Naruto was laying in his bed, physically and mentally tired.
He had just found out that the Nine-Tailed Fox was sealed inside him. Even though he finally understood why everyone was so afraid of him, it still frightened him.
The Third Hokage had told him that the Fourth Hokage used a very powerful seal to keep the Nine-Tails from escaping. He also told him that if he ever wanted to see the seal for himself, all he had to do was channel chakra through his body, and it would appear on his stomach. He saw the spiral-shaped seal for himself after pulling up his shirt. The seal didn't look like much, but it was apparently the most complex seal of its kind, one that would keep the Nine-Tails at bay.
He wondered what was it like to be trapped, unable to talk to anyone – if the tailed beast even could talk in the first place – or move around. He couldn't imagine being trapped, but he knew loneliness all too well. But then he remembered all the people the Nine-Tails killed, including Iruka's parents, and the brief pang of sympathy he felt disappeared. A smile grew on his face, born from the fact that the Nine-Tailed monster wouldn't hurt anyone anymore.
While he didn't like that he was the Nine-Tails' jailer at all, it was better than being ignorant. Now that he knew why everyone avoided him, gaining their acknowledgement would be a lot easier. After letting out a lingering yawn, Naruto fell asleep, looking forward to dreaming about being a hero that was loved by the entire village.
When Naruto opened his eyes, he found that he was standing ankle-deep in a dank canal. The only light came from a candlelight on the side of the corridor, bathing the sewer-like hallway in a dim yellow hue. The only sound came from the dripping of droplets when they hit the stagnant pool.
"Hello, is anyone here?"
No one responded.
The candlelight shone brighter towards the end, so Naruto walked towards it, hoping that he would find out where his mind had taken him. Once he reached the end, he entered a room that was tinged cool orange. The water still lapped at his ankles, but he didn't feel cold or wet. A monumental gate towered over him, its only decoration being a single tag that read 'seal'.
Something was behind that gate and before he knew it, a thick, bubbling substance seeped from the bars and enveloped the entire room. Sweat poured from Naruto's brow, his body rooted to the spot.
If he was dreaming, he wouldn't feel the hairs on his arms stand on end, adrenaline wouldn't be pumping through his veins and his heart wouldn't be racing. He definitely wouldn't feel the warmth of the substance encasing him – it felt like someone giving a loved one a hug, oddly enough – if this was all a dream, because the sensations he was feeling were all too real.
"Who's there?"
The substance receded and as Naruto saw it return to the gate, he felt empty in a way he couldn't describe. A shape coalesced behind it, quickly gaining form. Two blood-red eyes appeared in the darkness, followed by a body covered in dark orange fur.
"Come closer," the creature said, its voice coming out in a low rumble. Despite its baritone voice, its words lacked any malice.
Naruto nodded and stepped closer, though not so close that it could reach him. Once he did, he was able to get a better look at the prisoner. Nine tails sprouted from its back, waving lazily in the air. Rabbit-like ears and a long snout formed the shape of the creature's face.
This was no dream: he was in front of the Nine-Tailed Fox.
"Why am I here?" he asked, saying the first thing that came to him.
The Nine-Tails' mouth shifted into a smile that Naruto could have described as warm, if it wasn't so weird seeing that on a gigantic demon. Its teeth were longer than he was tall and were so sharp. "You were not summoned here, if that was what you were thinking."
"Then how did I get here?"
"Simple... you channelled chakra through my seal before falling asleep. That is why you are in front of me."
Naruto smiled, not at the Nine-Tails, but from knowing why he was in the seal.
A few moments passed before the Nine-Tails spoke once more. "You wanted to know what you would have to deal with if you ever had to face me, did you not?"
Naruto flinched, but he nodded anyways.
"So, what do you think?"
Naruto blinked once, then blinked again. He couldn't think about the right thing to say, so he said the first thing that came to him. "Not what I was expecting, you know? I thought you'd be all 'I'm gonna eat you, Naruto! Let me out so I can use your bones as toothpicks!' Not... this!" He spread his arms out in a sweeping gesture.
The Nine-Tails laughed, the sound once again defying Naruto's expectations. "First impressions are always like that, and they're hard to remove from the minds of the average human. You're not average, are you?"
Naruto shook his head fiercely. "No, I'm not! I'm gonna be the greatest Hokage who ever lived!"
The Nine-Tails laughed again, but not in a mocking, cruel way. It was the sort of fond laugh Naruto heard from Iruka or the Hokage, or even Teuchi and Ayame, who worked at Ichiraku Ramen. So strange.
"Just as I expected." Its mouth curling into a slightly more menacing smile, one Naruto had expected to see the first time around. "You see, I've been watching you."
"You have?"
"I have. At first, it was to alleviate my boredom. Being trapped in a cage without much room to breathe, let alone move, leaves me with a lot of free time. Unfortunately, I have no one to share it with."
The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Still, there was something off about this whole thing. "Why would you think that there'll be someone that'll want to spend time with you?"
The Nine-Tails folded its paws in front of it, resting its chin on top. "You of all people should understand being hated for something that you had no control over. Unlike all those pitiful wretches, I know what you have gone through, the pain that you've endured."
Naruto looked away, rubbing the back of his head. But then he stared at the Nine-Tails and began to wonder. It hadn't been anything like he thought it would be. Was this what Iruka had thought, back when they first met? "You do?"
"I do. You crave acknowledgement to fill the loneliness in your heart. Why fight for the approval of people who will never, ever understand the burden you bear?"
Naruto kept quiet, thinking hard. Not something he often did, but this was a special occasion. He could have said that the villagers would have to accept the Hokage, which was what he wanted to be, but that wasn't what the Nine-Tails was asking.
"I don't want to be alone."
The Nine-Tails' eyes narrowed. "I am here, within you. You will never be alone for as long as you live."
Despite himself, Naruto couldn't help but think that the Nine-Tails was being genuine. He felt a warmth emerge from inside of him, the warmth that came from knowing someone cared. That warmth was offset by the fact that it was the Nine-Tailed Fox that was its cause. "Why would you tell me this?"
"I want to make the most of this situation while it lasts, and that means taking the opportunities life deals you whenever they come."
