A/N: This is the first fanfiction I've ever written. Reviews, comments, and pointers are VERY welcomed.

'thought'

"Speech"

"Kyuubi" inside

"Kyuubi" outside

...you'll see.

Chapter one: Revival

:::Flashbacks:::

"Sasuke!" Sasuke spins to reveal the Demon Wind Shuriken.

…

"Sasuke! You're so COOL!"

…

"Loser…" "You jerk!"

…

:::End Flashbacks:::

"Sakura... Why did those days have to end?" asked Naruto to the pink-haired medic-nin standing to his side. "After all this time…those were still some of the happiest days of my life…of our lives! Damn that Orochimaru. If it wasn't for him…he'd still be with us here in Konoha."

It'd been 4 years to the day that they'd lost Sasuke Uchiha. 4 years since Naruto had to make the ultimate choice. 4 years…and they hadn't missed an anniversary. The remaining Konoha 11 and company always met here on this day to remember him and pay their respects to their fallen friend and former Leaf ninja. Right here on the spot that Naruto had begged Tsunade to erect a monument for him.

"Naruto…" was all that she could say. Of all the people…Sasuke's loss had affected her and Naruto the worst. Sakura knew he did everything that he could to bring Sasuke back to them…back to her. That's just the way he was. He'd go out of his way to help his friends and keep his promises. She had been there when they clashed for the last time. It was a scene that she'd never be able to forget.

Through her tears, "…I…I don't know" was all she could say. As she raised her eyes to the now Jounin ranked, Naruto Uzumaki, she couldn't find the answer now anymore than she could those few short years ago. She'd asked herself those very same questions time and again everytime she looked at the picture of Team 7 that sat on her nightstand. As tough as some of those times were, she had to agree with her friend. They were the best days of their lives.

"Sorry, Kit"

'Shut the hell up, you damn fox! Huh? Wait..what? KYUUBI? WHAT THE HELL??'

"Hahaha. It's been a while. Miss me?"

Naruto thought about how long it'd been since he had last heard the demon fox's voice. He figured it'd been about a year now…year of blissful silence in his head. Actually…now that he thought about it…he'd stopped hearing him about the same time his son was born.

'Yeah, right. I missed you like I'd miss a rash on my butt!'

The nine tails laughed heartily in his mind at his container's retort. "Still the same ol' snot-nosed brat, I see. It's nice to know that some things will never change. …..And some things do change."

Naruto raised an eyebrow at this…but it went unnoticed considering where he and his friends and family were. 'What do you mean "and some things do change", dog breath?'

"Heh. That…you'll just have to see for yourself. Come down here, brat!"

Once again, he found himself in that all-too-familiar place in his mind. The fox's prison. There, as always, was Kyuubi…the nine-tails, grinning in his normal fashion. …No…wait…this grin was…different somehow. He couldn't be sure but, it almost seemed as the fox was actually…happy?

'Whattya want, mutt?'

"What? Can't a guy get a visit from an old friend without getting lip? How sad." The grin never left his face.

'We ain't friends! Never have been! Never will be! Get used to it!'

Oddly enough…the grin left ancient demon's face, if only for a moment... "Maybe. Doesn't change anything, though."

'Huh? Whattya mean?'

"Take a look." As he smiled even wider than before, he shifted his gaze from Naruto to the bars on his cage. Specifically, to the paper seal holding them closed.

Naruto followed his gaze and saw, with no small amount of horror, that the seal was ready to fall off. All that remained attached to the cell was a small corner…hanging on by a wing and a prayer. Then…it gave way.

"Hehehe…see ya!"

"Urk!" Naruto's eyes shot wide open as the pain hit. "What in the hhheeeellllll-aaaaaAAAAHHH!!!!" He collapsed to his knees in sheer agony. His vision blurred…his heart beat loudly in his head. His skin felt red-hot while his insides froze deep down into his core. This was bad…very bad. The world around him spun, causing him to lose what little balance he had left and fall over onto his side, curling up into the fetal position gripping his stomach like he'd just been shot. He could feel the symbols of the seal burning off his body. It was breaking down! Disappearing!

"N-no! S-stop it! GAAAHH!! Get-…. awa-AAAHHHH!!"

Sakura just stood in shock for a moment until she snapped herself back into the here and now. What was going on? She was staring in complete confusion at Naruto, who was just a moment ago mourning their best friend and former teammate and then, for some unknown reason, was now rolling on the ground screaming in agonizing pain. But from what? Her trained kunoichi senses that had developed from years of training had detected no other presence anywhere near where they now stood. No attack seemed to come from anywhere, yet here he was, looking like he was on the verge of dying! "N-Naruto! What's wrong!?" The only response she got was a heart-wrenching yell of pain. She dropped herself down beside him to get a closer look. He was sweating profusely and his body temperature had shot up by at least 12 degrees. She started frantically searching for some cause, some reason why he was suffering so. Yet…she could find no biological answers. He wasn't sick or injured in any way. "Naruto! Naruto! ANSWER ME, NARUTO!" Sakura was shaking him…trying to get some kind, ANY kind of response out of him, to no avail. Then…she felt it. Chakra.

