Hey guys! Here with my first fanfic. I love Naruto and have had this story idea in my head for a while now. I have been writing this for some time and hope I got it right. I don't know what my update schedule will look like in the coming weeks, but I will attempt to make it as regular as possible.

With that said, enjoy! Oh, and worship the log!

Disclaimer, I don't own any of Naruto or characters mentioned there. I do own all-new Jutsu I create and Oc's.

Chapter 1 - A different beginning

Konohagakure no Sato was bustling with activity. Today was October 10th or better known as the celebration of the Kyubbi attack on the village just 8 short years ago. As the moon started to rise, the adult festivities began. All the parents took their children home and put them to sleep. Most would end up coming back out and celebrating afterword. However, for as much fun as everyone was having, there was one boy that absolutely dreaded this night. And for a good reason too.

"Hey!" screamed a rather angry villager grabbing the rest of the mob's attention. "I think the Demon went this way!" he said, moving the crowds focus down the street. Directly past the area where said "Demon" was hiding. As they ran past his current position, the small boy could only breathe a sigh of relief, knowing he could at least rest a minute without having to run for his life.

Naruto Uzumaki was crouching behind the dumpster in one of his few, not well-known hiding spots. This dead-end alley was a good one mainly because most people thought he wouldn't be dumb enough to hide that way when he could easily be caught. Hiding in plain sight at its finest. Naruto prayed to Kami he wouldn't be spotted and tortured like he had been his last few birthdays. He could never really understand why the civilians hated him. Heck, quite a few ninjas did too. Yeah, so what he played pranks? Every time his birthday rolled around, he was always chased by mobs that would attempt (and succeed) at beating and torturing him. He could still hear the angry cries from the last few "fox hunts" as the villagers called them. "Demon" "Kyubbi Brat" "Family Killer" and so many more.

All he could do was wait here and pray they didn't find him. He had figured out that his own house wasn't safe when he had attempted to barricade it about 3 hours ago. The civilians had grabbed a few of the ninjas that also hated him with a passion. And they not only kicked in his door, but the chunin had set his entire living room ablaze with fire ninjutsu. He had been on the run ever since. He had nowhere to go and no one to run to. His entire mind was focusing on outrunning the mob and living to see the light of the next sunrise.

"He's down here!" the loud cry of an obviously drunk woman wielding a kitchen knife came from the entrance of the alley he was in. This caused Naruto to stand up instantly as he saw people funneling through the mouth of the backstreet with a plethora of improvised weaponry. From torches to pitchforks, to kunai, hell even a few broken bottles mixed in. Seeing this, Naruto turned around and ran the other way as fast as humanly possible before remembering that this side street ended with a solid brick wall. He went from a full sprint to a complete stop instantly as his body smacked into the brickwork with a crunch.

Picking himself up and turning around after making himself into a human pancake, Naruto suddenly found his back pressed up against the wall that now had an imprint of his body. Standing in front of him were over 30 civilians and 3 chunin, the later have been leading the mob since his apartment. One had his hands in front of him, slowly forming hand seals. He was flanked by another two who had kunai in their hands poised to strike the young boy.

"Finally! We have you cornered you good for nothing demon! We won't let you get away with your trickery and deceit any longer. I and the others here are not fooled by your innocent disguise. We won't let you hurt anymore of us!" the leading shinobi said angrily while ending on a rat seal. "Magen: Narakumi no Jutsu (Demonic Hell viewing Technique)" he said with a wicked smile.

Naruto couldn't understand what could possibly make them hate his guts. He shed a small tear of both emotional stress and pain. "Why would they do this to me?" the blonde thought in despair. He was powerless to stop them. Naruto knew that when a ninja yells out the name of a technique that something usually happens in a flashy way that would completely decimate an opponent. So, he braced himself looking down and scrunching up his small body, readying himself for what was to come. However, there was no pain to be had...yet.

Naruto looked up at his attacker, confused as nothing happened for a moment before his entire world broke apart like glass shattering. It was replaced by something even more terrifying than a "hunting party." Standing where the mob had been previously was none other than the Kyubbi no Kitsune. Naruto had never felt so small and insignificant in his life. The blonde fell to his knees as he felt a power so strong that he couldn't even stand up correctly. He had never been more scared. If that wasn't bad enough, he couldn't force himself to look away from the Biju that was easily the size of the Hokage Monument.