Naruto remembered Mizuki. Even though the guy was a traitor and a jerk, he wouldn't have become a genin or learned about the Nine-Tails without him. "So does that mean you wanna be my friend?"
The Nine-Tails smiled in a way that Naruto barely experienced, one that he was sure was filled with affection. "That depends. Do you want to be my friend?"
He stood there and thought. The Nine-Tailed Fox had been unpredictable. He thought it would be aggressive, bitter, filled with hate, but it wasn't. It was optimistic, considerate, yielding.
Most of all, it wanted to be his friend. He still wasn't sure why, but then he didn't need a reason to be friends with someone as long as they were willing, no matter who they were.
Naruto's cheeks spread wide, revealing a bright smile. "Yeah."
One corner of the Nine-Tails' mouth slanted upwards, making its smile look more like a smirk. "Excellent." At that moment, Naruto felt like prey in the eyes of an apex predator, but the feeling vanished in an instant. It then closed its eyes and fell asleep, reminding him that he was supposed to be sleeping too.
With that in mind, Naruto left the seal and followed his new friend's lead, drifting off into dreamland.
It was the day of the team assignments and Naruto was at the Ninja Academy, overjoyed at the prospect of being put on a squad and becoming a real ninja. His journey to becoming Hokage started today and he wanted to put his best foot forward. His week of waiting was finally over, and he had been so excited that he could hardly wait for the day to come.
In the meantime, he had taken a photo for his ninja ID and made two new friends: one was a young boy named Konohamaru, while the other was a legendary demon. He never would have believed that the Nine-Tails was even capable of friendship, but it was and he had spent a lot of time talking to it. It didn't share too much about itself, but that was fine because it was interested in him and his thoughts on the world, his peers and his goals.
Not long after he took his seat, Naruto heard two girls barging inside the classroom in a tangle of limbs. Sakura was one of them and he beamed when he saw her stand up, sticking her tongue at her rival Ino before walking towards his desk.
He waved at her. The possibility that the girl he liked would sit next to him made his cheeks flush a bright pink.
Sakura frowned when they made eye contact, glaring at him. "Move, Naruto! Let me sit next to Sasuke!"
Naruto glanced at Sasuke, the best ninja in their class. Sasuke looked his way and scoffed, making Naruto growl under his breath. What does she see in that jerk?
"What do you see in that girl?" the Nine-Tails asked him, a hint of irritation in its voice. As long as he focused chakra around his seal, Naruto could enter his mindscape at will while maintaining an awareness of the outside world. Of course, the Nine-Tails had to be willing to talk to him to maintain the connection.
Sakura slammed her hand on the desk, startling him. "Don't ignore me!" She grabbed his jacket and pulled him out of his seat, taking his place and moving right next to Sasuke. As usual, Sasuke ignored her. Fortunately for Naruto, a seat was open next to Sakura, so he took it and turned his attention to the Nine-Tails.
What do I see in her? Sakura's pretty and smart, and she has a really cute forehead.
"Is that all? From what I can tell, you are nothing but a nuisance to her. A pest that never goes away and always comes back for more punishment. Every time she looks at you, she has to fight the urge to vomit. How can you find that attractive?"
Naruto frowned. How do you know?
"I can sense a person's negative emotions and use that to infer their darkest thoughts, their deepest fears. Even without that ability, her dislike of you is palpable."
Naruto's frown deepened. That wasn't what he wanted to hear, but it made so much sense that he couldn't just dismiss it.
"It is not entirely your fault that she has such a low opinion of you," the Nine-Tails said, its voice soothing him. "As long as she is around the Uchiha boy, she will never think of you as anything other than an obstacle."
Naruto looked at Sakura and saw the way her eyes lit up when she gazed at Sasuke. I don't know.
"Why do you persist in chasing after her?"
If just one person could look at him like that, make him feel like he was wanted...
How can I become Hokage if I can't even get one girl to like me? If I give up now, I might as well give up on my dream.
The Nine-Tails didn't respond.
Naruto grinned, oozing determination. I'm not gonna give up. It doesn't matter what she thinks of me now. If we end up on the same team, I know we can be friends.
The Nine-Tails just stared at him, blood-red eyes boring into him for a period of time that seemed to stretch on forever.
Before it could respond, Iruka stepped inside the classroom, a few other ninja accompanying him. He gave a speech about how they would be assigned into teams of three under a jōnin to do missions and learn the ways of the ninja world under the jōnin's supervision. Then he began to announce team placements.
"... Team Seven is Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno –"
Yes! Naruto let out a cheer. He heard Sakura groan, and saw her about to slump over her desk.
"– and Sasuke Uchiha."
Before she raised a fist in the air and cheered out loud.
Damn it!
Why did Sasuke have to be on his team? He was nothing but a jerk who thought he was too cool to care about anyone other than himself, and as long as he was around, his chances of becoming Sakura's friends would be pretty slim. Slim didn't mean impossible, though. He still had a chance to show her the kind of person he was, and he was certain that she could change her mind about him.
"I do not believe she will change her habits just because she is on the same team as you are."
Maybe you're right, but I know people's opinions can change. Iruka was his proof. Even if Sakura didn't change, they were going to be on a team.
And teammates didn't abandon teammates.
Naruto watched Sakura chase after Sasuke, leaving him tied to a post.
Their new sensei Kakashi had tested their teamwork by having them work together to take the two bells attached to his hip. They failed, but Sasuke had given Naruto some rice even when Kakashi told him not to. When Sakura had followed his lead, Kakashi had said they got the point of his test.
"Those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum," he had said.
He wanted to believe Kakashi's words, but if they were true, then why was he the one that was pinned to a post? Why was he the one who was forgotten? Why was he the one who was all alone?
Naruto shut his eyes as tightly as he could, trying his best not to break down and cry. A long time ago, he promised himself that he wouldn't cry about his situation. He wasn't going to break that promise just because his teammates abandoned him. I thought we were supposed to be teammates. Do you know why I'm still tied up like this?
"It was an act of necessity. That previous gesture from the Uchiha, the one you took to be an act of kindness? All of that was a ploy in order to pass the test. He is too self-absorbed for that act to have been legitimate."
Naruto frowned. Why were the Nine-Tails' words making so much sense? And Sakura? She did it just to impress Sasuke, right?
