stepped forward, and Naruto suddenly noticed the immense sword was being held in his hand, the blade unsheathed and pulsing with a crimson light. The man held it lightly, dangling from his hand as if it weighed nothing at all. Then, before Naruto could react, he was standing next to the blonde boy, the razor edge of his long blade held against the boy's throat.

Naruto tensed, his throat choking in fear. Forcing the terror down, he eyed the sword, noting that the blade was dinged and scratched badly, as if it had been through many fights. Unfortunately, noticing that did not remove the blade from his throat, and he swore he could feel it biting into his skin. He tried his best to keep absolutely still, but his body was shuddering from the sheer force of his fear. But, even though it threatened to envelop him whole, he shunted away the terror, concentrating on keeping his mind clear.

Suddenly, the red-haired stranger crouched down to the ground, keeping the blade pressed against Naruto's throat. He leaned forward until his face was right in front of Naruto's, his lips parted and his teeth bared. He spoke, his voice growling and deep. "Are you afraid?" His voice scared the living shit out of Naruto, but he managed to keep his calm, the only sign of his terror a single drop of sweat that ran down his brow.

"N-no…" He said it softly, his voice soft and wavering. The stranger cocked his head, as if he couldn't hear him. Swallowing roughly, he tried again. "No." It was stronger that time, clearer, but still the crimson-haired man pretended not to hear, cupping a clawed hand to his ear as if to hear better. Gathering every ounce of courage in his small frame, Naruto opened his mouth wide, roaring the word out. "NO!"

The red-haired stranger seemed shocked for a moment, his face twisted into a disbelieving frown. Then, he grinned, his lips parted in a strange smile. "Good. Then you won't be afraid of death." Seizing Naruto's hair in a clawed hand, he pulled his sword away and stood up, carrying Naruto into the air with him. The blonde boy fought, kicking wildly at the stranger, but all of his blows seemed to faze the man not a bit. With a single, casual movement, he tossed Naruto away, the boy's body slamming limply into the wall.

Naruto cried out in pain, feeling something snap in his back as he slid down the wall. He landed on the floor with a dull thump, and he groaned as he felt pain shoot through his spine. He tried to get up, tried to push himself off the ground, but he couldn't make his body respond correctly. Then, a shadow fell over the ground in front of him, and he heard a growling chuckle from above him. He knew, without looking, that it was the end of the line for him. He closed his eyes and tried to calm himself, swearing that he would die with a modicum of dignity. He grinned as he realized that soon he would be with Kita-chan again. He could hug her again, play with her, feel her soft fur against his skin, listen to her playful yips… He would be with his friend once more.

He opened his eyes once more, and smiled as he felt more pain shoot through his back. As his senses began to dull, and his vision began to fade, he thought he saw a fox, prancing on the floor before him. Mustering the last of his dwindling strength, he reached a hand out to the kitsune, seeing Kita-chan dance before him once more, filled with her usual vigor. "Kita… chan…" He closed his eyes and succumbed to the pain, falling into the blackness of unconsciousness.

AN: For all of you who read this chapter before, welcome back. I went through it again and fixed my mistakes, adding some things and deleting other things that didn't turn out as good as I had hoped. So, I give to you: The new and improved Fox and his Boy. Now, the reason for this is that I plan to take up this story once more, since I kinda like the plot I worked out for it. So, congratulations! This story is no longer on hold. Read and enjoy, people; it's only getting better from here on out, so stick around.

Oh, don't think I'm trying to promote my other stories, but I do have to say something here. Some of my other fics, like The Bloody Mist and The Will of Fire, I'm still going to be working on, so I can't devote all of my time to this one fic. So, sorry to say, updates won't be coming as fast as I would like them too. So, I give you a choice: Either I scale down the chapter size to something a little more feasible and put out chapters more often, or I can keep my 10,000 word minimum and update whenever possible. Let me know, since I really don't mind either way.

And, last but not least, the pairing. The pairing won't be central to the story, so I really don't care who Naruto ends up with. So, I give you, my readers, the opportunity to decide who you want paired with who. As this story is Naruto-centric, I'm primarily concerned with his pairing, but I don't mind giving side characters a chance to shine. Oh, but no yaoi or yuri. Sorry, but I just can't write that stuff to save my life. 'Til next time, people.

Gaereth