The nine-tailed fox looked directly at Naruto with an evil grin on his face. Can foxes grin? Naruto didn't know, but if they could, this would be it. The monster in front him radiated so much evil and hatred that the boy was almost about to pass out from sheer overexposure. The fox quickly launched all 9 of his tails in the young boy's direction. The eight-year-old was too stunned to move and could only look on in horror as the tails descended upon him. *SSLHINK* was all that could be heard as the sound of metal sinking into flesh radiated out from the source of impact.

The world that he had been in, completely fell apart this time in a wisp of smoke. He was back with the ninja and villagers still in front of him along with the mob. Except two things were off about the whole situation. One was the unbelievable pain that was emanating from multiple parts of his body. And two, the ninja in front of him were no longer holding their kunai. Their pouches that had been full before were now empty. Taking his eyes off the hostile people in front of him, the young Uzumaki looked down to see nine kunai sticking into different parts of his body. Three were buried deep into his unhealthily thin stomach, two in his shoulders pinning him to the brick behind him, and the other four were in one of his four limbs. The entire group that was assaulting the blonde erupted into cheers as they believed the demon boy was going to die. Oh, how wrong they were...

The pain Naruto was experiencing was enough to put him in complete shock. He couldn't do anything but stare blankly in front of him. It was as if his entire body had started to shut down, and something in his mind snapped. The happy go lucky attitude that usually took its place on the boy's face was gone. The trauma on the blonde, both physically and mentally, caused his psyche to revert to pure survival mode. He wouldn't come out of this the same boy he came in as.

The villagers had just started to calm from the surge of excitement that coursed through them, caused by the damage they had caused to the "demon brat." That was when a look of pure horror took its place on the faces of those present. Dark red chakra started to seep out of the blond at an astronomical rate. The air around everyone present grew heavy with unholy killing intent, seemingly holding down all that had any type of danger sense. It was like being in the presence of a more than fearsome predator. All the kunai that had been embedded with him were pushed out of his body and suspended in mid-air as if defending him. The holes that had been made in Naruto's body started to stitch themselves together in mere seconds.

To say that the villagers were scared would be an unbelievable understatement that even a Nara would have to correct if presented the opportunity. The chunin in front of the crowd looked like they were a bit on edge because of all the chakra that was being pumped out of the child in droves.

"You don't scare me you little shit!" the lead chunin chuckled nervously. "Quick, Koga, Roji! Kill him before he kills us and the civilians!" he said in a scared tone as he soon saw what was happening. They all started forming the hand seals for their jutsus, hoping to end the boy before he could do anything.

Naruto's head had long since fallen, and his face was not visible to those looking at him. Ever so slowly, his head started to rise until he met eyes with the main leader of the mob. Something felt very odd to the shinobi in the group. And when you think something is off, especially as a ninja, it usually is. That is where things got a little hectic, to say the least.

The jinchuriki's eyes had been morphed to a more feral appearance. Slitted, bloodshot, and hungry eyes of a fox replaced the once pure blue, also growing sharp canines to match the animalistic look. "You have messed with my container for the last time you wretched humans!" a demonic voice whispered coming from Naruto's body. Even though it was just above a whisper, it was heard by everyone present. This caused some of the weaker-willed individuals to pass out on the first syllable from the sheer pressure emanating off the "boy."

As the Kyubbi finished speaking through the young Uzumaki's body, the ninja had finished their seals. "Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique)" They roared out in a futile attempt to burn the "demon brat" to a crisp before he could do anything. The Kyubbi only looked at the attacks and smirked. He found it laughable that they thought a few weak flames could calm close to doing any damage to him. These people indeed were idiotic. Using fire against a demon that is practically its master is a bad idea.

The fire neared the possessed container at what most common shinobi would call impressive speed. However, to the King of Hell, it might as well have been in slow motion. Kyubbi raised Naruto's smaller hand and coated it in demon chakra, catching the fire and absorbing the human chakra that was forming it into his own.

"That is all you can do? I am saddened that I entertained the thought of you being worth my time. Let me remedy that mistake by showing you what true fire manipulation is." the demonic voice came louder and prouder than before. Ensuring that even the ANBU that had arrived mere moments ago could hear. "Katon: Onidoro (Fire Style: Demon Lantern)" muttered the chakra cloaked boy utterly unaware of the mental trauma he was putting his container through.

