A/N: Man, I feel bad for even writing this. Don't ask me where I got this idea because I have no clue.

Warnings (heed them!): Lots of angst in this chapter, much less angst in later chapters, child abuse, thoughts of suicide, mean people, lazy author, infrequent updates, violence, and possible character insanity.

You guys still here? Good. I really didn't mean for it to turn out this depressing, and I'm sorry if it spoils your day. But if that's your cup of tea, read on. This is my first time writing something like this.

Kitsune Savior

New Freedom

Naruto didn't know why orphans want parents. Maybe, he reasoned, it was because the food and board provided by them was better quality than the bear necessities the orphanage afforded its inhabitants. Or maybe they wanted guardians to spoil them rotten. Either way, it seemed to Naruto that the children were getting the bad end of the deal. Even the better worldly possessions parents gave didn't seem to be worth the hurt kids got from it.

Naruto used to think he knew why children longed for mothers and fathers. After all, he used to want parents as well. Everywhere the blond boy looked, he would see children being loved by their parents. It made his heart ache, because he too wanted the unconditional care that a mother or father seemed to provide. He used to sit on his bed in the orphanage and wish he had parents. Then, one day, his wish was granted.

A tall, silver haired man had stridden into the small rundown orphanage. Naruto remembered looking at him curiously as the unknown person walked straight towards him. He had bent down to the blonde's height and said calmly, "I'm here to adopt you."

The rest of the day had been a big blur to the small boy. He vaguely remembered the man ruffling his hair fondly, just the way he had dreamed of for so long, and also recalled the shocked faces the citizens of Konoha wore as he walked proudly alongside his new father. He just stuck his tongue out at them childishly.

Then, when they got home, dark reality came smashing down on the boy's wonderful fantasy. As soon as the front door was shut, his new father started yelling at him. He called his new son "demon scum" and "spawn of the devil." The names were like a knife to the boy's heart, and as his happiness crumbled away, tears began to well up in his big blue eyes. But it only got worse from there.

His father hurt him. His dad left him crumpled on the floor, a bruised and bloody mess. Naruto had been hurt before, but this time it was much worse then all the others.

This time no one came to his rescue.

His belief parents cared about their children was shattered.

Betrayal causes more pain than any physical blow.

As Naruto lay there, waiting for his wounds to heal, he wondered why the father he'd known for half a day would do this to him. The first answer that popped up in his head was his dad was just like the villagers. He hated him unconditionally. But Naruto quickly shoved that thought away in denial. Why would he bother to adopt the blond in the first place, then? It must have been some other reason; otherwise, his new parent would have just beaten him up in some alleyway, right?

After discarding a few more ideas and trying to ignore a particularly painful bruise on his ribs, Naruto came to a disturbing conclusion. What if all parents hurt their children? What if that was the price kids paid for the seemingly-unconditional love and care?

It made sense, in his seven-year-old mind. As an orphan, Naruto had never had any experience with mothers and fathers. He had also never been educated much, having suffered the neglect of the orphanage caretakers. Maybe he wasn't the only child laying in a puddle of his own blood tonight. Naruto could see only one flaw in his theory.

Why didn't other children ever complain about this? From what he'd seen, kids his age would cry from a minor scrape or bruise. Then, they would lord it over their peers like an age-old battle wound. But then he remembered that this seemed to be some form of payment for the love parents showered their offspring with. Wouldn't they look spoiled and ungrateful if they complained about it? Was talking about this abuse a sign you were bad son or daughter?

Naruto accepted this conclusion, and decided he wanted to be a good son too. That sealed his fate for the longest year of his life.

The next day both father and son acted like nothing had happened. Soon a trend formed. During the days they would act like a pair of civil, if a little distant, family members. At night, however, Naruto's father would beat the boy within an inch of his life. The blond didn't resist, and even remained silent during these attacks. He wanted to be a good son, after all.

His physical wounds always healed overnight, but his mental ones refused to close. Naruto could see he was leading himself through a tunnel with a dead end. Despite this, he refused to retaliate. In his eyes, it would be like giving in. By doing so, he would let the people around him know he was not tough enough to face the hardships of being a child, therefore proving he could not live in the real world. He would not submit to that. The blond would stand firm and take the blows as they came, both literally and metaphorically. He would get through this, merely by waiting it out. This belief held Naruto steady and strong through the months of abuse. However, his resolve was shattered by an assault just one month away from the first anniversary of Naruto's adoption.

