Revised A/N, 5/25/16: Jesus. It's been a lot longer than I thought. For returning readers, welcome back. For new readers, welcome! This is the revised first chapter of an ongoing project of mine that will one way or another reach completion. I changed up some of the wording and grammar, made it flow a little better, and fixed a few niggling plot holes that I had noticed but never bothered to fix. I might even come back to this later on down the road and do some further editing, but we'll find out as time goes on. As it is now, just consider this the foundation for an ever-changing, evolving AU that will reach hopefully epic proportions, and - until next time - enjoy!

Fable of the Rouge Tails

Chapter One

Snowflakes alighted his burning cheeks, evaporating almost immediately from the lingering heat of the Kyuubi's chakra running through his veins. Naruto opened his eyes and tried to move, muscles screaming in protest. Blood oozed from slowly-closing wounds, the small cuts and lacerations covering his body sealing themselves as he gained his bearings. Senbon fell to the ground with a musical tinkling sound, something Naruto barely noticed over his own ragged breathing and the sound of his heart pounding in his ears.

A muscle spasm had Naruto falling back onto his side with a wince when he tried to sit up, gracelessly sprawled out on the damp surface of the bridge. The fog had long since dissipated, the ice mirrors that once surrounded him gone with their creator. A few feet in front of him, Sasuke lay face down, just barely breathing. Nearly draped over the Uchiha's form was...

The blond jinchuriki's eyes flashed red, but he was far too tired to move, barely managing a despairing, guttural sound. He quickly averted his gaze, bile rising within him at the sight of Sakura's limp form. Haku's precision with senbon was almost without peer, but in the heat of battle, where a thousand things could go wrong, it only took one to make a difference; While Sasuke had been rendered unconscious by the initial volley, Sakura's fate had been sealed the moment the senbon left the shinobi's grasp, left to the uncaring mercies of sheer chance.

Naruto saw Kakashi's approach through a haze of exhaustion and dull, radiating pain, stiffening subconsciously as he was lifted up into the man's arms. He watched a clone of Kakashi kneel to check Sasuke's pulse, then Sakura's, and Naruto found himself squeezing his eyes shut, knowing exactly what his sensei would find. As the last traces adrenaline left his body, Naruto finally succumbed to unconsciousness, finding little solace in the darkness as images of the battle flashed through him.

Flashback – Ten Minutes Prior

Naruto shouted with rage as he saw Sasuke's body collapse, senbon riddling his frame, a blur connecting one mirror to another the only indication that the ice-wielding shinobi had moved. The Uchiha's shoulders slumped and his muscle slackened, his descent to the ground almost in slow motion. A scream of denial tore past Naruto's lips at the sight of the fallen Uchiha. His heart pounded, a maroon haze obscuring his vision, indigo eyes locking onto the mirror image of Haku across from him. He was distantly aware of a feminine shout coming from his right as he rushed forward, intent upon crushing his opponent's skull with his bare hands for ending his teammate's life seemingly effortlessly.

A little distance away, Sakura was conflicted. She was tasked with guarding Tazuna, but the battle between Naruto, Sasuke, and the hunter-nin wasn't going well. Kakashi was holding Zabuza at bay, ducking and weaving between surprisingly-fast swings of his zanbatou while whittling away at his form with razor sharp kunai. Her body was tense, nearly vibrating, fight or flight instinct going haywire. With a frustrated sound she glanced at Tazuna, locking eyes with the elderly bridge builder. "Go help out your teammates," he said, a frown upon his face, but a steely tone in his voice. "I'm an old man. I've lived my life, I've done what I've needed to do. You three still have years ahead of you."

Sakura hesitated for only a moment longer before nodding her head, vanishing in a flurry of motion. Tazuna gave a weary sigh and sat down upon the bridge, listening to the dissonant sounds of battle around him. The bridge was nearly complete - they could finish it without him, if need be. Those kids had already sacrificed so much for his sake... He wouldn't ask them to abandon one another in addition to that.

