My Life as a Shinobi

Yesterday was my birthday; it isn't really a big deal though. Usually I never get anything. Nothing, that is, until Iruka-sensei started buying me ramen on my birthday. But this time, on my thirteenth birthday, the Hokage gave me a note. It was a simple scroll, tied with red ribbon. The note is still sitting on my miserable excuse for a dresser, untouched where the Hokage left it. I can't decide whether to open it and read the note or leave it as untouched as yesterday. I want to know what he has to say to me, but I don't want to ruin the first real birthday I've ever gotten. Inside could be an important message, though. I will open it.

As the ribbon comes off the scroll, I take it up and tie it around my neck. I'll keep it as a reminder of this day, of whatever is inside the note. The parchement unrolls and it reads:

Dear Naruto Uzumaki,

As of Monday, two days from this day, your birth day, I will expect you to pass the genin exams. For the past six years I have told you to hide the real you, I told you to be weak. On the foretold day you may drop the fools' mask. I will allow you to use any and all jutsus I have taught you, or that you have learned otherwise. Our personal training will resume as per usual on every weekday at four pm sharp. I know you will become a great shinobi and thank you sincerely for putting the mask on for so long. I know it has had to be immensely hard and painful to endure. Tomorrow, at noon, I will bring over another special present and I will tell you something of great importance, along with a new seal I'm going to teach you that was developed by Yondaime. Please have a wonderful birthday.

Truly,

Sarutobi-sensei

Naruto broke into a foxy grin. He could stop pretending? 'Thats my present from Sarutobi? I will have to thank him in someway…I will make him proud in the exams! Did he also say that he would come today with something important? He also spoke of teaching him a new seal! Usually we only train in the special training grounds only used by ANBU. This was by far the best present I have ever received.'Noon was in only two hours. 'I'm gotta go take a shower then I'll make some lunch to share with sensei.' He went to his raggedy bathroom and undressed to take a shower. He turned on the water and stepped in, the water was always cold, always had been. It was just another way the village showed their hate for him. He always wondered why they treated him badly, he could never think of a reason. He'd asked Sarutobi and he only answered, "When the time comes, I'll tell you." Little did he know, that in less than two hours his question would be answered.

A little while later, Naruto stepped out of the shower and started drying off. He stopped and looked in the mirror. He saw the scars that the villagers left many years ago, before the Hokage stepped in. He also saw the six telltale whisker-like marks on his face and the seal that fanned out from his stomach. His spiked blonde hair and strikingly bright blue eyes only added to the 'outcast effect' that he had. Naruto sighed solemnly and wrapped the towel around his waist.

The fox child looked through his closet. 'sensei did say I could take off the mask, does that mean I can wear something other than the Horrific Orange Outfit Of Doom?' when Naruto started wearing the mask at six he was also given the orange outfit, to make him look stupid. The people in the clothing shop would never give him anything normal, always something bright that shouted "SHOOT ME, I'M AN IDIOT!" The Hokage had given him all of the Yondaime's clothes, from when he was a boy. But he told Naruto to continue wearing the bright clothes to keep up the mask.

He chose some black nin-pants with a red shirt that had a fox head with nine spirals, supposedly its tails, in white on the front. Afterwards, he went to the kitchen and put on some tea. He had barely walked back into the living room when there was a knock on the door. He opened it to find the Hokage, Sarutobi. He quickly led him in and sat beside him on the couch.

"How are you, Naruto?" Sarutobi started.

"I'm good, thank you for the wonderful present, sensei!" Naruto shouted with chagrin.

"As you know, I have something important to discuss with you. And Naruto, I'm going to be blunt. What you know of your parents is a lie. They were killed by the Kyuubi, but not the way you think." Sarutobi paused here and sighed before starting again, "The fourth Hokage, Yondaime, was your father. A medic-nin, Naomi, was your mother. She was said to have died giving birth to you, but that is not true. She was in love with your father, but was already married to another man, he was an Uchiha. Actually, he was the Uchiha clan leader, and they had already had two children, Itachi and Sasuke." Naruto gasped and shook his head to clear the little stars going around, he felt as if he was just hit with a ten-ton weight. Sasuke was his half brother? And so was Itachi? Sarutobi continued, "When the great fox attacked, your mother was giving birth to you. Yondaime knew a seal that would seal the Kyuubi into a human infant, which was you… But, this seal…it cost your father his life. Your mother was killed shortly after by her own son, Itachi Uchiha. Sasuke knows none of what has happened, but Itachi, he knows it all. Naruto, this present I'm going to give you. It's…unique, the item is from a very old village from long ago…the village of half breeds. It was where half humans and half demons went because no one else accepted them. This item will allow you to merge with the demon inside of you, half demons used it all the time to subdue their inner demon and control its powers. For you, this will allow you to merge the demons powers inside you, but since you are not technically a half-demon, you will need a vessel for the demon inside of you to go. Arashi, the Yondaime, has given me a seal to show you to be able to do this correctly. But first, I'll give you the present." The old man reached into his robes and pulled out an intricately carved scabbard.

He handed it to Naruto who looked awestruck. Naruto studied the sword, it was a black blade with a golden hilt, and the scabbard was black with red swirls and silver and gold simplified fox heads. The thing that struck Naruto the most was when he pulled it fully out of the scabbard, it transformed into a bigger version of itself. Think Inuyasha's sword He made a few practice slashes, and he was surprised when he knew how to handle it.

