Most people follow the path most travelled…they listen to their teachers, their parents…they do what people expect them to do…but this is the story of the Naruto that went off the road and into the woods…this is the story of the Naruto that walked the path of the fox.

To put it simply…Naruto Uzumaki was not having a good day, kicking the dirt as he walked down the road he mumbled, "Damn shopkeeper, all I wanted was some milk! He didn't have to charge me twice as much as anyone else. If this keeps up I won't be able to eat any ramen toda-" he froze half way through a step and his shoulders hunched even more.

"What can I do, it's not like I have anyone to spend it with, Gramps is busy ALL THE TIME, being the Hokage. He's even on a…what did he call it? Oh ya! A diplomatic mission to…some somewhere?" Naruto suddenly stopped and yelled out, "that's why he should give me the hat! I would be way better at it anyway! No diplomatic mission. If they want to talk, they come to me!"

Saying this out loud seemed to help his mood, and with his spirits back Naruto continued to walk down the path leading home. "At least its Friday, which means two days to do anything I want!" he instantly gained a foxy grin, "well then, I guess it's time to plan my next big prank! Ok, I still have a few stink bombs, and it has been a while since I have gone after the Uchiha's…"

As he approached the curve in the road he paused. "Hmmmm…the road home leads to the park, which could be fun, if anyone actually played with me. Or I can take the short cut straight home through the woods." He paused for a second before he shrugged and shouted out, "short cut it is!" Naruto ducked under a tree branch and started through the woods. What he would never know was that a certain blue haired and fair skinned heiress was being bullied at that park and would never be rescued by a certain blond haired boy. But as they say, when one door closes, another one opens.

He didn't know why, but Naruto had always loved the woods, moving from shadow to shadow, trying as hard as he could not to make a sound…he always felt like a real ninja! Of course, he always had trouble hiding in the dark, with blond hair and blue eyes. He tended to stand out, which was the reason he was wearing a black t shirt with a red Konoha spiral on its chest and dark shorts.

"Lucky I found these in such good shape. Stupid Uchiha Clan, throwing out perfectly good clothes! But I always have to be careful around their compound. Most Clans don't like me, but the Uchiha's are the worst!" he grumbled to himself as he moved deeper into the woods and his mind started to wonder again.

"I thought that the teachers at the Academy wouldn't be as bad as everyone else…but they get so mad at me for the smallest things and it's only been a week! But the worst part is no matter what I do I can't focus! Not even on pranks!"he thought to himself until he got a huge grin on his face. "At least I'm not in the orphanage any more, and what other 8 year old can say they have their own apartment!"

After a couple of minutes moving through the woods, he heard something to his left. It sounded like people running through the woods, yelling about something. "Well at least they're not chasing me, which is a plus" then they stopped, with nothing but a few tall bushes between them and Naruto. "Might as well, got nothing better to do". Naruto snuck around the bush as quietly as he could and what he saw made him freeze in shock. Three kids were standing in a semi-circle around a tree, all holding large sticks. Between them, cowering on the ground, was a white fox.

Kurama

Deep within Naruto, behind one of the finest seals ever made, sat the most dangerous tailed beast: Kurama the 9 tailed demon fox or as the rest of the world new him, the Kyūbi, and he was stirring. "What disturbs my sleep?!" It wasn't like he expected anyone to respond, but being trapped in a seal for years and with nothing better to do when he was awake; he threw his mass against the cage. After all the years of trying, it's not like he expected it to give, but it gave him a way to vent his rage.

"I will escape from this cage and on that day, Konoha and the Land of Fire, ALL WILL BURN! But first, I will find the man with the orange mask and red eye, and I will tear him limb from limb! I wi-" Then he felt it again, something was happening outside the bag of meat he was seal in. Kurama rarely tried to see though his human cage's eyes. It wasn't easy and it was tiring, and it never held his interest for long, but he did manage to look through this pitiful cage's eyes and what he saw, made his blood run cold.

"How dare they! He is only a CHILD and they beat him with STICKS! I will peel the skin from your hides! I will make you beg for death before I end you th-" then he felt it: anger, a deep primal rage. However, it was not coming from him, but from his cage. This human…this boy, was angry at them? For hurting one of his kind?

Kurama was not easily surprised, being thousands of years old and seeing the worst this pitiful race could do. But his cage, this…boy was willing to put himself in danger and fight, for a fox? As things stood, this boy would never be able to beat these animals. They looked like they were in there last year at the Academy, so at least four years older than his container. But still better than his container and had weapons, pitiful as they might be, and they had noticed they had an audience.