The Nine-Tails offered him a sad smile. He was quickly getting used to seeing expressions like those appear on his friend's face, and the weirdness he felt had long since left him. "Now you're learning."
A small smile broke out on Naruto's face from hearing the praise, even if he wasn't that happy. I can't just give up on trying to be their friends. If he was going to be on a team with Sasuke, the best thing he could do was not make his life more miserable by fighting with him all the time.
The Nine-Tails didn't respond immediately, seemingly lost in thought. "How about this? Instead of chasing after them, let them come to you. If they cannot see your value as a friend and teammate, then they are not worth your time or energy."
Maybe it was time for a change of pace. As a team, they would spend a lot of time together, so he didn't need to get their attention by being overzealous. A part of him thought that they'd just ignore or belittle him no matter what he did.
I'll think about it.
The Nine-Tails smiled. "Good. Now, to release you from your bindings." Dark orange chakra poured out of his body and burned the ropes to a crisp, allowing him to break free of his binds. The chakra wrapped around him like a cloak and he felt it soothe all the aches and pains he had accumulated throughout the day. It made him feel powerful, like he could do anything he set his mind to.
Once the chakra faded, he smiled for real, his teeth shining in the midday sun. Thanks.
"Friends look after one another, do they not? Even if everyone else abandons you, you will always have me to count on."
You know what? You're right. Ever since they had met, the Nine-Tails had been nothing but helpful and supportive, showing him different points of view and understanding him in a way few others did.
It was nice to know that he didn't have to be afraid of the beast within him, that he could rely on it to be there and be the one constant in his life.
While Naruto waited for Kakashi to arrive, he entered his mindscape to visit the Nine-Tails like he had been doing for the past week, only to see something that took him completely by surprise.
A young woman stood in Nine-Tailed Fox's prison, the great beast nowhere to be seen. Long red hair cascaded downwards, framing a heart-shaped face. Her skin was tan, her curves were slender and iher legs were long, not a single hair visible on her body.
Supple lips parted to reveal a smile filled with sharp teeth, the only blemish on an otherwise flawless figure. "Hello, Naruto."
His mind blanked out. There could only be one person responsible for this. The question was, why? "What happened to you?" Naruto asked, unable to keep his shock from gripping his voice. He never, ever expected that his friend would undergo such a radical change.
"I decided that a change was in order," the Nine-Tailed Fox said. Its voice was low-pitched, honeyed. "You were uncomfortable around my true form, were you not?"
Naruto raised his hands in a defensive gesture. "I was getting used to it!"
"Oh?" the Nine-Tails asked. Naruto nodded. "Even if you did get used to it, my form would still act as a barrier of sorts, preventing us from forging a true bond."
Naruto scratched the back of his head. What was the Nine-Tails trying to say? "And now we can?"
The Nine-Tails nodded, stiffly. "We can. If you are still unsure, this is only temporary. I will only assume this transformation whenever it is necessary."
"Okay..." Naruto dropped his hands to his sides.
The Nine-Tails smiled, tilting its chin upwards. "Good."
"Did you really have to transform into a woman? Why not be a guy?"
The Nine-Tails pursed its lips, smacking them once. Its smile had evaporated immediately after Naruto had opened his mouth. "I remembered how you taught that boy that technique of yours last week. I used that as a base for the transformation."
"Uh, the Sexy Jutsu's something I use to knock out perverts and stuff." The difference between it and the ordinary transformation was in execution and chakra output, requiring only one hand seal to activate it instead of three in exchange for a higher chakra cost.
If someone used the Sexy Jutsu on him, he doubted that it would work. In order to make his technique as effective as possible, he had studied the female body extensively. As a result, he didn't really get flustered by seeing a naked woman, pictures or otherwise. It didn't matter who that woman was, either.
"And I decided to use it for a different purpose," the Nine-Tails said, scowling at him.
"What –"
"Do not insult my intelligence. There are several reasons why I decided to take this form and I could argue about why I made this decision at length. I simply decided to share one of the reasons for my transformation, and you immediately assume it is the only reason."
Naruto flinched from the sheer anger in its voice. Wouldn't it be happier if it was allowed to be a tailed beast instead of being a human?
"Your sensei is about to arrive," the Nine-Tails suddenly said, derailing his train of thought.
Naruto blinked. "Huh?"
The Nine-Tails turned, exposing its back. Its hair was longer than he thought, stopping just over its tailbone. Soon enough, the Nine-Tails looked over its shoulder, a slight frown marring its features. "It would be best if you prepared for his arrival."
He blinked again, completely lost. "What? Aren't you mad at me?"
"Do you seriously believe that an insect like you can offend me? I merely want you to keep yourself from looking like a fool for once in your miserable life. Seeing a clown be humiliated repeatedly becomes a bore after a while, you know."
Naruto scowled, but he bit back the retort. The hardened expression on the Nine-Tails' transformed face was all he needed to know that it wasn't joking. If it was going to be like that, then he wasn't going to bother being around it.
When he opened his eyes, Naruto saw a tornado whirl around a single point, picking up leaves and other debris as it expanded outwards. When the winds settled and the dust cleared, a silver-haired man flickered into view.
"Good morning, everyone," Kakashi said. "Sorry for being late, I just had some things to take care of. Hopefully I won't make a habit of it."
Naruto looked at his teammates. Sasuke had a slight frown on his face while the scowl on Sakura's mouth had faded into a pout. Neither of them had bothered to speak to him, but that wasn't a problem. It would take time to win them over and show he was trying to change, and he was willing to listen to the Nine-Tails' advice. For now, at least.
"I hope so," Sakura said. Sasuke grunted in agreement.
Kakashi chuckled at that. "Shall we get going, then? We have a lot to do today."
And as Naruto found out, Kakashi lived up to his word. They started off by doing fitness drills, working on taijutsu afterwards. Whenever there was a setback, Kakashi was there to help them out, pointing out mistakes or giving advice on how to improve on whatever strengths he or his teammates had. They also had breaks for lunch, and Kakashi would take the time to talk to each one of them about different issues. Naruto did get worried when Kakashi mentioned teamwork exercises, but his anxiety was unnecessary as those exercises weren't that hard to do.