"Your father said that only the swords true owner could wield it, apparently it was made for you. Now, come with me to the training grounds. I will show you the new seal there." With that the Hokage stood and left. Naruto followed after. The trip was made in silence. They soon made their way into the ANBU training grounds. They stopped in a small clearing, surrounded by woods. It had a small pond towards one side.

"Naruto, this seal can only be used by you, that is because your case is extremely unusual; having a fox demon sealed in you is not common, as they are very witty and not easily caught. Especially not the Kyuubi, lord of the foxes." Sarutobi explained.

He formed a simple one handed seal. Naruto copied and abruptly fell to his knees from a white hot pain. It felt like his soul was being ripped from his body, but at the same time stretched to immaculate lengths. The pain died down shortly after. Naruto was still gasping and breathing harshly. He stood up again and was pleasantly surprised when he was a few inches taller then before.

"What was that about? Why am I taller than before? Did everything go correctly?" Naruto questioned the calm Hokage in front of him.

The Hokage chuckled, "Naruto, calm down. Arashi expected something like this to happen. The Kyuubi is merged with you that means you adapted some of its characteristics, only the physical ones of course. Go look in the pond over there, you have changed greatly." Sarutobi pointed to the pond across the clearing at the pond.

Naruto hastened to the ponds edge, he looked in and inhaled sharply – when the Hokage had said he had changed, he meant it. Naruto's hair was dark blue, he now sported claws as blue as his hair, but the most shocking change was his eyes. They were blue, but had an odd comma mark that was red, along with a gold/yellow triangle; there was also two smaller black triangles perpendicular to the larger one. That was when he saw them……they were fluffy, black, and on top of his head. HIS EARS! His ears had changed to fluffy appendages atop his head that looked eerily similar to fox ears. He also had fangs, which he noticed when he screamed at the reflection of the ears.

see profile for deviantart name, picture of eyes, sword, and changed Naruto there

"Naruto, this is only the first form, Kyuubi will give you more…if it approves of you. Now, for that vessel… Kyuubi can communicate with you now. It will tell you what it wants as a vessel. I suggest you ask it what it wants. I'll be going though as I have much work to do."

"Sensei, I promise to make you proud in the exams tomorrow. And one last question, do I always have to look like this now? It will be kind of odd to go to school tomorrow like this." Naruto asked worriedly.

Sarutobi turned back around and picked up the sword, and seemingly ignored his query, "Naruto, this sword is called Gensouga, also, as long as you have it in your possession you can change between any forms you want at will, just think of being the normal you again. The sword will always rightly be in your possession, for it was made for you. Even if you had somehow damaged it or it was stolen, you would still be able to change forms, because this sword is strictly yours. Farewell Naruto, good luck in the exams." With that, and a soft smile, the old man left.

Naruto decided to try changing back to his human form. The thought barely crossed his mind before he reverted back to human form. Next he tried speaking to Kyuubi. 'Umm…Kyuubi-sama, are you there? Are you there?'

"Kit? Have you finally released me?" Kyuubi barked.

Naruto jumped at the gruff response and responded, 'Kyuubi-sama? I have released you, but I wanted to ask you what vessel you wanted.'

"You can drop the 'sama', kit. Just Kyuubi is fine. As for my vessel? I have a gift for you, it is the summoning contract for foxes and kitsunes, many have mistaken me for a fox, but I am a kitsune. A fox is an earthly animal with only one tail; a kitsune is a celestial beast with more than one tail, nine being the most powerful. Also, kitsunes have the ability, unlike all other demons to transform into a humanoid state. I would like my vessel to be a kitsune."

'What would stop you from doing the same thing you did thirteen years ago?' Naruto questioned Kyuubi skeptically.

"Only my mind will be in this vessel, I'll have no more power than a baby fox! When you merged with me, my powers were transferred to you, although I still control how much of them go to you. If you were to have all my power rushed into you at once your body would be destroyed with the sheer chakra amount. You will gain more abilities and chakra with age and at the rate I feel like teaching you. I will be nothing more than a mere mortal in my human-like state. All you need to do is sign the contract, which you will find in your left hand as of now. This body of mine will only be noticeable by you or anyone you want to see it, therefore, only you and your selected people can see, hear, etc, me. But only you can hear what I think, and only when I choose not to block you out. Also, in your half demon state you will gain tails. That shows how much of my power you have." Kyuubi explained indignantly.

Naruto sighed and felt the scroll in his hand. He unraveled it and bit his thumb with his abnormal canines. He signed his name, though it was one he never expected to sign. Since his father didn't belong to a clan, he took his mothers last name, the name of Uchiha. As soon as he finished the last letter of the name he heard a popping noise in front of him. He looked up to find a beautiful girl in front of him; she had magnificent red eyes with an animalistic gold slit in the middle. She was wearing a form-fitting red halter top, which stopped short of her navel. It was pierced with a silver and black yin/yang symbol. She was also wearing a very short lacy black skirt, along with silver leggings. She had red sandals on to top it off.

Upon seeing this, he did what any normal teenage boy who saw an absolutely drop dead gorgeous girl suddenly appear out of nowhere right in front of them would do. He promptly fainted. He didn't notice the black fox ears, or the nine black, silver tipped tails.