"Well look what we have here!" said the big one in the middle, "Looks like this is our lucky day! Looks like we can take out another orphan freak!" he started giving his container a smirk as he looked his container in the eye

Kurama knew those eyes…the eyes of someone that draws joy through others' pain and the power he has over others…the worst there race has to offer. "Hmm, it's Clear to see who's in charge, the other two are only half his size…take out the big one and the other two will run, but there's no way my weak container can beat him. Truly shameful that the container of the great Kurama is so weak! The only way he can get away from this is to run…expect nothing less from a human coward-"

"Screw you! I'll stop you or my name isn't Naruto Uzumaki, the next Hokage of Konoha!" yelled his cage.

"Well…did not expect that" and by the looks of it neither did the big guy. His eyes went wide for a second…then he got mad, "you know I was JUST going to beat you up and have some fun with this fox…now I think I might make you watch me make new fox hat out of him!"

"Damn! The seal is so strong, unless his life is in danger I won't be able to force any chakra through! His anger should help but…yes, anger" Kurama did something that has been said to give anyone weak-willed that sees it nightmares until the end of their days: he grinned "Well then, let's hope this works!" instead of mixing his chakra with his container…he added his anger and hate to Naruto's, and directed it at the three kids.

The result was something that usually takes a ninja of at least Chuunin rank to do…Naruto released killing intent.

Naruto(a few Seconds ago)

Naruto was angry…no. That's not a strong enough word, he was furious! He knew everyone in Konoha hated foxes, ever since the Kyūbi attack if anyone saw a fox, they would try to 'get rid of it'. Which always confused Naruto, why kill something that had nothing to do with the Kyūbi? Do you kill all of the dogs when a wolf kills someone? No, it's stupid! But fortunately most of the time the foxes where too quick for the villagers and now most foxes tended to give Konoha a wide birth. But this fox…he could see from here it wasn't doing well. Its white coat was coated with blood and dirt, its eyes were bloodshot and he was shivering with fear. But there was something about his eyes…then he heard the big kid say the words that made it click "another orphan freak!" he was wright…those where not fox eyes looking at him…they were his eye's. Another orphan, another abandoned by the world…and he would NOT leave him to his fate!

"Screw you! I'll stop you or my name isn't Naruto Uzumaki, the next Hokage of Konoha!"

Ok…that might have not been the smartest thing to say…but he was still too angry and he was still seeing too much red to hear most of what the big kids said, but he did pick out "-make new fox hat out of him!" he saw the other two smirking… SMIRKING! I've been angry before…but this was so much more than just anger…he could almost FEEL it swelling from somewhere deep within him. All three of them will pay for this! "Not if I KILL YOU FIRST!"

He could almost feel all the hate leave him as he said it and for a second nothing happened…then the big guy screamed, not a manly yell…but something you would expect from a two year old that saw a big spider…and the other two? They wet themselves and…more.

Then they started running, and I'm not 100% sure what direction they went in, but all I know is that within five seconds…you couldn't even hear them. "Ok, that was weird…didn't think I was that scary, wonder wh- right the fox!"

The fox did not look like it was in good shape, parts of his coat were missing, and he was covered in mud and blood in various states of drying, and his eyes…he was terrified! "Hey buddy…its ok…no one is going to hurt you n- OW!" the fox, intently turned to the out stretched hand and bit down, hard.

Deep within Naruto, the demon fox wondered "now will you show your true colors? Like all humans, you will strike back?"Naruto reached out "I knew I put too much faith in you! You are like the rest of your kind! And I wi-" and he laid his hand on the foxes head and waited "don't worry buddy, I won't hurt you…you don't need to be scared anymore, I'll be your friend" he said softly, wincing in pain. They stayed that way for a while, neither willing to concede. Then very slowly the fox lighted it grip, looked Naruto in the eye one last time, and collapsed. "oh no!" he reached out hurriedly rested his hand on the foxes chest "his heart is beating so fast and he's burning up! I have to get him back to my place!" Naruto pulled of his t shirt and wrapped the fox in it as softly as he could and ran as fast as he could to his place. "Don't worry…I will take care of you no matter what everyone else thinks. I swear I will do everything I can to help you…or my name isn't Naruto Uzumaki!" unknown to Naruto, another fox herd his declaration that day "we shall see if what you say is true…but I can say you have peaked my interest, I shall keep an eye on you and I look forward to meeting you in person and testing your merit… Naruto Uzumaki."