By the end of the day, Naruto had a huge grin on his face from the sheer amount of fun he had. While he didn't learn any new jutsu, he learned more in that one day of training than he did in a month of studying at the Academy. Judging from the expressions on his teammates' faces, it looked like they shared his opinion. The only problem was that the only person he spoke to was Kakashi.
"Good work, team," Kakashi said after training ended. "We'll continue where we left off tomorrow. Same time, same place."
Everyone was too tired to talk, resting on the warm grass in various positions: Naruto lay spread-eagled, Sasuke was crouching and Sakura's hands were planted behind her back, legs stretched out.
Kakashi's eye curved into a smile. "See you then." He left the same way he entered, in a swirl of dust and leaves. A few moments later, Sasuke hopped to his feet and walked away, not bothering to say goodbye. Naruto scowled at that. Unless they were forced to, Sasuke and Sakura didn't even try to speak to him.
"Sasuke, wait!" Sakura shouted, clambering to her feet. Dusting off her hands, she ran towards him before he could get too far.
To Naruto's surprise, Sasuke turned around, placing his hands in his pockets. "What is it?"
Sakura held her hands in front of her, a bashful smile undoubtedly on her face. "I was wondering if... um, you could come train with me."
"No," Sasuke replied. "I already made plans and you aren't a part of them."
Sakura wilted, loosening her hands. "Oh... never mind, then. See you tomorrow."
"Yeah."
As soon as Sasuke left, Naruto jumped to his feet and immediately rushed towards Sakura. Just before he could ask her out, he... stopped.
Sakura noticed, and Naruto saw her scowl in full force. "What do you want, Naruto?"
Naruto blinked, before frowning. Figures. The only time Sakura wanted to speak to him was when she was mad. "Nothing."
Sakura's eyes shot wide. "Wait, what? You're not gonna ask me out?"
For the first time in a long time, Naruto just didn't feel like asking his crush out. He knew what would happen if he did. "Nah. I'll see you tomorrow, Sakura."
"Oh, yeah... sure." Sakura smiled, but he was sure that it wasn't for him. She left without even saying goodbye, and once she was out of his sights, Naruto started to move.
As he walked home, he thought about his decision. On the one hand, he knew he made the right choice. She would reject him, and probably get violent too. He had more than enough of being treated like dirt for one day, and if he went ahead with it, it would set back whatever progress he had made on getting Sakura to not immediately reject him. With that settled, he walked away from the training ground. It didn't feel right, though. Like he was giving up. It made him feel antsy, restless, as if he was being gripped by something and shaken repeatedly.
The rest of the day went by for him in a blur. He ate some ramen before returning to his new team's training ground to practise some of the exercises Kakashi taught him. It didn't take too long for him to take a break. Without Kakashi there to guide him or Sasuke and Sakura around to inspire him, he didn't see much point in exercising. Since he had nothing else to do, he went home. Before heading to bed, Naruto took a shower, brushed his teeth, changed his clothes and had a snack. Routine stuff. Night had fallen by the time he entered his bedroom, but he just couldn't fall asleep. He was still restless, and he knew why.
A gnawing anxiety had gripped him not too long after training with Team Seven had begun. It was easy to ignore during the day, but it crept up on him and now, as he laid on his bed, he felt it return with a vengeance. All the enthusiasm he had experienced during the day had evaporated, replaced with that horribly familiar anxiety. It reared its ugly head whenever he was quiet for a long period of time, and he knew that if he didn't do something to stop it, he would feel a crushing loneliness. Not approaching anyone had been much harder than he thought it would be.
He couldn't help but think that the Nine-Tails had something to do with this anxiety returning, as the security from its mere presence was enough to keep his loneliness at bay. But ever since they had that stupid argument, it had remained silent. He still didn't know why it was so angry at him and he couldn't fathom why it got so angry in the first place. The worst part about this whole argument was that there was an argument in the first place.
Maybe he could figure it out in the morning.
Naruto managed to find sleep before long and the next day, he ran to his team's meeting place, excited for training. Unfortunately, Kakashi wasn't there. In fact, Sakura was the only one who was. She looked up when he arrived and her eyes lit up, before her gaze fell on him. Her face fell and she frowned, hugging her knees. Naruto frowned himself and was about to sit down when he caught Sakura's new hairdo. She had tied her hair up into a high ponytail, but she had also kept her forehead protector away from her forehead, letting two bangs frame her face.
"What?" Sakura asked. "I don't have something on my face, do I?"
"No! No, you just look really pretty today," Naruto replied, grinning at her.
Sakura's eyes narrowed, returning to normal soon after. A slight smile graced her lips. "Hopefully Sasuke thinks so too."
A rosy blush bloomed on Sakura's face, and Naruto had to keep himself from scowling. He knew that she was doomed to fail. What was the point of trying to impress someone who wouldn't appreciate their efforts? If he was Sakura, he would have been furious if Sasuke didn't bother to acknowledge him.
Wait a minute! That was it. He grinned from the realization, and immediately took a seat away from Sakura, diving into his mindscape. The first thing he saw when he reached the gate was the Nine-Tails, still transformed. It was seated in a cross-legged position, back facing the bars. As if it had just sensed his presence, the Nine-Tails stood up one step at a time, turning to face him with tentative movements of its feet. Its expression was still hard, a dark frown on its face.
His first instinct was to leave, but he couldn't back down. Not now, not ever. "Hi."
"What do you have to say for yourself?"
Naruto flinched, still rattled from the Nine-Tails' anger, but he didn't back down. He took a step closer to his friend, a smile slowly emerging on his face. "I'm... uh, I'm sorry."
The Nine-Tails raised a delicate eyebrow. It was a testament to the Nine-Tails' transformation that he could call anything about the great beast delicate.
"I'm sorry for giving you grief over this. I mean, you did this for me and I was complaining about stuff that doesn't really matter, you know? I'm supposed to be your friend and I know that friends aren't supposed to turn their back on each other." As his confidence grew, so did his smile. "And I'm not gonna turn my back on you just because of some stupid argument, got it?"
A slight gasp escaped the Nine-Tails' lips. "Are you sure you can stick to those words?"
Naruto gave the Nine-Tailed Fox a thumbs-up. "Yeah! I never give up and I never go back on my word!"
