Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I was the owner, the franchise wouldn't even last a year.
Chapter 1
(somewhere near the Fire country, 1 month before the end of the 3 years training trip.)
"Shit!" Jiraiya cursed as he barely managed to dodge a huge red claw aimed at his head by his student. He was breathing hard and cursing his own stupidity, for trying to forcefully teach his apprentice to control the chakra of the nine-tails.
Since, he didn't knew the methods of controlling the chakra of a tailed-beast. He had lossen the seal of Naruto, in order to have more easy excess to the nine-tails chakra.
But, the process hadn't gone according to plan and now he was fighting for his life, while simultaneously trying to suppress the out of control jinchuriki, without hurting the said jinchuriki.
"Tsunade is going to kill me.."
(Line break)
Drip...
Drop...
Drip..
"Not this place again.." Naruto sighed as he looked at the dark murky sewage; which sadly was also his mindscape. where his unwanted resident was sealed...the nine-tails.
"I'm going to kill Ero-sennin for this!"
Naruto thought as he slowly walk near the giant pillars; which acted as a prison for the nine-tails. Which was quite difficult due to the water flooding the whole hall and the malicious killing intent surrounding the said hall.
'I wouldn't have mind coming here, if the hall was atleast orange.'
"Naruto..."
He tensed as a rough, booming voice called out his name. He looked up to see two huge slitted red eyes, glowing inside the dark cage.
Naruto gulped and tensed a bit as he saw the huge fangs of the beast. Despite all his bravado, he was not ashamed to admit that he was a bit scared at the appearance of the nine-tails fox. Who wouldn't be...?
"..how lucky am i, to be visited by my great jailer, in my humble abode."
The kyuubi grinned darkly. As it could feel the slight fear felt by its jailer.
"I don't have time to for your nonsense, kyuubi!.."
Naruto glared at the beast. While trying to calm his nerves "..why did you brought me here?"
"To free me from this accursed seal... ofcourse"
"Like hell! I would do that. You stupid fox!"
"Grrr..." The kyuubi growled at Naruto's reply.
"Watch your mouth! You weak little excuse of a shinobi."
"Who are you calling weak?" Naruto retorted while glaring at the fox for insulting him.
"Ofcourse! I'm calling you weak!" The kyuubi sneered.
"You are so weak, that even your sensei doesn't believe in your strength!"
"Take that back! I'm not weak!.." Naruto shouted as he angrliy looked at the grinning visage of the nine-tails.
"Hmm..if you're not weak, then why would your sensei tell you to control my chakra?.." The kyuubi asked and continued as it stared at the glaring look of its jailer; with an amused expression on its giant face. "..Deep down he knew that you're weak. So, he gave more focus on controlling my chakra."
"Shut up! Fox!" Naruto retorted.
"Ero-sennin taught me lots of things!"
"And pray tell.." kyuubi started as "... would it be enough to face your Uchiha friend?"
"Last time, you were almost killed by him. What's to say next time would be any different?"
"Now, I am stronger then before.." Naruto stated but paused, as he thought on the improvement that he had made on this training trip. But his thoughts were put on a hold when the kyuubi decided to continue his mind games.
"You are lying to yourself, Naruto. You are weak as you were before. You haven't learnt anything new in this so-called training trip of yours... What's the point of making a bigger chakra ball?" The Kyuubi sniped.
"Hey! I have learned lots of other things!.." Naruto exclaimed.
"Do you think that those are enough to bring your Uchiha friend back?.." The Kyuubi asked.
"..or is it enough to protect yourself and your friends from the Akatsuki?"
'was it enough?' Naruto thought as he could actually see some meaning behind Kyuubi insults. He thought about the things that he had learned from Jiraiya in the training trip. And he came to the sad realisation that the Kyuubi was true! He only learned basic taijutsu, ways to counter low rank genjutsu and how to make giant-rasengan. Was it enough?
'No..' Naruto thought.
It wasn't enough! Sasuke defeated him during their last fight. And now Sasuke would have already gotten even more stronger then before, under Orochimaru. And how would he protect his friends from the Akatsuki; who were said to be as strong as a kage. when he couldn't even defeat Ero-sennin shadow clones, in a sparring match. 'what the fuck was I doing..?'