Around what most in the village would consider the "Kyubbi in human form," 20 fireballs took shape. Each ball of fiery death had the face of a demon etched into them. They took up at least the width of the alley if not more. They were all grinning evilly. Those who stood on the other end were annihilated. It was all over in less than five seconds. By the time the ninja had understood what the kid was doing, it was too late. The mini fire chakra demons descended on the humans from above, and the roar of the inferno blocked out the screams of the burned and dying.

The Kyubbi, with its job done, let his container retake control as the weak body fell to its knees. The evil red slit in Naruto's eyes returned to their natural black ringed pools of blue. Wait... black ringed pools of blue? All Naruto could see through his tears were the burnt and charred remains of those "he" killed. The blonde let out a scream in pain and sadness that did something very unexpected. A wave of energy blasted out from the boy leaving him in a dust-filled crater. The bodies nearest to him were thrown backward with such velocity that they managed to leave the alley and become paste against the building on the other side of the street. Even the foundation of the buildings around him shook profoundly before thankfully holding steady. Finally, after all the physical and mental trials, his incredible stamina finally gave out, and he collapsed unconscious.

As the blonde boy hit the ground, two ANBU jumped off the roof of the apartment complex that bordered the alley. Phasing in between the boy and charred bodies, they each took a second to marvel at the destruction that had been wrought moments earlier.

Both highly trained killers wore iconic ANBU attire. The standard issue black cargo pants and closed toed stealth sandals occupied the appropriate places on their bodies, along with shin guards of course. On their upper halves, they sported grey sleeveless vests for both protection and to show off their official Black Ops tattoos, as well as arm guards and back strapped ninjato that could be unsheathed at a moment's notice. The only real difference was their height and mask that designated their call signs.

"Weasel." came the very concerned voice of the Inu masked nin. He picked up our favorite blond looking over him for any wounds. The problem was that there were none to be seen beside the rips in his clothes. "Make sure there are no witnesses left. Meet me at the entrance of the Hokage tower as soon as you finish." Inu said after composing himself and reigning in his anger.

"Hai, Taicho!" Weasel responded with a nod and unsheathed his ninjato. Seeing his order had been heard, Inu shunshined away with no trace that he was even there. Weasel went about checking the corpses and silently executing those who still had a pulse with practiced ease. Though calm and collected on the outside, on the inside, he was worried for Inu. The shorter ANBU had never seen his captain get this emotional about anything. He would have to remind himself to tread lightly when bringing it up later.

* The Hokage's Main Office*

Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage of Konoha, was currently facing the large window behind his desk with a grim look on his face. His red and white Kage robes flowing behind him with an arm out holding his famous pipe. Today had been a hard day. His office had been continuously assaulted by the villagers that asked about the execution of the child he viewed as a grandson. Some more discreet than others, but all rejected, nonetheless. He had been so busy; he was only able to order Inu and Weasel to find Naruto less than 10 minutes ago. He prayed to Kami that Naruto was okay. He didn't know what he would do if he weren't.

No sooner than the thought had entered his mind, he felt a presence appear behind him. If the figure was back already well... he could tell he was not going to like what he was about to hear. "Speak, Inu. What has happened to Naruto-kun?" the third asked with a slightly worried tone.

"Hokage-sama, a group of villagers and chunin cornered him in an alley. From what I can gather from his condition, I would say they used a genjutsu on him to keep him still. Then the chunin use him as kunai target practice. Thankfully, the Kyubbi chakra healed him from his injuries." Inu said, trying to keep the emotion out of his voice and failing miserably.

"Is it safe to assume that these offenders are taken care of?" the aged man barked with no attempt to hide his anger. How could the villagers be so stupid? They knew what the consequences were, and they still went ahead and attacked the boy. "I'm too old for this." he thought in frustration.

"Hai, Hokage-sama, the traitors were dealt with. However, not by us..." Inu said causing the Kami no Shinobi to turn around and look at the ANBU curiously. "We were about to step in when IT took control a-" he continued but was cut off.

"What? There is no way the seal is broken. It should be able to contain the Kyubbi without any trouble." Hiruzen stated worriedly not only for the boy and his mental state but for the security of the everyone in the village. They didn't have a fourth Hokage to seal away the demon again.