The Nine-Tails froze. Unlike his Sexy Jutsu, the Nine-Tails had no whisker marks, higher cheekbones and thinner eyebrows. Its eyes were still large and still a bloody red, but if anything, they were more expressive, almost shining in the surrounding shadows.
"We shall see," it finally said.
Naruto grinned. A weight had lifted from his shoulders, now that he had his friend back.
"Just for curiosity's sake, what feature of mine do you like best?"
"Your hair," Naruto said immediately. "I love your hair."
The Nine-Tails lifted a few strands of hair that had been hanging over its chest, twirling them with a finger tipped with a long, pointed nail. "I had a feeling that was the case."
"What are you talking about?"
"A story for another time."
Naruto wanted to press the issue, but he knew that it would only lead to the Nine-Tails getting angry at him again and he didn't want a repeat of that any time soon. "Alright."
The Nine-Tails' expression finally softened, its hard frown giving way to a small smile. "By the way, you did good work yesterday."
Naruto returned its smile with one of his own. "Thanks." A part of him knew that even if it was his friend, the Nine-Tails was still the monster that slaughtered so many. He took solace in the fact that it was trapped inside of him and that for as long as he was alive, it would never hurt anybody. That knowledge boosted his confidence and made it easier to talk to the Nine-Tailed Fox.
"My pleasure." It suddenly stopped fiddling with its hair. "Your sensei is about to arrive."
"Really?" Naruto heard a rush of wind kick up nearby and he opened his eyes, turning his head in the direction the sound came from. Kakashi appeared in a tornado of dust and leaves, just like the Nine-Tails said.
"You're late!" Naruto said after jumping to his feet. Sakura had done the same.
Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, looking away. "Sorry about that. I was busy with something. Took longer than I thought to finish it."
Sakura's features lightened, her eyebrows relaxing and her scowl turning into a slight frown. "Fine."
"What were you doing that made you so late?" Naruto asked, standing on the tips of the toes.
Kakashi's eye crinkled. "You really want to know?"
Naruto's head bobbed up and down, his grin not wavering one bit.
"Sorry, can't tell you."
Naruto deflated, Sakura's eyebrow twitched and Sasuke, who had just joined them, shook his head.
"Let's get going," Kakashi said, his tone taking on a sharper edge. "We have a lot of work ahead of us today." His hands slipped into his pockets and he strolled away from the bridge, walking along the river's edge. Naruto and his teammates followed him.
The only reason why Naruto knew he had to come to the bridge in the first place was because of a note Kakashi had left him on his fridge. Not only that, his fridge had been stocked with fresh groceries. He had been meaning to go grocery shopping, but he forgot.
It was really nice of Kakashi to do something like that for him. When he heard the Nine-Tails scoff, he opened the connection between them. Instead of blocking it like it did yesterday, it answered his call. Something wrong?
"I believe he had an ulterior motive," the Nine-Tails said.
What are you talking about?
"Why else would he buy groceries for you?"
So that I don't get sick? He shuddered from the memory. The sooner he forgot the amount of torture his stomach went through that day, the better.
The Nine-Tails smiled. "That, and so that you don't make a bigger fool of yourself than you usually do."
Hey!
The Nine-Tails laughed, the sound ringing against Naruto's ears in a discordant hum. "What kind of friend would I be if I did not tell you the truths you need to hear?"
I don't know, a bad one? The Nine-Tails chuckled. Naruto shook his head. But Kakashi-sensei isn't a bad guy, either.
The Nine-Tails' teeth flashed in the murky light. "Perhaps, but one small kindness is not enough for two people to become lasting friends."
It was a good reason to become someone's friend, though. Do you have a problem with him or something?
"I do not. I do, however, believe that your sensei is chained to his past. He is haunted by the demons from his past, and he cannot move on from them. That means he will see you in place of someone else and do things out of some sense of obligation."
Obligation?
"Everything alright back there?" Kakashi asked. He was looking at him, his eye slanted into a smile.
"You will find out soon enough."
Naruto grinned, eyes wide shut. It was easy for him to fake a smile, because if he did it enough, it would become a real one. "Sure am, Kakashi-sensei!"
And he had to fake it because the Nine-Tails' words didn't sit well with him. Was what it was saying true? He had no reason not to trust it, after all. But while Kakashi had been nothing but good to him, he only met him two days ago. In any case, the only way to know for sure was to wait and see.
Naruto scowled, lying on the grass and feeling a sharp pain pulsate around the small of his back. The tree loomed above him, uncaring of his struggle to climb it. Kakashi told him to climb the tree by focusing chakra to his feet, but he kept on slipping. His instructions were simplistic and he didn't really try to give any pointers, but he said that it was an exercise that he couldn't really help out with. One good thing was he wasn't the only one who was struggling with the exercise.
"Damn it!" Sasuke shouted after being blown off the tree from chakra overload. Unlike Naruto, Sasuke always flipped back to his feet. This time, though, he dropped to a knee, panting from fatigue.
Sakura wasn't with them, since she finished the exercise the first time she tried it out. That wouldn't have been a problem, except she wanted to impress Sasuke with it, and failed. Again.
What was with her? Sasuke didn't notice or like her before, and if he still rejected her even after being teammates for nearly two months, she had to realize that there wasn't any point. Right?
"Foolish boy."
Naruto shut his eyes before entering his mindscape. He knew why Sakura didn't give up because he felt the same way about her, back when they started out. But he listened to the Nine-Tails and tried to give his teammates some space. He hoped they would come to him.
They didn't.
"What now?" Naruto snapped.
The Nine-Tails glared at him, red eyes shining in the dim light. "Do you think I enjoy watching you fail?"
Naruto frowned, looking down. He let his anger at the tree-climbing exercise get the best of him. But it was so difficult, and failing was harder to tolerate because he knew he could do it. "I'm sorry. It's just, I know what to do but I keep on falling down. Focus chakra to my feet, walk up the tree."
"And maintain a consistent level of chakra for each step," the Nine-Tails said. "Come closer." Naruto did, and once he reached the gate, the Nine-Tails grabbed his jacket zipper with her hand and pulled it down. Then, she pulled up his shirt. It took some time, but Naruto had become used to the Nine-Tails' transformation. As long as the Nine-Tails was using the transformation, Naruto would think of it as a she. "Look at your stomach."