Everyone else behind them were just as equally confused. Ino could only cling to Chouji's sleeve with one hand, covering her mouth with the other. Hinata was desperately trying to reach her fallen love, only to be held back by an equally concerned Kakashi. The others stood in similar states of concern and disbelief. Neji, having somehow managing to keep some level of composure, found the presence of mind to activate his Byakugan when he sensed a familiar burst of the same chakra that Sakura and some of the others had picked up on. "Great, Kami! No WAY! It can't be!"

"Wha-what is it, Neji?"

He turned to his cousin, Hinata, who by this point was reaching a level somewhere between panic and a full-blown case of hysteric…and very close to tears. "What's wrong with my husband?" Neji suddenly found the words hard to speak. "TELL ME! What's wrong with NARUTO!" she yelled, snapping him out of his momentary lapse and seeing that all eyes had fell on him. Returning his gaze to his friend, "Naruto is….the seal is…"

"Gone! The seal…is GONE!"

Returning their attention to Naruto, they gasped at what they saw. He was covered from head to toe in flaming red chakra. The demon fox's chakra. At first, it appeared as a raging bonfire burning out of control. Then it began to coalesce, to shape itself. It started with a head…then a body…and finally a tail. Afterwards, two tails, then three…then five….nine!

During this time, Neji had settled into the stance of Hyuuga fame. Rock Lee had already removed his weights and stood at the ready…Might Guy right as his side. Kakashi had removed the headband from his Sharingan eye…preparing his Lightning Blade…and for the worst. All the others, including Konohamaru, now a Chunin, and Iruka Umino, now a Jounin, had all done the same. Meanwhile, most of the women had taken a step or two back, guarding their children.

It didn't take long for their worst fears to be realized. The image, formed of pure chakra, turned solid. Now standing before them, after some 24 years of imprisonment, stood the beast that nearly destroyed The Village Hidden in the Leaves. The nine-tailed demon fox…Kyuubi. Oddly though, not beyond notice either, he was not the giant fox that they'd heard about (or seen for those who had before). Still…he was rather large despite this. He was easily the same size as Akamaru, who curiously enough, hadn't so much as growled since the fox had reformed himself. Kiba (and everyone else for that matter) hadn't noticed this little detail.

"Oooohhhh…yyyeeaaahhh!" he said as he stretched his limbs. "That feels sooooo good! It's so nice to FINALLY get out of that dump! And just smell that air!" inhaling deeply. "I'd forgotten what fresh air smelled like. Amazing what a few decades of imprisonment can do to a guy. You could live for a couple o' thousand years and never notice things like that till you don't have them for a while."

Finally…after what seemed like a minor eternity to the EXTREMELY nervous, to say nothing of SCARED, shinobi…Kyuubi opened his eyes and looked straight at the group in front of him. "Well well now. Hello." He chirped, obviously very pleased with himself. "What have we here? Looks like a nice little gathering we've got. The welcoming committee, I assume? Heh Heh! I'm honored. Really." His voice was deep, with almost a growling quality to it, yet clearly understandable. Shifting his eyes from one direction to the other…he took a nice, good look at all the people stood before him. 'Amusing…' he thought to himself. 'Just look at them all, they're ready to pounce on little ol' me at the drop of a hat. Heh…how cute.' he noted as he observed several of them sinking lower into their respective fighting stances.

Naruto, on the other hand…could do nothing but stare through blurry, tear-soaked eyes. The pain had finally subsided, but the entire experience had left him completely drained and exhausted. Try as he might to move…his body wouldn't respond. 'Damn fox! When I get up, I'm SO gonna put a hurt on you…'

"K-Kyuubi…"

The fox didn't so much as turn to face Naruto as he said his name. Kyuubi had other ideas at the moment. All he did was scan the scene before him…as if he was trying to decide who to eat first. A moment later…his fierce eyes locked onto their target and in a flash…he was gone.

Neji and Kakashi were both shocked by the speed Kyuubi possessed. Even with their respective Doujutsu, they barely saw him move. As he turned, Neji could only look in disbelief as to whom the demon had chosen as his first victim.

"Hi there." ,were his words as he stared grinning at the dark haired, pale-skinned girl. Hinata couldn't move. Her terror had completely frozen her stiff. All she could do was stand and stare as this creature that stood in front of her. Blood red fur…from the tip of his black nose to the ends of his ever-shifting tails covered his body. His eyes as black as night with 2 pools of slitted crimson staring back at her with a look she couldn't describe. It looked animalistic, to be sure…but there was something behind them. Something she just couldn't place, but given the moment, she honestly didn't try to. And that smile. She had seen that grin somewhere before…but where?