The small boy sat at the top of the Hokage monument, wind ruffling his blond hair and carrying away the tears that streamed down his cheeks. He was fingering the bandages that adorn much of his body. For the first time, his father had hurt him during the day. The day had started out like any other, until suddenly Naruto broke the cold silence that hung between them during breakfast. He inquired about the ninja academy, asking when he would be able to attend. He remembered the Hokage mentioned it on one of his visits. He wanted to become a ninja right away, because the sooner he started supporting himself the sooner he could move out, and escape the abuse of his father.

As soon as he voiced his question, his father flew into a rage. He bellowed things like "How dare you mock Konoha" and "I won't have you disgrace shinobi, demon." And then, so much like the first night he brought Naruto home, his father began to beat him. But the man didn't stop there. He pulled out a kitchen knife and repeatedly sliced through the boy's tender skin. After what seemed like forever, his father tired and left him with one last comment, "A demon like you will never become a ninja."

Bleeding and confused, Naruto bandaged had himself as best he could and fled the house. He ran as fast as he could while trying to avoid people. He didn't want them to know he was hurt. The blond wanted to be a good son, after all.

Why had his father hurt him during the day? Why didn't his father want him to become a ninja? Naruto's dad was a shinobi, and the boy knew most parents wanted their children to take on their profession. So why had his father reacted in such a way?

Naruto wondered if parents could stop their offspring from getting certain jobs. It seemed likely, since they seemed to control everything else about their kid's life. It had never crossed his mind before that his father would not want him to become a shinobi. This revelation sent him spiraling into desolation. His only exit out of this tunnel, this life, had just been blocked. The only reason he had endured the past eleven months with his father was because he believed it would end, eventually. He thought he could get a job, save up money, and then move out like other kids did. Then his father would not be able to hurt him every night. But now, it looked like he would have to stay with his father forever.

Naruto wasn't blind. He knew the only way he would ever be employed by any of the hateful villagers was as a ninja. Even that required the full support of the Hokage, which, luckily, he had. Now that his father said he could not become a shinobi, the boy knew his chances of finding a source of income were slim. Just thinking about spending the rest of his life with his father brought more tears to his eyes.

Maybe the kind old Hokage could help? He would be visiting tomorrow, as a final checkup to see if Naruto had settled in well with his new family. He had visited every month, and this would be the last time he would do so. This could be the blonde's last chance to talk to him.

He could ask to leave his father. Perhaps the Hokage would let him go back to the orphanage? Suddenly, the blond boy recoiled as he pictured the Hokage becoming enraged with how weak and ungrateful he was. He could practically see the old man telling him he was ashamed to be associated with such a bad child, and that people like him didn't deserve to live. He could not let that happen. He would not complain to the Hokage like a spoiled brat. Naruto would suffer in silence, even if it meant making the wounds deeper.

But… then, what could he do? His only escape had been becoming a ninja. If he couldn't do that, what could he do to get away from this pain?

Nothing.

He would have to suffer in silence until the day he died. He could never prove to the villagers that he was undeserving of their hate. He would never accomplish his dreams. He would never really live.

It was like he was drowning in a sea of ever-growing despair. People saw him suffering, on their ships as they passed by, but no one stopped to help him. He struggled to keep his head above the surface, clinging to the vain hope someone would eventually stop and rescue him. But a person can only tread water for so long.

There was only one way to escape this trap of a life. If he couldn't get any joy out of life, then why continue to live it? No one would mind if he died, in fact, he would be doing many of the villagers a favor… maybe they would owe him in the next life…

Naruto took a deep breath, and stood up. He walked over to the edge of the Hokage monument and stared at Konoha… beautiful, beautiful Konoha. It looked so colorful and majestic amongst the sea of green leaves that made up the forests of the Leaf village. Its buildings and towers rose up among the trees defiantly. For a moment, Naruto could truly see why old man Hokage wanted to protect this village with his life. But he knew the village's splendor was just a false front. The boy had seen almost every horrible truth that was hidden away from the public eye. From child abuse to starving orphans to corrupt councilmen, he had witnessed it all. There were few dark secrets the village could hide from the young Uzumaki. Sometimes he wondered if the Hokage knew all this was going on in his village, but had never brought up the issue. If he did know, he was cruel for not doing anything about it, and Naruto didn't think he could bear finding out the only person to befriend him was a cold hearted bastard. If the old man didn't know, he didn't want to shatter his delusions of happiness and peace. That would probably break the Hokage's heart.

Naruto braced himself, and prepared to throw his body off the edge. Suddenly, he felt something hot stir within him, and heard a deep voice that commanded respect echo around him.

"Coward…"

Naruto's head whipped around franticly. He couldn't let anyone see him like this! The wounds his father gave him were still visible! Showing them to other people would mean he was being a bad son!