"I do not think the seal is broken. I believe the stress that Naruto went under caused him to unconsciously give control to the demon to allow him to survive the ordeal. From what I heard the Kyubbi say, it was trying to protect Naruto. I think it even sensed us on the rooftop." Inu stated finally calming himself to a tolerable level.

"IT SPOKE?" the Kage yelled out, not understanding how any of this was possible. Also, he was secretly thankful for the silencing seals he had activated just before this conversation began.

"Hai. It also... burnt everyone that was assaulting the boy to ash." the spiky-haired ANBU got out reliving the moment that he had just witnessed. "I left Weasel to clean up the rest of the area before I came here to inform you." he finished composing himself.

A million different thoughts were racing through the head of Sarutobi. They were all about how he was going to deal with this mess. "Is that so..." trailed Hiruzen still thinking of where to go from here. He saw that the ANBU was holding Naruto in his arms and just from a quick glance could tell it was a terrible situation.

"Permission to speak freely, Hokage-sama?" Inu asked in a seemingly neutral tone.

"Granted, Kakashi." the third said with a wave of his hand, still in deep thought.

Kakashi shuffled Naruto so he could hold him with one arm and took off his mask with the other. After clipping it to his belt, he started to speak, "I would like to take care of Naruto." he stated in a serious tone. This, of course, didn't surprise the elder in the room. Kakashi had already applied to adopt Naruto, but it was denied by the civilian council numerous times. Honestly, the aged Kage thought it would only be right that he did so. Kakashi thought of the blonde as a little brother after all. However, the council would chew his ass out for allowing it.

"You know what the council would say if yo-" Hiruzen began, getting cut off by Kakashi.

"I don't care about what the civilian council has to say. It isn't the Hokage. Your word is law. Why do you bend to the will of the council? They don't understand what it is like to be a ninja and never will!" the student of the yellow flash stated heatedly. "Please Hokage-sama, I owe it to sensei and Kushina-san. Let me take care of Naruto." he pleaded after his frustration calmed.

Hiruzen couldn't help but understand the anger held by the younger man. After all, it was the child of the man's sensei. Kakashi also made a good point in his argument. The council did have a lot of power that it shouldn't. Most of the power that it had gained was due to the Kyubbi attack. The more ambitious council members had taken advantage of the chaos and used it to increase their sway over the village. He really had grown soft in his position now that he thought about it.

Why did he ever let the council have an actual say? The council was created to advise, not make decisions. He came to the sudden realization he had been laying down and rolling over for the council. It is times like this where he cursed his own sensei for creating the civilian council in the first place. Maybe he had become too soft since he retook the hat. He never would have allowed the council to ruin the life of a boy like this if he was in his prime. Sarutobi would not allow things to continue! It was time for a change in Konoha, starting with this situation in front of him. He would deal with the uproar in the emergency meeting he would call tomorrow. He would lay down the law this time.

"Kakashi..." the elder shinobi started in a hard tone, "Your right. It seems my control over the village has loosened over the years. I will not allow myself to be walked on by those idiots on the civilian council any longer. This is a ninja village, and as such, I am in control. You have your wish. I hereby honorably discharge you from the ANBU program and instate you as an active jonin. I will grant you a stipend from the village funds to help cover Naruto's expenses; however, I still expect you to take missions. Losing you from active duty would hurt Konoha greatly." he finished taking a long drag on his pipe. He wasn't known as the Kami no Shinobi for nothing. After looking at the state Naruto was in, it rekindled his Will of Fire greatly.

The tall jonin looked at his leader, stupefied. Did that just work? He couldn't believe his ears. The Hokage had just given him permission to not only look after his dead sensei's son but also become a regular jonin again. This was the best he could have hoped for. He had been trying to adopt and take care of Naruto for the past 8 years and had been denied every time. Who knew all it would take is a few choice words, and yelling at his Kage? Kakashi knew that fate was on his side, and he wasn't going to waste this opportunity.

"Hai, I understand." was all that he could get out without fumbling through his words.

"You should probably get Naruto-kun to a place where he can rest, eh, Kakashi?" The robed leader said, standing up and going back to his position looking out the large window. "We can talk about your new responsibilities after you get settled with your new charge. I will give you two weeks leave to get acquainted with Naruto-kun. After that I expect you to take missions again. I won't send you on any that take you away for more than a week, I promise. Also, you let me deal with the council. If anyone bothers you let me know, and they will be dealt with accordingly." Hiruzen stated with a voice of authority and finality.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," Kakashi said in a faraway voice. He was thinking about all the responsibility that came with looking after the blonde and how this would make up for all his past failures. "Sensei, Obito, Rin... I can finally move on. Naruto will be my second chance. I will make you all proud!" The newly instated jonin said in his head.