Suddenly, his grin faded into an intense stare.

"Let me see him."

Despite her fear, she somehow managed to form words. "Wha-? Who?" She immediately knew that she really didn't want an answer to that.

"The child…let me see him."

Instinctively…she clutched her young one closer to her chest. 'N-no! He wants to see...? But…why? He's just a baby. He's MY baby!'

Looking past the creature with tears starting to form in her eyes…she gazed at the man she knew would spring up any second now to save her.

"N-Naruto…", was her barely audible squeak before her world went black.

'No…you stay away from her, you filthy bastard. Don't you dare touch her!' The thoughts ran through his mind like shot…but he couldn't bring his voice to bear. He saw the look in her eyes, one of pure fear. He had to do something…anything other than just like here helplessly. He knew his friends would be powerless to stop this…even he would be. But…he had to try. He found his strength just as she started to fall.

"HINA…ta… Wha-?"

He'd seen it a thousand times before. That glazed over look in those beautiful eyes of hers just before she fainted. Before, when he'd think back on those moments…it was actually kinda…cute. But this time was different. This time she was standing in front of the monster he'd held back for so long. The monster that was now free. The monster that was………..catching her?

As her eyes closed…he bolted forward. He'd been expecting her to do this. He'd seen it just as many times as Naruto had through his eyes. Truth be told…he was kind of surprised that it had taken this long. After all…he WAS the demon that had been, until a few minutes ago, locked up tight inside the man she married. Out of what seemed to be almost pure instinct, he was behind her, wrapping his tails around the falling woman and the small child she held protectively in her arms, gently laying the two down and bringing them down to rest, her head laying gently on his side.

No one could believe their eyes. Here was the most feared demon that ever threatened the lives of every single being that called Konohagakure home showing an act of…compassion? It made no sense! This couldn't be the same beast that the young shinobi had heard so many tales about. There's just no way this could be the monster that Kakashi and others had lost so many friends and family to. Yet here he was, gently and…lovingly…huddled up with Hinata and her young son.

By this time…Naruto had found his strength to move again but yet…he himself still didn't understand the scene he was looking at. What the hell was that damned fox doing exactly. All those times in his head…all that thing would do is rant and rave about how he was going to get out and kill everyone and everything he held precious to him. Now he had his chance…but all he was doing was laying down? With his….wife...!!!!!!

"KYUUBI?! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!", were the first words that sprang out of his mouth. This, of course, snapped everyone out of their stupor.

"Is he…?", meeked Sakura.

"Why isn't…?", was all Ino could get out.

"I don't get it…"

"Huh?"

"What the-"

These were about the most coherent remarks any of them could make, given the situation.

Up until this point, Kyuubi had been silent. He'd simply been looking at the girl and child that were now wrapped up in his tails. Quietly, he whispered,

"Shhh. We'll get to that."

'Mmm…this is nice. It's so warm. I wish I could stay right here forever with my-' she thought.

As she opened her eyes…she finished her thought out loud in a quiet voice. "Naruto"

She felt warm, comfortable, and secure in this blanket of fur. Her beloved husband was staring down at her with a bit of a strange look.

…..Wait! Fur! And it's….breathing?? Reality smacked her right upside her pretty little head. The demon fox! He'd been staring at her! With those eyes and that…weird grin, that grin that…reminded her…of……….Naruto? As she looked around, she saw all of her friends standing around her with looks of shock…none more so that Naruto himself. Her gaze shifted downwards…now seeing that red fur again. It was all around her, covering over her like a blanket. Out of the corner of her eye…she caught movement. 'Oh no…' Fear was starting to well into her breast again as she turned. 'The fox…Kyuubi…I'm in. He's…' There he was…big as life and twice as real. And he was…smiling.

"He's beautiful"

"E-Excuse me?" She'd stuttered more today than she had in years. Then again…she had a good reason to.

Kyuubi could only smile as he gazed down at what he could only describe as beautiful. This babe she cradled with the purest love in her arms. Sure…he'd seen him before through his former container's eyes…but this was different. His face had a warm glow to it. He had faint whisker-marks on his face. They weren't as dark as Naruto's, but visible enough to be apparent. His cheeks had a rosy look to them that contrasted to his slightly pale complexion. He wasn't quite as pale as you'd expect from someone with Hyuuga heritage, but he was close. And those eyes…those two perfect pale moons for eyes. He could see what Naruto saw in those eyes. And of course…that same spikey-blond hair. What was it with the Uzumaki's and that hair??

"The boy. He's beautiful. Our son."

Whew! Something like 2700 words or so. Heck of a first chapter for a beginner, I guess. Like it!

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