"…Weakling…"

"Where are you?!" screamed Naruto, his voice full of panic.

"…Ignorant ningen… You cannot see me."

The boy's eyes widened. "Why not?!" Frustration laced his words.

"It matters not, cowardly kittling."

Naruto's face contorted into a snarl. It was bad enough someone had seen him in this state, but they had decided to mock him unjustly as well! "Why are you calling me a coward, you bastard?!"

"Because you are one. You give in and merely wait for problems to go away, and when life gives your too many problems, you try to run from life. Committing suicide is one of the most cowardly acts any mortal can make."

Naruto stood, rigid with shock, as comprehension dawned on his tear stained face. The unseen man was right! He was no better than vermin, to run from his troubles like this.

'But… if I can't kill myself, then there is nothing I can do,' thought the boy in despair.

"Fool," said the invisible man, who could apparently hear his thoughts. "You can't let others walk all over you this way. You can't let that hairless ape of a father rule your life."

'But what can I do to change it, without becoming a bad son?'

The unseen man had an answer to that as well. "Just do what I say, and everything will turn out alright in the end."

Naruto didn't question how he knew that, because if the man was invisible, maybe he had psychic powers as well. But why was this supernaturally gifted person helping him? Who's to say this wasn't some kind of trap made by the villagers? 'Why should I trust you?'

The man snorted faintly, before he replied "You shouldn't. But you should do what I say, because it is your last option. There is no other way to free yourself."

That's how Naruto found himself on the doorstep of his house the next day, clutching a fox plushy in his arms. He fidgeted nervously, not knowing what to expect. The invisible man had told him to find something resembling a fox. The blond had obeyed without question. After all, the man wanted to help, right? He had then been instructed to go to his house exactly five minutes before the Hokage was due to arrive. Naruto gulped, suddenly filled with a sense of dread, before hesitantly knocking on the door in front of him. His father had never given him a key to the house, after all. The door swung open, and the blonde's father peered down at him. His dark eyes zeroed in on the fox plushy clutched in his son's arms. Hatred twisted his features, and his arm shot out to grip Naruto's with more force than necessary.

"Get in here," he hissed dangerously, dragging the small boy through the doorway. "What do you think you're doing with that!" He thrust a finger out at the small stuffed animal cradled in the child's arms.

"I-I wanted something to play with, o-otou-san," stuttered Naruto, frightened at the fury his father emanated at the moment. The invisible man hadn't told him this would happen.

"Do you expect me to believe that bullshit?!" his father shouted, infuriated for reasons Naruto failed to understand. "Are you trying to mock me, you demon?!"

The blond fell back as if physically struck. Demon... monster... hell spawn... those were words that had haunted him all his life, and yet they stung like salt to a wound every time he heard them. His father loomed over him, uncaring of the mental agony his words were causing.

"Your very existence is a mockery of Konoha," he spat. "The Sandaime should have left you to rot in the battle field all those years ago, among the corpses of those you murdered." Naruto was shaking now, a storm of unanswered questions clouding his mind along with hurt and fear. His father continued in his harsh, hate-filled voice, a threatening aura growing around him by the second. "Don't even think you can insult this village even more by daring to bring this thing," here he grabbed the fox toy from Naruto's arms, "into my presence!"

A sinister expression contorted his features. "Your evil shall not go unpunished, demon."

That was when the beating started. Just like the day before, he pulled out a knife to attack his defenseless adopted son with, taking cruel pleasure in the boy's pain as the child passed out. But suddenly, the violent cycle was halted.

The front door flew open. Naruto's father had forgotten to lock it in his fury. In swept a shocked and angry Hokage, flanked by his personal ANBU. Menace surrounded the five, and even though Naruto's father was a ninja, his chunnin level skills could hardly hope to compare with these elite shinobi. It was understandable that the blond's adopted father dropped the weapon, fell to his knees and promptly groveled.

–

Naruto panted heavily as he finally reached the top of the steep cliff he had been climbing. The boy was dirty, exhausted, and happier than he had ever been before. His father was gone! He was finally free! Naruto couldn't hold back laughter at the pure joy he felt.

Just a few days ago he had awoken after his father's last beating, to find the Hokage starring down at him worriedly. He inquired if Naruto was alright, how long this had been happening, and so on. When questioned as to where his father was, the Sandaime was strangely tight lipped. All he would say was the chunnin had gone away for awhile. But Naruto knew that where ever his father went, he didn't go willingly. The blond could smell his blood in the floorboards.