Sakura rushed towards the ice mirrors, her mind whirling with strategies and possibilities. Memories of the textbook examples flashed through her head: what to do against daunting odds, what to do when one was surrounded... She silently drew a kunai, waiting to see any movement signifying Haku. When a blur darted from one mirror to another, she tossed a kunai through the gap, aiming just ahead of the form. There was a flash of red and a soft gasp and she grinned, leaping into the dome of mirrors.

As she drew another kunai, she paused to take a look at the surroundings. Sasuke was collapsed upon the ground and Naruto looked pissed, eyes wide and teeth bared – more like an Inuzuka than an Uzumaki, especially with how pronounced the whiskers on his cheeks had become. The moment he caught sight of Sakura his visage softened, and worry overtook him. "Sakura-chan! What are you doing - you're supposed to be guarding Tazuna!" He said, twisting as a volley of senbon flew his way. Several sank into his flesh with a sickening sound, but he guarded his vitals and escaped with minimal further damage.

"Those who abandon the mission are trash, but those who abandon teammates are worse than trash!" She said, throwing a trio of kunai towards Haku in retaliation. Naruto grinned, drawing out a handful of shuriken. "Let's do this, then!"

Haku was concerned. Flashing from mirror to mirror, he took in the new arrival with some trepidation. She seemed harmless... Textbook fighting stance and throwing style, but particularly accurate from a flawless technique. The gash upon his leg proved that. Aside from that, she didn't seem to have much field experience; Haku could see her shaking just slightly from adrenaline. The masked hunter-nin had to finish this battle quickly, or be overwhelmed by numbers and chakra exhaustion.

Slipping several senbon into both hands, he prepared himself to dart forward. Aiming for the same pressure points he used on Zabuza, he threw a volley towards Sakura, the freshest of the two. Her green eyes widened and she moved to backstep, but the sound of metal piercing flesh and the faintest of 'gurks' followed when several senbon struck Sakura's frame, her dodge far too slow. Sakura's body fell backward with her momentum, landing nearly in the same vicinity of Sasuke, and then grew still. Senbon protruded not from the pressure point he had aimed for, but from a spot a few inches above. Haku felt a pang of recognition for only a brief moment, before an icy mask overcame his expression. The senbon had pierced some of the major arteries in her throat... The girl was doomed, but as Zabuza's tool, he couldn't afford to linger upon her death – it was a necessary sacrifice for Zabuza's goals to be accomplished. He flashed to another mirror and took aim towards the blond haired Genin, not expecting the sight that awaited him.

Naruto saw Sakura collapse, honed hearing picking up her shuddering death rattle as her body went limp. His eyes widened, body growing deathly still, before he began to shake with growing fury. A roar ripped its way out of his throat as ruby overtook sapphire, hellfire bleeding into eyes once full of childish innocence. His fingernails elongated into sharp claws, canines growing more pronounced. A single tail of flaming red chakra erupted from his tailbone. A cloak of youkai bathed his form as he fell to all fours, a bestial stance for a bestial transformation. Haku's eyes widened behind the porcelain mask: How had the blond gained such immense power? He had an impressive chakra reserve before, but this was beyond comprehension... It was unnatural. Then, Naruto lurched forward, and the mirror to his right completely shattered. It was pure luck that Haku wasn't cleaved in half by the swipe of a mighty claw.

Haku never would have imagined that the innocent preteen he encountered the day prior was capable of such speed and power. That boy couldn't have harmed a fly, but as he dodged out of the way of another burning crimson claw, Haku feared for his life. Even Zabuza didn't radiate this kind of killing intent - it was monstrous.

Haku threw a half dozen senbon towards Naruto's lowered form, only for him to blur out of sight. A split second later, a closed fist annihilated the chakra-infused ice. Haku was only halfway out of the mirror when it shattered; As he retreated to an opposing mirror, blood ran down his left side in hot rivulets. The trail of life fluid led the instinct-driven Naruto to the mirror he was occupying and he whipped his body around, body coiling like a spring as he moved to attack once more. Haku needed to act quick.