"You are dismissed." the third said in a much calmer voice than he had had since the day started. Knowing that your grandson figure was in capable hands would do that to a person.

Taking the statement for what it was, Kakashi left via smokeless Shunshin. It was also the time Hiruzen hit a small button on the underside of his desk, and a small compartment opened. Inside were the objects of his two favorite past times, his spying orb, and his signed platinum edition of Icha-Icha Paradise. Choosing the later, the Kage went about doing...ahem... Kage things...

* Meanwhile in Naruto's Mindscape*

Drip* *Drip* *Drip* was the only sound Naruto could hear as he started to regain consciousness. He opened his aching eyes to see he was in some sort of dark sewer. The entire area was flooded with about 4 inches of water and pipes ran all along the top of the tunnel. The only source of light was small lanterns that seemed to hang on the walls evenly placed every few feet. Naruto started to lift himself up and found that he felt perfectly fine. The only thing that really hurt was his eyes. However, one thing was for sure, his sight was 100x better than it had been. Even with what little light was available, he could make out the tiniest details in the brickwork of the wall with little effort. He decided to put this new revelation off to the side for now.

Finally, fully standing up, he started to think about where he could possibly be. The last thing he could remember was... wait. Then it all hit him like a shockwave that threatened to knock him back into the water, and it would have if it weren't for him catching himself on the wall with his hand. The mob breaking into his apartment, him running, getting cornered, getting tortured and then... he killed them. All of them. "I'm a murderer." the boy thought. He didn't know what happened, but it just felt like his body was on autopilot. He was watching as his body talked and moved and killed everyone. Shedding tears of both pain and sadness, he started to walk forward.

"Murderer I may be, but I need to figure out what going on here if I'm going to get out of wherever here is." the boy thought still shaken by the memories of what "he" did. His sense of self-preservation kicked in, however, and he willed himself in what he felt was the right direction. Most people would believe that Naruto was the blonde dumb idiot that he portrayed himself as. But it turns out that growing up alone caused you to become very mature despite being so young. Though that was before he went through the whole life-altering ordeal not too long ago. Also, being hated and chased most of his life gives you the ability to think and make decisions on the fly. "I did what I had to do." his more rational side said. "I'll have time to cry later," he concluded.

It took what seemed like hours of wandering around the same tunnels to finally get to where his gut told him he should be. Naruto walked into a large cave opening where there was no light to be had. As he got further into the darkness, he heard a deep voice come from seemingly all around him. "So, the warden finally comes to see his prisoner. To what do I owe this pleasure?" it echoed sarcastically throughout the space.

Naruto took a few more steps forward before stopping. His face an emotionless mask that even the Kyubbi had a tough time discerning. A perk of the Biju, seeing in the dark with relative ease. "Warden?" Naruto asked in a curious tone. Seemingly unaffected by the amount of killing intent that was being focused on him.

"Oh? So, the little human doesn't know, eh? Well, let me enlighten you." The voice said before the lights came on. Naruto found himself standing in the center of a large circular cavern, lit by the same lamps that covered the other tunnels. Probably the most prominent eye draw would have to be the row of large bars that extended below the water and up so far that even with his improved vision, he couldn't see the top. Beyond the bars was another area of complete darkness.

"What was that supposed to show me exactly?" Naruto mused. Not exactly sure of what was to come. But, the feeling of overwhelming dread that washed over him was for some reason familiar. Naruto was answered not by words, but by a red, large, and menacing fox skulking forward out of the shadows. Its red slitted eyes seemed to bore into Naruto's soul.

"My someone is impatient." The demon muttered in annoyance before looking for a reaction from the boy. After a few seconds of seeing the small human stand there seemingly unaffected, the big fur ball got angry. "You are not afraid of me? The Kyubbi no Kitsune! The most powerful demon in existence! Even the most powerful of shinobi quiver in fear when they seem- "the titanic fox said stopping mid-sentence as he locked eyes with his container. The Biju's bloodshot eyes widened, and his jaw opened to almost comical proportions. "Impossible! I haven't seen those eyes in... over a thousand years. But they are different? When did he...?" The Biju paused, mentally. Was this who his father had told him about? He would mention it later, he had other things he wanted to say to the brat.