But that didn't matter! All that mattered was that he was out of his son's life! Naruto briefly wondered if it was bad to be so happy about his father's disappearance, since the man was likely injured or dead. But he allowed himself that one guilty pleasure. After all, nobody but the invisible man would know.

The unseen man was the cause of Naruto's current happiness. The boy was extremely grateful to him, so when he asked for one small favor, Naruto couldn't bring himself to refuse. It was the least he could do, the blond mused to himself, for the person who gave him freedom.

'What now?' Naruto thought as he stood at the top of the cliff the invisible man asked him to climb.

"Now find the small cave hidden here," rumbled said person. The young Uzumaki nodded eagerly, and threw himself into the task with more than a little enthusiasm. He let loose a squeal of delight more common in children half his age when he found the narrow opening to a small cavern, just as the unseen man had described. The entrance was just big enough for the small blond to fit through, but he doubted an adult could make the tight squeeze. He quickly scrambled inside the damp cave and looked around him. What he saw made his breath catch in his throat. There, floating in the center of the cavern as if held aloft by invisible angels, was a glowing reddish-pink orb. The bright light it cast illuminated the cave, and pinkish flames seemed to dance on the surface of the sphere. Naruto found himself thinking this was the most beautiful object he'd ever laid eyes on.

"Wh...What's that?" asked the blond, his voice muted by awe.

"That," the unseen man replied, "is my hoshi no tama."

Naruto's eyes widened. A nice lady who had come to the orphanage once had told him stories, including fox legends. One of her tales had told of a man who was blessed with good luck because he saved a kitsune's hoshi no tama. The blond remembered asking was a hoshi no tama was. The nice lady had smiled and said "Hoshi no tamas, or star balls, are kitsune's souls. They are very special, and damaging a hoshi no tama will hurt the kitsune as well. Sometimes, a fox will place some of their power inside a star ball, so these jewels are considered very valuable. Greedy humans will go after them to harness the power they contain, but foxes are cunning and will do almost anything to get their souls back."

"Ara, kitsune-kun," Naruto said softly to the unseen man he now knew to be a fox, "your soul is beautiful."

The blond walked further into the cavern, drawn by the mystifying light of the hoshi no tama. He stopped a mere foot away from the surreal star ball. Up close, he could see pink flames seemed to burn on it's surface. Naruto couldn't feel any heat from them, but he was cautious all the same.

"Pick it up, kit." he was startled out of his trance by the fox's voice.

"But, the fire-"

"Don't worry. My kitsune-bi won't hurt you."

Naruto edged closer to the pink orb, and waved his hand through the fire experimentally. Sure enough, the flames seemed to dart out of the way whenever his skin came close to them. The blond picked up the hoshi no tama tenderly, for it felt like it was made of glass. Suddenly, the jewel began to shrink. In less than a minute, it went from the size of Naruto's head to a sphere that could fit in the palm of his hand. Before the boy could start panicking, the invisible fox quickly said "It's alright. Hoshi no tama can change size and sometimes even shape. This makes it easier to carry around."

The boy tilted his head to the side curiously, like a fox kit pondering something new and interesting. "By the way, kitsune-kun, why did you ask me to find this?"

Naruto was sure that if he could see the fox's face, the would be a feral grin on it. "Because, from now on you are going to be taking care of my soul for me."

"Eh?" Naruto said, positive he'd misheard. "Why do you want me to take care of your soul?"

"Right now I'm... incapable of looking after it properly, and you're the only human here that I trust with this task. It's only for awhile, until I get out of a sticky situation. You may have to preform some tasks for me while my soul is in your care, but it shouldn't be anything too hard. Do you accept?"

For Naruto, saying no to this deal was unthinkable. This man trusted him! This was the first time any one had put their trust in the small blond. And yet the kitsune trusted him with such an important task. For the first time in his life, Naruto felt flattered. How could he refuse? It seemed the only downside was the tasks the unseen fox might need him to do. But when this being had given Naruto his freedom, what was a small favor in return? It wasn't like he had much on his agenda anyway.

"I accept," said Naruto, who had the sudden feeling he was about to get a lot more than he bargained for.

A/N: Yay! A happy ending (kind of)! So, this is just the first chapter, I thank everyone for reading this. Tell me what you think.

Japanese dictionary:

Kitsune: fox, or fox spirit

Hoshi no tama: literally translates as 'star ball'. Weird.

Shinobi: ninja

Konoha: leaf, the Leaf Village

Hokage: Fire shadow (leader of Konoha shinobi)

Ningen: human

Otou-san: Father

Kitsune-bi: Fox fire

Ara: just something people say. It can mean 'oh' or 'um'.