The ice user darted out of the mirror, aiming for Naruto's right flank, only to be intercepted by a chakra-infused arm. The breath was knocked out of him and he felt several ribs crack. He fell to his back with a thud and scrambled to his feet, only to be shoved back to the ground by Naruto's dense frame appearing above him. Haku barely managed to bite back a scream of pain as the chakra surrounding Naruto burned his flesh upon contact, the hand pressed to his chest burning through fabric with ease. A fist crashed into his porcelain mask, shattering it to pieces – revealing his feminine, familiar features to the demon-posessed Naruto.

He only hesitated for a split second, the indigo of his eyes turning to a distinct clash of red and blue, before another fist like the hammer of Kami fell upon Haku's face. His nose shattered, cartilage digging deep into his tissue; His jaw dislocated, rent to the side, head whipping with the force behind the blow. Haku's vision went blurry, fading in and out of consciousness for a moment. Naruto continued with his assault regardless, the tears leaking from his eyes sizzling away the moment they were exposed to the heated air around him.

"You!"

Thud.

"Killed!"

Thud.

"Them!"

Crack.

The concrete of the bridge below Haku's still frame shattered. The male's head was caved inward from the multitude of blows, skull fragments scattered in every direction, gray matter soaked in blood and pooled within the crater below whatever was left of the shinobi's skull. Naruto reared his bloody fist back once more, eyes narrowed into slits, blinded by fury and sadness and raw blood lust...

"Naruto!"

The sound of his sensei's voice snapped him out of his berserker's rage. The demonic chakra surrounding him began to fade away and the reality of what he had done began to sink in. Red eyes turned blue, and then widened with horror. He scrambled away from the desecrated corpse before him, tripping and stumbling over himself as he tried his best to look away from Haku's frame.

He stopped when his back collided with Kakashi's legs, feeling a hand fall upon his shoulder. Kakashi squeezed down reassuringly and crouched next to him, sporting a few injuries of his own, but nothing the seasoned Jonin couldn't handle. Naruto promptly doubled over, emptying what little was in his stomach onto the concrete. He dry heaved for a minute - then another as he caught sight of his bloodied hands - as Kakashi rubbed his back, even his hardened features softening.

"Naruto, it's over. Zabuza's dead, and Gato's in chains."

Naruto barely moved in response, staring straight ahead to avoid looking at his blood-soaked hands or the sight of his fallen teammates, but Kakashi caught his head tilting towards him just slightly before he spoke. "Gato? H-How...?"

"You inspired Inari to rally the villagers and stand up against him. With a little assistance from yours truly, him and his mercenaries were nothing."

Naruto's shoulders sagged, relief and weariness settling in. His eyes widened, however, gaze snapping over to where Sasuke and Sakura had fallen – nearly draped across each other.

"What about Sasuke and Sakura-chan?!" He asked, moving to stand, only for pain to shoot through his body. He gasped and fell back to the ground, landing unceremoniously upon his backside. Kakashi winced, even his cool facade slipping for a moment as he thought of how to break the news to the impressionable young boy.

"Sasuke's fine, Naruto. Just put in a state like Zabuza was. But..." Naruto's form slumped against him, exhaustion finally settling into him before Kakashi could finish. It was no surprise, really. The physical toil of using the Kyuubi's chakra, combined with the mental exhaustion of what Naruto just witnessed... It was a surprise he had managed to speak a few sentences before collapsing.

Still, Kakashi would have to break the news to him one way or another. It was only through years of ANBU service that allowed him to keep his cool facade, given the situation. He had seen Sakura abandon Tazuna when she heard Naruto call out for Sasuke, and he couldn't blame her for that. Remembering his own speech to them about abandoning teammates, it was exactly how he had trained them.

He couldn't help but think back to Rin and Obito, however, and felt shame unlike ever before. History once more repeated itself, and he still couldn't change a thing... Naruto and Sasuke had to witness the death of a beloved teammate, just as he did. Still, things could be remedied... The past could not be changed, but the future was always an uncertainty. Collecting himself, he carefully moved Naruto away from the puddle of stomach acid and half-digested field rations, laying him on his side. He stood took a few steps away from Naruto to make two Kage Bunshin, sending one to dispose of Haku's and Zabuza's bodies and sending the other to check Sasuke and Sakura's prone forms.