"You don't look so strong behind those bars of yours furball," Naruto said in an almost taunting tone. On the inside, however, his mind was running as fast as a Nara's. It didn't take long for him to come to a conclusion. One of two possibilities exist, either this is a very vivid and imaginative dream, or this is all real and the reason why everyone avoided him like the plague. If he really did hold the Kyubbi... then maybe they were right all along. He is a monster. It would make sense seeing that he had just killed over 30 people not too long ago.

"I am the reason you are hated by the rest of your kind." The Kyubbi stated in a neutral voice trying to get a reaction out of his container.

"I figured as much." The wannabe Hokage stated matter of factly. Showing no emotion whatsoever, besides taking his gaze and shifting sideways. As if trying to avoid eye contact with the demon in front of him. Said demon had been curious to see how the brat would react, but this was not what he expected.

"Don't you hate me?" the Kyubbi asked, still attempting to stay in his calm and powerful mask. "I am the reason why you get beaten, stabbed, rejected. I am the one who makes your life miserable. Don't you hate me?" He said. Secretly testing the blonde boy in front of him.

"No. Why would I hate you?" Naruto asked the now shocked Biju. "You may be the reason people are mean to me all the time. But you're not to blame. And honestly, as much as I am beaten, now that I know why they do it, I can't blame them either. You attacked the village and killed a lot of their friends and family. And, they think that your me. It all makes sense now." The six-year-old said in an oddly mature tone.

The Kyubbi was floored. Not only was this child not afraid of him, but also had the eyes of his father, and act more like an adult than most grown men, he was only six years old. He shouldn't even have the brain capacity to think like that. Obviously, the idiot act was more of a complete 180 of his real personality. He had just gained a lot of respect for his container. More than he had had for any of his ones previous.

"You act and know much more than a kit like you should." Said the Kyubbi then pausing slightly. "Did I just call him a kit?" he thought to himself. "You are much wiser than you appear." Finishing his string of observations.

"Oh? Such praise from a demon lord. I don't know whether I should feel disgusted or proud? I don't get that from anyone really." Naruto said sarcastically. Earning a slight chuckle from the Biju in front of him. However, the "slight chuckle" was still enough to echo and shake the room. "Responding to your first statement, though, growing up and surviving alone can make one mature at a more impressive rate than others." He explained in a dry tone that showed he was looking through his memories of having to grow up all alone.

"That I can see kit. Your proof of that." Kyubbi started. "I DID IT AGAIN! This boy really reminds me of father it's unreal. It's almost as if... no that's not possible." He thought to himself. "I respect you kit. I have seen you go through more in six years than most shinobi do in their first 20. And if they did, 9 times out of 10, they wouldn't come out of it with the attitude you have." Now it was time for the real reason he called the kit here. His eyes may have been a surprise; however, it only made the Kyubbi want to go through with his plan even more. "You still want to become a Kage, right?" the Biju asked, gaining the young boy's attention.

"What kind of question is that? I may not be as boisterous as I portray to others, but my dream remains the same. I want to show the villagers that you and I are different. I may not like a lot of the people here, but some are worth protecting." Naruto said in a seriously. His mind going through the people who have looked out for him throughout his short life. Iruka-sensei, Old Man Hokage, the Ichiraku family, and even that Higurashi guy from the weapons store who bought him food when he saw stores not letting Naruto buy it himself. "Why do you ask?" he asked the giant chakra monster in front of him.

"Because of how much you have suffered and impressed me. I will help you reach your goal." Kyubbi said to Naruto. "And because you remind me of that man. And, if the prophecy is right, I need to guide you on the right path," he added in his mind.

"What? Really?" The boy said in a happy emotional outburst. "Why?" the boy asked after recomposing himself. He was dealing with a demon after all. They are supposed to be evil and have an ulterior motive. Although for some reason he felt like the Kyubbi was doing it for good purposes. Why he felt this way, he couldn't really explain.

"I will not have a weak container!" roared the beast, causing a large gust of wind to hit Naruto, almost knocking him over. "I am tired of the villagers walking all over you. It's an insult that I will not stand for. Also, you are more special than you know." Stated the Biju.