He did, and saw the seal keeping the Nine-Tails in him. "What does this have to do with anything?"
The Nine-Tails sighed, the sound ringing harshly against his ears. "How do you talk to me?"
"I focus..." Naruto's eyes lit up. "My chakra around the seal and maintain the connection at that point!"
The Nine-Tails let go of his shirt and lifted his chin with a finger, making eye contact. "Good. Now do that when climbing the tree. Do not let anything go to waste."
Naruto grinned, and nodded. The Nine-Tails always helped him. She was there when he was lonely, when he felt like he wasn't going anywhere. She was his friend, and her transformation was really pretty too.
He opened his eyes. He had to focus on finishing the exercise, not on how the Nine-Tails looked. So he jumped to his feet and ran to the tree. He needed to focus a set amount of chakra to activate his seal. Any less and it wouldn't appear on his stomach, and any more would be a waste of chakra.
If the Nine-Tails was right, the same principle applied for climbing trees with chakra. And she was. He had climbed much higher than he had before, but not nearly enough to climb all the way up to one of the higher branches. It was pretty high up, but that was because he chose to climb the highest tree.
He went down, a wide smile on his face from his success.
"How did you do that?" Sasuke asked, a pensive frown on his face.
Now Sasuke chose to speak to him? The smile disappeared from his face. "I just tried something different," he told him. He didn't bother facing his former rival.
"And? What did you do?"
Naruto ignored him and ran up the tree, but he lost his footing and fell, hitting the ground and collapsing in a boneless heap. A scowl formed on his face after he checked the mark on the tree he made with his kunai. He had barely covered half the distance he made on his last attempt, and to make matters worse, Sasuke had watched him fail.
"Why are you still here, huh?"
Sasuke's frown didn't disappear. "You didn't answer my question."
He leaped to his feet in a single bound and got in Sasuke's face. "And I'm not gonna! You want me to help you, then try and be my friend first! I know you'll just use me and throw me away in the trash if I help you now and I won't let you walk all over me!"
Sasuke stood there, stunned into a ghostly silence. Naruto thought he would respond, but instead, he turned around and walked away, hands in his pockets.
Instead of being relieved that Sasuke didn't try and mock or belittle him, Naruto's blood began to boil. He clenched his teeth and balled his hands into fists, so... angry at a lot of things: Sasuke, the exercise, himself.
"There are more important matters to attend to."
Naruto blinked. This wasn't the first time the Nine-Tails attempted to cool him down. It always told him to keep his tongue, and not let bad words get to him.
You're right. He would just be letting Sasuke win if he let his anger get the best of him, so he took a deep breath and loosened up before focusing on the exercise. Not only did it let him forget about his confrontation with Sasuke, he continued to climb higher and higher. While he was busy, he saw Sasuke return with Sakura, who began to show him how she did the exercise. They were close enough that he could hear them, but not so close that they would get in his way.
At least Sasuke wouldn't try to bother him, now.
"You're getting it, Sasuke," he heard Sakura say.
He was: Sasuke was much higher up the tree than he was last time. Naruto ignored him and began to sprint up the tree, slicing another notch into the tree once he reached his limit. He was still far ahead of Sasuke, but as time went on, Sasuke began to gain on him.
"Not good enough," Sasuke said after he returned to the ground.
"What are you talking about? You're doing great!"
Sasuke clicked his tongue. "That doesn't matter."
Naruto cut another mark – he hadn't surpassed his peak this time – and jumped down, just in time to catch Sakura's response. "It does matter. You're already getting the hang of this, and we both know you'll beat Naruto."
Sasuke frowned. "What does Naruto have to do this?"
Sakura raised her hands. "Nothing! I just thought that, you know, maybe you were getting worked up because Naruto was actually good at something for once."
Naruto scowled and clenched his fists, but he forced himself to listen instead of marching over there and getting into another argument. It was the right decision, as Sasuke remained silent and faced the tree. He was about to return to the exercise, but he stopped himself once he saw Sasuke turn back to Sakura and open his mouth.
"What do you think about Naruto?"
Sakura blinked. "What do I think of him? I... don't know. He's not as annoying as he used to be. But he's been acting strange lately... kind of like you."
"Like me?" Sasuke repeated, an undercurrent of menace in his tone.
"Yeah. He doesn't talk to anyone, he keeps to himself. You make it look cool, he just makes it all weird."
Silence filled the area.
"I don't blame him," Sasuke eventually said. "Being all alone takes its toll on you, no matter who you are. And when nobody acknowledges you no matter how hard you try... it's not too hard to believe that he'd give up. Even Naruto has his limits."
Sakura frowned, biting her lip. "You have a point."
Sasuke looked away, facing the tree once more. "Let's get back to the exercise."
Naruto diverted his gaze, replaying the conversation in his mind. He couldn't believe what he just heard.
Why does he have to be such a jerk if that's what he thinks of me?
"Do not take his words as the truth. He hides his hatred for you behind a cold facade."
Why would he hate me?
"He is jealous of you. Jealous that you are surpassing him."
Naruto scowled. Why? Sakura did better than both of us!
"Because Sakura is not the dead last. You are. And as much as he tries to hide it, that fact is a comfort to him. What would happen to him if you, the dead last, ended up stronger than him? Everything he did in the pursuit of power would come into question, and for someone who only values his own strength, that would be something very dire indeed."
Naruto remembered Sasuke saying something about how he wanted to kill 'a certain someone'. Was that why he was so cold? Whatever the reason was, it didn't mean that he had to be such a jerk.
He sighed and put his complete focus on the exercise. Once he was satisfied with the progress he made, he returned to the ground and decided to take a breather, keeping an ear out just in case Sasuke or Sakura decided to talk about him again.
"Sasuke?"
"What is it?"
"Are you sure Naruto's going to be alright?"
"... Yeah. He knows what he's doing."
Naruto stumbled, but he glued himself to the tree just before he could fall. Why would Sasuke say that? He was a jealous, arrogant, selfish bastard. People like him never complimented others, they just put them down and broke their self-esteem.
When he got to the bottom, he saw Sasuke staring at him, a smirk on his face. "I'm gonna get to the top of this tree before you do, Naruto. That's a promise!"