He saw Naruto stir, trying to push himself upright, only to fall back to the ground. A bitter smile formed underneath his mask. 'Just like his father...' He mused. The masked shinobi cast his gaze skyward for a moment, marveling at the sight of snowflakes falling in short radius around them. A byproduct of the hunter-nin's bloodline, he assumed. It would have made for a lovely sight, if it weren't for the tragic scene before him. He shook his head and returned to Naruto once more, lifting the boy - for he truly was just a boy, even in the cold and callous world shinobi lived in - into his arms and beginning the long, long walk back to Tazuna's house.

Flashback End

There were certain procedures that shinobi of Konoha were required to follow in the case of a fatality during a mission. Immediately, Kakashi sent Pakkun to deliver the news to the Sandaime. He sealed Sakura's form within a large scroll, a complicated seal array upon it ensuring that she would remain preserved until the memorial service... Whenever it occurred. Due to the nature of senbon wounds, her body would be nearly unblemished. It would provide a little comfort to the mourners, not being forced to remember the nature of the shinobi world. For those who died on the battlefield with wounds too gruesome for the bodies to be shown, they were buried without much ado - returned to the earth to nourish the trees that their lives and homes were enveloped by. Only the Uchiha did not follow the custom; Their dead were burned upon a funeral pyre.

They reached Tazuna's house in decent time, Tsunami opening the door upon their arrival and staring at them aghast. Tazuna was looking absolutely ashamed, the gaze of a broken man; Kakashi was carrying Naruto and Sasuke over each shoulder, with the large scroll containing Sakura's corpse strapped to his waist. He nodded solemnly to her before making his way to the bedroom they stayed in the night before, placing Naruto and Sasuke down carefully before making his way into the living room.

His eyes turned hard as he faced Tazuna, knuckles turning white as he gripped the back of a chair.

"Sit down." The tone of his voice commanded obedience. Every single year of service was behind Kakashi's words, the whole weight of his career – a career forged by fire and quenched in the blood of Konoha's enemies - settling upon Tazuna's shoulders,

Tazuna promptly sat down.

"A shinobi of Konoha died today because of your lies. Not an experienced shinobi, either. A Genin. A child."

Tazuna sank lower and lower into his chair as Kakashi spoke, until he felt his head pulled backward, forced to stare Kakashi in the eye as one of his clones returned from his task. His eyes watered, grief filling him down to his very core.

"P-Please... Kakashi-san, I didn't intend for it to happen this way...!" The older man's eyes flickered to the side for a brief moment and Kakashi's attention turned to Tsunami, standing in the door frame with a tray of tea – a tray that clattered loudly to the ground as her eyes fell upon the scene before her.

Kakashi leveled his gaze upon her and she apologized profusely before scrambling out of the room. It was a simple matter to frighten a civilian away with even the slightest amount of killing intent, complemented by a faint, seal-less compulsion genjutsu. Kakashi had plenty of it to spare, at the time. He would apologize to her later, but right now he had to deal with Tazuna.

"Of course you didn't. But you still withheld information from us, and because of that an unprepared, inexperienced, extraordinarily outclassed team was dispatched to a mission that should have been taken care of by at least a team of Jonin!" His voice never rose in volume, but the power of his words grew with each syllable.

As Tazuna opened his mouth to speak, Kakashi slammed his hands down upon the table, the sharp bang the loudest sound in the conversation so far.

"You may speak when I'm finished. You understand that there will be repercussions for this. You were responsible for bringing us this mission, and you'll be held responsible for everything that happened."

Tazuna gulped, eyes widening as Kakashi continued.

"Obviously, money is only one part of the equation. You will be expected to pay the full price of the mission at whatever rank it is promoted to, be it A-rank, or even S-Rank. You will also be expected to pay for the funeral arrangements. Normally this is handled by the Hokage or the family of the shinobi, but given the circumstances, I think this change will do fine."