Naruto wasn't at all surprised. It would only make sense that his Biju would have a massive superiority complex and want a strong jinchuriki if it, in turn, showing off himself. Although, he would be sure to be on guard for any tricks the demon may try and pull in the future. One can never be too careful.

"Well then I accept your offer Kyubbi-sensei," Naruto said nodding tersely. "However, I do have to ask how I am special? I am an orphan who can't even mold chakra correctly. Everyone else seems to think I'm a failure." He said with a slightly dejected tone.

The Kyubbi grinned ferally. Time to see how the brat would react to his new features. "Have your eyes been aching at all?" the chakra construct asked in an inquisitive and hinting tone.

"Actually, now that you mention it... they have been hurting ever since I came here. Do you know what's wrong with them?" Naruto asked, rubbing his eyes slightly to try and get the stabbing pain to subside for a little while.

"Look into the water. See for yourself." The mountain destroyer said in a slightly excited tone. If those eyes were half of anything, he thought they were, life was going to become very interesting for both jailor and inmate.

The mentioned blonde followed the advice of the Kyubbi and looked in the water to view his reflection. What he saw shocked him to no end. His usual azure blue eyes had been replaced by something completely different. The whites of his eyes had been replaced by pools of almost crystalline light blue. The pupil now a small black dot and six black swirls surrounding said dot. Almost like a circle of islands within a vast sea.

"What is this?" Naruto asked still not looking away from his new eyes. If he was going to be honest to himself, it was cool. He had unique eyes like he had seen some clans have. Like the Uchiha with their red and black eye thingy and the Hyuga with their, well, just weird eyeballs. Maybe it was some sort of secret bloodline? He didn't know his parents so it could be possible.

"Eyes such as those are the rarest of all eyes in the shinobi world. I have only seen them in one man. And now, in you boy. The man who wielded those eyes was the one I respected more than any other human in existence." The Kyubbi said as if teaching a history lesson to a student.

"What are they called Kyubbi-sensei?" The boy asked in curiosity, finally looking up at the king of all known demons.

"They are known as the Rinnegan..." the Kyubbi stated, along with explaining much more throughout the night. Good thing time moved slower in this place than the outside world. Otherwise, Naruto would have a lot more on his proverbial plate than he could handle now. By the morning, both Biju and eight-year-old boy would be closer to each other than they had anyone else in a very long time.

*Next Morning in Naruto's New Bedroom*

Naruto groaned heavily as he tossed and turned awake. The sunlight filtering through the window in front of his bed seemed to have caught his ire. It was too early for the blonde; he could feel it. He slowly opened his crystal-like eyes while rubbing them to try and rid them of grogginess.

Sitting up, Naruto looked around and suddenly froze. This room was unfamiliar. He saw that the large open room was rather dull. A wood sliding door was open to his right, revealing the hallway beyond. To his left was a small nightstand right next to the standard size bed he was laying in. The room also had a dresser against the far wall. All in all, the room was what one would consider normal. It was safe to assume that he was not in his own house.

Putting those thoughts to the side for a second, his memories of his wacky dream came back to him. "I really must of have been hit pretty hard to dream all that up" The blonde thought to himself. A part of him was glad it was a figment of his imagination, but another felt kind of saddened. He had made a good friend in his dream, even if it was a demon of all things.

"It wasn't a dream kit," a dark yet familiar voice interrupted his thinking. The interruption caused Naruto to jump out of bed almost high enough to hit the ceiling and fall back onto the carpeted ground. All the Kyubbi could do was laugh at his container's misfortune.

"AHHHH," the new user of the rinnegan shouted as he fell and smacked the ground. "What? Where did that come from?" he said, looking everywhere he could from his place on the floor. For as good as his vision was (not that he noticed), he couldn't spot anyone else in the room.

"I'm in your head kit. Calm down. As much as it is amusing to see you seemingly talk to yourself if anyone else did it would ruin my image. And your own. No one looks sane while talking to themselves, after all." The demonic voice said again from the inside of Naruto's skull. "All you have to do is will me to hear your thoughts and I will." Kyubbi finished.

"So, it really wasn't a dream," Naruto said, this time in his mind. "Does that mean that everything we talked about really happened." He said to his usually violent tenant in an almost happy tone. The blonde was honestly excited. If everything he had talked about with Kyubbi was true, then it meant that he would finally be able to be a ninja! "Hokage, here I come!" he thought only to himself.