Naruto felt his heart skip a beat. Sasuke was challenging him. It was what he always wanted, for Sasuke to acknowledge him as a rival. But now, in this way, under these circumstances... he couldn't. He didn't know what to say or do, so he didn't say anything.
What he could do was focus on the exercise, and that was he did. Sakura was there, pointing out where Sasuke went wrong, and he took in the information like a sponge. He had the Nine-Tails doing the same thing for him.
He didn't really know what to think about Sasuke. He wasn't supposed to be even close to nice, but this wasn't the first time he was. He was probably saying all that just so he could rub it in his face later.
"Exactly," the Nine-Tails said.
Whatever kind of person Sasuke was, one thing Naruto for sure knew was that Sasuke would never do something good just because he could.
Naruto was certain that he was going to be attacked by that apprentice of Zabuza's, and he knew that he was too slow to get away from those oncoming needles. But he wasn't hurt at all, because Sasuke was standing in front of him.
Thick needles bit into his clothes and skin, sticking out everywhere. Blood oozed from those wounds and flowed downwards, seeping onto the bridge's floor.
"Idiot," Sasuke said, coughing out more of that vile red liquid. Some of it began to trickle down his chin. "All you ever did was get in the way... and all you ever do now is push people away."
Naruto's heart was hammering in his chest, and his eyes were bulging wide from shock.
"Heh," Sasuke said, looking over his shoulder. He could hear the Nine-Tails growl from seeing Sasuke's eyes. They were blood red, with black tomoe embedded in them. The Sharingan. "You should see the look on your face. You look like a total loser."
Sasuke took the blow meant for him. Sasuke saved his life.
"Why? Why'd you do it?"
His eyes faded to black. "I just did. There wasn't... any time to think."
It didn't make any sense. Sasuke was a bastard who only cared about himself and his own power. He wouldn't do this, he wouldn't throw away his life to save him. Everything he did always had some kind of ulterior motive.
"I... hated you," he said. "I hated you then... and I hate you even more now."
Naruto clambered to his feet, ignoring the stinging pinpricks of pain caused by the cold air blowing through the cuts on his skin. It was nothing compared to Sasuke's injuries. "Then... then why? I didn't ask for your help! I never wanted this!"
Sasuke tried to take a step forward, but he staggered and struggled to stay standing. "I... don't know. My body just moved on its own..."
Then he collapsed, and Naruto caught him. He looked at him, and Naruto saw tears running down his cheeks. "My brother's... still out there. I promised myself that I wouldn't die until I killed him. Don't die, Naruto. Don't let your dream die..."
He closed his eyes, and his body went cold.
Naruto heard Zabuza's apprentice get up. He didn't even know that he – or she – had been knocked down.
"He wanted to protect you," Zabuza's apprentice said. "The desire to save someone precious to him made him rush into the fight, even when he knew it was a trap. It gave him the strength to strike me down and take the blow meant for you without flinching."
Naruto was trembling, and his shock from seeing Sasuke sacrifice himself quickly turned into boiling anger.
"Is this the first time you've seen a friend die in battle? This is the way of the ninja, a fact of life. Your friend died with honour."
He hated Sasuke, but he knew he didn't deserve to die. Not now, and not this way.
"Shut up!"
He needed to beat the apprentice, but he wasn't strong enough. All he wanted to do was survive and ensure that Sasuke's sacrifice wasn't made in vain.
"Take my chakra, Naruto Uzumaki," the Nine-Tails said in its deep, rumbling voice. "Prove your worth to me."
He did, and dark orange chakra began to circle around him, funnelling up like a cyclone. It was cool to the touch, but it was warmer and more soothing than the freezing air. The Nine-Tails' chakra fuelled his anger, sharpened it and helped him focus it all on a single point.
For mocking Sasuke's sacrifice, killing him in the first place and making him feel this way, he was going to make that asshole of an apprentice pay.
He stood up. The needles piercing him popped out of his skin, and his wounds began to heal. Good. He needed to be at full strength if he wanted to get his revenge. The apprentice sunk into the mirror, but Naruto charged anyways, deflecting the oncoming needles with a roar.
All the apprentice's attempts to stop Naruto were futile. The needles that weren't deflected were ineffective even if they hit their target. Naruto was too fast for the apprentice to hit, and fluidly spun out of the way of a diving strike. Then in a flash, Naruto grabbed the apprentice's wrist and delivered a punch powered by cold hatred.
The apprentice flew, and the mirrors shattered on impact.
Naruto wasn't done. He charged, jumping into the air and punching the apprentice again, hearing the sickening sound of bone breaking. It was enough to put the apprentice down. He approached on all fours, the Nine-Tails' chakra trailing behind and cutting through the thick, oppressive mist. When he reached the apprentice, he stopped.
The mask had fallen off in pieces, revealing the face of a very pretty girl. Her lips were stained with blood, and a bruise had begun to form around the area he hit her.
"You've beaten me," she said. "And you've taken away my purpose in life."
Naruto scowled, and felt his fingernails scrape his palms. Her words weren't making any sense. "What're you talking about?"
"Do you have a person that's precious to you? Someone who acknowledges you unconditionally?"
"I do."
The girl smiled. "For me, that person is Zabuza. Before I met him, I was all alone, unwanted just because I had a kekkei genkai."
Naruto flinched. She was just like him.
"But while everyone hated my power, he was the only one who desired it, and I was so, so happy! I had finally found someone, and I promised myself I would do anything I could to protect him." The girl frowned, wiping away the blood on her mouth. "But you've defeated me... and Zabuza has no use for a broken, useless tool."
She hopped to her feet, but didn't step into a fighting stance. "What's your name?"
"Naruto. What's yours?"
"My name is Haku. I want you to kill me, Naruto."
His heart skipped a beat from hearing the insane request. "Why should I? How can you be fine with being some bastard's tool? Why would you want to throw your life away? I know someone somewhere would acknowledge a pretty girl like you!"
Haku giggled. "I'm not a girl, I'm a boy."
Naruto scowled, both out of embarrassment from making such a stupid mistake and the girl – boy, whatever – avoiding his question. "Doesn't matter! It still doesn't mean that you have to be this way!"
Haku's smile didn't waver, not once. "I believe that when you protect someone important to you, you truly become strong. And if you fail to protect him, then there's no reason to continue living."
