Cage

He could feel the slick blood drip from the split in his lip soaking his beard and the light was dim in the dark room. Feet shuffled in a dark corner and his swirling red and blue eyes stole a quick glance at the figure. No one he knew.

Sniffing the air all he could smell was the putrid scent of himself and the fear of the other occupant. It was a sharp addicting tangy scent. They hadn't let him bathe in months so blood had dried in his greasy hair and on his skin, making him itch and ache everywhere. The only comfort that he had was that they hadn't been able to get them. His family, his wife, his child, he then remembered that he had more than one child. He had two.

He hadn't been able to hold the newborn baby, his baby; the child that he had made with his wife. A dark chuckle escaped his lips making the unknown figure in the room tense. He was getting selfish and conceited in his captivity.

The door swung open soundlessly in front of him distracting him from his morbid thoughts. The dark corner figure relaxed at the sight of their Hokage.

"Naruto." More red bleed into his eyes as he watched the bitch that took him away from his mate. Startled at his thoughts Naruto took a breath to calm the demon stirring in his heart. The red didn't disappear from his eyes but his mind cleared from the hunger induced haze they had forced on him. "I have made a deal with the counsel."

Thinking back Naruto remembered from all those years ago that it wasn't Baa-chan that had taken him but the counsel. They had given him his own cell and their personal demon hating interrogator. Naruto laughed again spitting the blood left over in his mouth from the now healed cut.

"What would the all might counsel want from the lowly Kitsune demon of Konoha?" His voice had changed. It was harsh and guttural sounding like a feral growl of an animal. With only a bit of amusement he watched Baa-chan shiver. He didn't have to live under the guise he had had to in the outside world. To hide what he was to walk down the street in daylight.

"Naruto?" She paused, "Do you know how long you have been in here?" Naruto let his chakra go from his tight grasp and his cursed blood flowed freely.

Under his beard the whisker marks darkened and his teeth rearranged and allowed canines to emerge. Sharp teeth meant for fighting and tearing meat apart nicked his lip but the small lesion healed instantly. The tips of his ears grew just a little longer but nothing noticeable and his eyes were slitted and red. Chewed nails grew back and then sharpened dangerously.

"I would guess a few years Hokage-sama." Naruto could hear his adopted grandmother swallow thickly and he could see the sweat build, unnoticeable to human eyes, emerge on her forehead. Looking at his appearance Tsunade could tell she wasn't just talking to Naruto but the head of the newly emerging Uzumaki clan. The name didn't do the demon clan justice and she knew they would surely acquire a nickname soon.

"Naruto you have been in prison-" She faltered as his biting voice cut her off.

"Cage Baa-chan, I am in a cage." She ignored him and continued.

"-in prison for nine years." Silence echoed and oppressed the inhabitants of the room and Naruto could only stare at the woman in confusion.

"What did you say?"

"You have been in prison," emotion seemed to make her stumble this time and she took a step towards the bound man, "for nine years." Tears threatened to spill over her cheeks as her face stayed motionless and Naruto could now smell shock in the forgotten figure in the corner. It was almost identical to his. Quickly doing the math in his head pain pierced his heart.

"Yoshiro is twelve, and my new born baby is what, nine? Oh my god," Naruto whimpered and Tsunade took another, larger step forward, "Miyako is thirty-five and dear lord, I'm an old man now aren't I?" The tears were now trailing down Tsunade's haggard face.

"I wouldn't call you old. Remember I am much older."

Naruto's world was wonderfully sharp again. He had lived in a haze for years and now he could see the time that had etched away at her face. It was a bitter sweat moment for him. Tsunade moved forward quickly and undid his shackles from around his neck, feet and writs. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and seemed to be waiting something to come to him. The figure in the corner smelled of unbridled fear and Tsunade was sorrow, and something else that Naruto couldn't tell. Deceit came to the front of his mind but Naruto pushed it away with a ragged shake of his head.

"Wait," pain and misery bubbled up into his chest as his mind sorted out this new information, "my baby is nine?" Tsunade nodded but then looked at him in confusion mixed with caution.

"Baby?" Naruto panicked and grabbed her shoulders.

"Yes my baby! The one Miyako gave birth to!"

"Oh Naruto." He voice was soft as she watched him, stoking the side of his face. "You have more than one new baby. Miyako had twins. A boy and a girl."

He had missed everything. His baby's no, babies' first steps, first words, everything.

"Nine years Baa-chan! Nine years! My babies are grown up!" Naruto drew ragged breaths as he tried to hold the tears and sobs at bay. He noted that the figure's scent was confused but he paid it no mind. Only to the soft touches his Kaa-chan was giving him.

"I know Naruto I know let it out. You have nine year to make up." The pain and rage flowed from him in torrents as he held Tsunade and cried.

"There is no making up for it! That was it! My children are grown it is over!" His glazed, dull red eyes gazed up to Tsunade but they didn't hold the same sharp emotions his crystal blue did.

"My poor baby." She cooed and kissed his forehead, "My poor baby" Naruto felt something warm flow through him and he broke into a new fit of hysterics and clung to her as she rocked him back and forth running her fingers through his hair and murmuring. He calmed and breathed her scent deeply but didn't move away from her protective arms and wondered if this was what his children felt when they were held by Miyako.

"Naruto?" he felt himself nod, "I came today and I am sorry I haven't been allowed to visit before but I have news for you." He stayed were he was and listened. "You will be allowed out of your," her voice was bitter and mocking, "cage if you do missions for the village."

Glazed red eyes peeled open and Naruto leaned back just enough to stare at Tsunade.

"Missions."

"Suicide."

"Ah." He replied softly. "Will there be precautions?" He questioned as he laid back down. Tsunade's cruel smile at nothing told him his answer.

"Well," he sniffed, "it is better than nothing I guess." The forgotten man in the corner smelled confused and he shifted to peer into the dark abyss. He could see the person now and watched emotions flitter across his face. He looked so familiar but Naruto couldn't seem to place him.

A few scars littered his skin and messy dark brown hair was held back by a head band. Dark eyes watched the scene his Hokage and a powerful demon made.

"Who are you?" His voice still sounded guttural but was, in his opinion, softer than before. The ninja flinched slightly and, taking a closer look, Naruto realized that he was young. The man pulled himself together and gave Naruto a shaky smile.

"Gee Naruto-nii-san you would think you would recognize your number one fan." Naruto stared at the boy a while longer before his eyebrows shot up into his hairline.

"Konohamaru!" He nodded his head. "Man you were nervous over there." He just chuckled good naturedly. Slowly Naruto peeled himself out of Tsunade's arms and cracked his neck sighing.

"Fine."

"What?" Tsunade asked.

"Fine I will do it but Konohamaru will work with me." The two most powerful beings in the village looked over to the person in question. He swallowed.

"Yeah sure." Naruto's face split into a feral grin and he felt his teeth press dangerously into his lip.

"Well Ka, sorry, Baa-chan," she held up her hand.

"It's fine Naruto and it's Kaa-chan to you." He was taken back as he stared at her.

"Do you know what that means Tsunade?"

"Kaa-san." She replied, he swallowed thickly and nodded.

"Well, K-Kaa-san," She smiled gently, "were do we start?"

A.N. TADA!!! I tried fixing it up! I hope it is better than what it was before. I know it doesn't seem like I changed it but I did tweak little things to fit the direction I am taking this.