The Kyuubi grinned darkly when he saw the contemplating expression of his jailer. 'All according to plan..' It thought darkly as red wisp of chakra started to slowly, surround the figure of its jailer. Which were unnoticed by its jailer as he was lost in his own thoughts.
"Naruto.."
Naruto was somewhat brought out from thought as he heard the Kyuubi calling his name. But, his mind was still occupied by his inner-struggle. 'What did Kakashi-sensei and Ero-sennin ever taught me?'
"I have an offer for you.." The Kyuubi continued as it brought its giant face close to the pillars and stared directly in the deep blue eyes of its jailer. ".. I will help you to get stronger."
Now, Naruto was completely brought out from his thoughts as he heard Kyuubi statement.
"What?"
"I said, I can help you to get stronger."
"Why would you help me Kyuubi?" He asked with a confused expression on his face.
"Because, if you die I will also die. Since my soul is connected to yours and I don't want to die yet." Not really, it will just reform after some years. But, the brat didn't need to know that.
"What..?"
"Yes, my survival depend on your own survival.." Kyuubi answered
"So, I am offering you my chakra to help you get stronger."
"No, I refused!" Naruto said.
"I don't want to rely on your power. I will get stronger on my own terms."
"But, how are you going to get stronger...when your Sensei's doesn't even teach you?"
The Kyuubi argued with a mocking tone as it knew that it had struck a chord in its jailer.
"I ..." Naruto was hesitant to reply as he realised that the Kyuubi had a point.. again. His sensei Kakashi hadn't taught him anything other then tree-walking. While teaching Sasuke Jutsu after Jutsu. Ero-sennin had only thought him summoning and Reasengan, which wouldn't even be called teaching. Since, he was the one who had to figure out how to do them himself.
'How am i going to get stronger? When my teachers doesn't care to teach me?'
"They didn't even told you the secret behind your greatest Jutsu, the shadow clones. Since, they didn't cared to teach you." The Kyuubi stated with the same mocking tone in its voice.
"Eh..?" Naruto was only able to make a confused 'eh?' As he wasn't even aware what the Kyuubi was talking about. 'The shadow clones has a secret?'
"Yes." The Kyuubi replied and questioned.
"Enough of that. Tell me, do you want my help?"
Naruto paused for a moment and thought about the Kyuubi offer. 'Will I be able to face Sasuke?' He asked himself.
He knew that Sasuke had asses to the Sharingan and the cursed seal to boosed his strength. And he was sure that Sasuke wasn't shy to use those. He also remember Ero-sennin telling him about the Forth Raikage brother, who was the Jinchuriki of the eighth-tails, being one of the strongest shinobi in the world. Due to him having full control of his Biju. He also knew that the Akatsuki will start their search for the Jinchuriki soon and now he realised that he wouldn't be able to defeat them at his current strength. 'But with the help of the Kyuubi I'll atleast stand a chance against them.'
Don't get him wrong, he wanted to depend on his own strength. But, he also realise that he was a Jinchuriki.
"Alright, Kyuubi.." He sighed as he came to a descision. But he was a bit cautioned when he saw the Victorious look of the Kyuubi. 'Eh.. I doubt it could go any worse than this.'
"I accept your offer. But if you try to betray me, I'll tighten the seal and lock you in this prison forever!"
He actually didn't knew how to do that. But, that was beside the point.
"Don't worry, I am the nine-tailed beast. I don't go back on my words like you humans." The Kyuubi Sneered.
"Okay.." Naruto said though he wanted to retort at the beast statement for insulting his species. He also knew that the Kyuubi was right.
"Since, you are stuck in here. How are you going to help me?"
'oh..not for long.' It thought darkly.
"Do you see the seal attached to the pillar?"
Naruto looked at his right and saw a paper with the kanji of 'seal' written on it. "Are you talking about this?"
He asked and walk close to it.
"Yes..." Was the beast reply. "You just have to tear a small portion of the paper and you can use my chakra without any side-effects."
"Are you sure?" He asked nervously as sweat started to appear on his palms.
"Yes..." The Kyuubi grinned.
'Freedom at last.'
"Okay" Naruto said as he gulped and stared at the seal with a hardened look. 'I need to get stronger, in order to protect everyone. And to bring back Sasuke.'
He touched the seal and started to slowly tear the top part of the seal when...
"What are you doing son?"