Naruto still wasn't sure if he could go through with it. There had to be a better way, but he couldn't think of any solution. It wasn't like he could bring him back to the village; he was still an enemy. And nothing he was saying could make Haku understand.
What should I do?
"The boy is too set in his ways," the Nine-Tails said. "Killing him would be a mercy."
Naruto sighed, before pulling out a kunai. "Fine. If that's what you want."
He took hold of the Nine-Tails' chakra once more and dashed forward, stabbing Haku in the heart. The kunai went in without any resistance and came out just as easily, slick with Haku's blood. Naruto took a step back and watched him fall lifelessly to the ground, a gentle smile on his face.
At the same time, the choking mist began to clear up. He put his hand over Haku's eyes and closed them. Then he stopped drawing on the Nine-Tails' chakra and felt the shroud clinging to him disappear. It made him stumble as his body adjusted to the lack of external chakra, and he felt a sudden bout of mental exhaustion.
"You did well," the Nine-Tails said. She had a warm smile and he always felt good whenever he saw it.
I don't know.
He always thought being a ninja would be easy. Saving princesses, defeating enemy ninjas, being praised as a hero like the Fourth Hokage. The road to Hokage was supposed to be an easy one, but teammates sacrificing themselves, people willing to throw their lives away if they lost their purpose in life... this wasn't right.
"This world is a harsh place, and there will always come a time when a tough decision has to be made. You made the right decision today, Naruto. You should be proud of yourself."
Naruto shook his head. He couldn't take pride in killing Haku. He died because he was willing to throw his life away for the sake of a heartless monster, a guy who wanted to kill an innocent carpenter just because he wanted money.
What hurt the most was that Haku was so similar to him. Sasuke was too, but now both of them were dead. And it was all because they wanted to save someone precious to them.
"Naruto! You're alright!"
The shout startled him, and he just barely kept himself from throwing the kunai in his hand, storing it in his holster instead. It wasn't an enemy who called him, it was only Sakura. He ran towards his team and when he reached them, he saw Sakura and Tazuna unharmed. He couldn't say the same for Kakashi. Blood completely covered his right hand, and there was a long gash on his chest.
Behind them, Zabuza was dead. There was a gaping hole where his heart was, while his sword lay next to him. He knew he should have felt something good from seeing Zabuza's corpse, but he just felt empty.
At least Tazuna was safe from Zabuza now.
"Where's Sasuke?" Sakura asked.
Naruto looked away. It would be acknowledging that Sasuke really had died, but he had to go through with it. "He's dead."
Sakura gave him a venomous glare. "You're lying! He's not dead!"
Naruto gritted his teeth. If Sakura didn't want to believe him, then there was no point in wasting his breath. Although, he could tell she was starting to believe it as tears started to form around her eyes.
"Sakura, why don't you check up on Sasuke and make sure?" Kakashi asked.
Tazuna smiled at her, probably trying to be supportive. "Come on, I'll go with you."
Sakura acquiesced and they went together, holding hands. Now Naruto was alone, with Kakashi. He put his left hand on Naruto's shoulder, startling him. "How's it going?"
Naruto shrugged off Kakashi's grip. "I'm fine, Kakashi-sensei. Really, I am." He looked up at Kakashi to see his response, but whatever reaction he had just wasn't visible.
Kakashi had always been good to him: he helped him out with his taijutsu, showed him a few practical tricks and was generally nice. He was late... all the time, and he didn't teach him or his teammates any jutsu, but he could deal with that. However, wondering if Kakashi was being genuine or not was always at the back of his mind. Mizuki was the last sensei that tried to be nice to him, and that nearly ended up in a disaster. He didn't want to be tricked like that again.
"You killed him, didn't you?" Kakashi asked, and he didn't sound like the joking, jovial teacher he was used to. He sounded like a battle-scarred veteran, his tone soft and melancholy.
Naruto nodded.
"Did you get his name?"
"Yeah. Why'd you ask?"
He then heard an anguished wail, and wondered if anyone would cry if he died. Probably not. Nobody cried for Haku, after all.
"I try to remember all the people I come across in battle, if I can help it. And if I kill them, it helps me put a name to a face." His lone eye curved into a smile. "That way, they aren't forgotten. And by remembering them, they live on inside of you."
"Why would you do that? They're the enemy, aren't they?"
"They're not that different than you or me. They're just fighting for a cause they believe in, something they're willing to die for."
Kakashi put his clean hand on Naruto's head, ruffling his hair. "Chin up, Naruto. It'll get better, trust me."
"How do you know?"
"Experience." Kakashi winked at him, then put his hand in his pocket and walked towards Sakura and Tazuna.
What do you think?
"What your sensei proposes is perhaps a way to maintain your humanity. It could be beneficial if you want to chain yourself to the past."
If he followed Kakashi's advice, he would remember how Haku died, losing his purpose and throwing away his life for his precious person. He couldn't imagine doing that. And remembering how Haku died would force him to remember how Sasuke died.
What happens if I don't?
"You will eventually feel nothing for the people you kill. Regardless of what choice you make, killing will become easier."
Maybe that was the right choice. If he was stronger, Sasuke would be alive, and he wouldn't have to bear the pain of not being good enough to protect himself.
"Naruto!"
Naruto looked ahead and saw Sakura, who had a bright smile on her face. "What's going on?"
"It's Sasuke! He's alright!"
Naruto's heart skipped a beat. It couldn't be. Sasuke was dead. Haku killed him. But there he was, raising a hand to him in greeting. He returned it and felt hot tears sting his eyes and run down his cheeks. Sasuke was alive and while that was a good thing, it wasn't why he was crying.
He was so ashamed that he needed to be saved, and the guilt he felt for not being strong enough was overwhelming, even more so now that Sasuke was alive. He didn't want anyone to sacrifice their life to save him. It wasn't worth doing.
"Then you will have to become stronger so that you do not have to be saved."
You can help me with that, right? I need to be stronger!
The Nine-Tails grinned. "If you insist."
Naruto smiled. He knew he could trust the Nine-Tails.
Author's Note: Along with an overall edit of the chapter, there are some additions to the scene where Naruto meets the transformed Nine-Tails. Also, the confrontation between Sasuke and Naruto has been revised and the scene itself has been expanded.