"No, it was not. However, you also must remember what we talked about. You can't let anyone know that I have talked to you or that you know about what your eyes actually are, I can hide them for now." The nine-tails said in warning while putting up a strong genjutsu around his container's eyes. "It would only make things harder for us... also it looks like your about to have company." The beast finished.

Just as the Kyubbi had warned him, a tall spiky haired figure appeared in the doorway. From what Naruto could see, this looked like one of the ANBU that used to follow him around time to time. He even saved him from the fox hunt the year previous. Except he wasn't wearing his mask, which he thought odd. Instead, said figure was wearing black facemask revealing only his eyes. Or, it would have if he didn't have his forehead protector covering his left. A black jonin flak jacket, just like the ones Naruto had seen on many higher-ranking shinobi throughout the village, took its rightful place on his midsection. Also, like most jonin, black pants and shinobi sandals completed the bottom part of his outfit. If Naruto was going, to be honest, this man looked cool!

"I see your awake Naruto!" Kakashi said with a wave and his signature eye smile. "Good! We have a lot to discuss." The young man said while entering the room and offering a hand to help the fallen child up. Naruto hesitantly looked at the hand before taking it in his own and used the elder's body weight to pull himself up. He then took a seat on the bed, with the copycat nin doing the same.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked finally able to find his voice. "You look like that one ANBU that used to follow me around whenever I was about to get into trouble." The child said with a curious tone.

On the inside, Kakashi was slightly surprised that this kid could tell it had been him. He just chuckled, and eye smiled again while responding "While I may or may not have been said ANBU, my name is Kakashi Hatake. And as of last night, your new guardian!"

The blonde boy's eyes widened considerably. He couldn't believe his ears. No one had wanted to take care of him. Some people could be nice sure, like the Ichiraku Family, but no one had ever tried to take him in. After the initial shock wore off, the boy was put on guard for just that reason. No one had been this good to him before, and he doubted they would just start out of the blue.

"So, I'm going to live with you now?" Naruto asked the tall man in front of him, looking like he could bolt at any second.

"Well, that was the plan," Kakashi answered. "But I can tell you don't really feel comfortable around me just yet. Which is understandable." He added not really that surprised.

"Did Old Man Hokage say you could? He said that if someone was going to take me in that he would let me know so I could meet them..." Naruto said in an inquisitive tone. He still couldn't really believe that someone would go out of their way for him. "Kit," Kyubbi spoke for the first time since the elite jonin entered the room. "Yeah, Kurama?" Naruto replied mentally while keeping his eyes locked with Kakashi. "Kakashi was trained by the Fourth Hokage. He will be enough to protect you from the villagers." He started. "He is also close to that Old Man of yours. You can trust him." Kurama finished in a confident voice. "Trained by the fourth?" Naruto thought in disbelief. "Yes, kit. He could probably help you become a ninja too if you stick with him long enough." The Kyubbi knew from his previous host who Kakashi was. He was one of the few good humans who always fought for his comrades. If Naruto were going to survive what was supposedly coming, Kakashi would be a big help.

During the dinner conversation, Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle at the Old Man Hokage comment. Not many had the gall to address their Kage in such a way, though then again, he was the only person Naruto was genuinely close to. Kakashi hoped he could change that.

"Eh Naruto?" The older teen said snapping Naruto out of talking with his tenant. "How about we talk about this over ramen? I know you liked that Ichiraku place down the street. After that, we can talk to the Hokage." Kakashi said while getting up and moving toward the door. "I'll be in the living room when you're ready to leave." He finished with another eye smile and walked down the hallway.

Now alone, Naruto was deep in thought. His life was finally turning up. He had been beaten, spit on, and berated by everyone his entire life saves a few. Now he had a chance to not only reach his dream but have some sort of family while he was at it. It was almost too good to be true. But it was really happening! Finishing his thoughts, the blonde pounded his legs against the ground and ran down the hall after his new friend and guardian. His existence just became bearable for once, and Kami if he wasn't going to take it for all it was worth.

XXX Chapter End XXX

Well, that's a wrap for this bad boy! I am still thinking of the full plot as I write this. I have a few ideas on where I would like it to go; however, I am totally open to input.

Please Review! I would appreciate constructive criticism and not flat out hate. If you don't like it, don't read it.

With that being said, Worship the Log for it is the thing that saveth all our favorite characters!

Nagash.