Kakashi's tone was colder than any frozen mirror, and Tazuna's face was as white as a ghost. He quivered under Kakashi's stare.

"In addition, you may as well consider the Land of Wave an unofficial satellite of Konoha. Given our... Assistance in the economic rejuvenation, I'm sure it won't be much of a problem at all to provide them with goods and support if requested? Konoha was probably going to propose some sort of alliance after the fact regardless, but we may as well get that cart rolling while we're on the topic. It'll be a mutually beneficial agreement, of course; We're not Gato. But if Konoha calls upon the Land of Wave in a time of need, you will be expected to answer."

Tazuna was in tears by now, silent sobs wracking his form. Only now had it settled in what had truly happened – he was indirectly responsible for snuffing out one of the bright young lights that had arrived on his doorstep to assist him barely any time ago, and possibly darkening the other two lights that had survived. It was a crime against nature, what he had assisted in. He prayed to Kami that Naruto would forgive him – because he knew he'd never forgive himself. If it had been Inari who had been killed, by some chance... He didn't know what he'd have done with himself. Kakashi's reaction was perfectly understandable, and Tazuna could do nothing but nod his head in agreement.

Seeing Tazuna nod his head, Kakashi released his grip upon the table. He moved to pick up the tray that had fallen to the floor, placing it down upon the table neatly. He stepped into the other room, where Tsunami stared in his direction with a frightened expression.

"I apologize for causing such a scene, Tsunami-san. I thank you for your hospitality during our stay here. I only request that we be allowed to stay here for a few more days while my team recovers, but once they're in fit condition we'll be on our way." He bowed respectfully, Tsunami mimicking the gesture.

"You can stay as long as you need to. We're indebted to you and your team." Tsunami said, managing to keep herself composed. Kakashi thanked her and turned to leave, before he heard her voice once more - this time, her formal tone faltering.

"K-Kakashi-san... Is it true, what you said? Did Sakura-san...?"

Kakashi nodded his head gravely and had to look away as Tsunami stifled a faint sob. A tear rolled down his visible cheek as he exited the room. Tazuna was still where Kakashi had left him, strangely lacking a bottle of sake. Saying nothing, Kakashi made his way upstairs, where Naruto and Sasuke slept.

Naruto had moved in his sleep and was sprawled out across the small cot. Sasuke was as still as before, but some color had returned to his cheeks, and his breathing was a bit deeper - more relaxed. The two would recover in time – physically, at the very least. Mentally, Kakashi could only guess. He walked to the wall opposite of the door and sat down, leaning heavily against the wood. A few moments passed, and his own eyes drifted shut, the world-weary veteran slipping easily into a very light sleep.

oooooooooooo

Naruto's eyes slowly opened, and the first thing he noticed was that he was no longer on the bridge. The second thing he noticed was that he didn't seem to be anywhere he had ever been before. Darkness surrounded him, shadows warping and twisting, dancing in and out of his peripheral vision. A faint, rhythmic rumbling sound echoed within the scarlet-tinted abyss that surrounded him. It was almost like a massive creature breathing in and out. He stood and immediately frowned. There was no visible floor – yet, the ground beneath him felt rather solid. He took a few tentative steps forward and it remained the same. He walked for a few more steps and made no visible progress, before continuing to silently walking within the abyss he found himself in. It had to lead somewhere.

After what seemed like an hour of walking he had made no progress whatsoever, but he did feel a peculiar tingling sensation upon the back of his neck – as though he was being watched. He turned around and came face to face with... Darkness. Again.

He sighed and folded his arms over his chest. "Alright, I know you're there! Come out! And tell me where the hell I am, while you're at it!"

He stomped his foot, noting with some discomfort that it made no sound. For several agonizing seconds, there was only silence. Then, before him, a fissure in the darkness began to grow. Crimson seeped into the shadows that surrounded him, taking the form of a massive fox, towering above him in all its terrifying presence. The Kyuubi loomed over Naruto, a face-splitting grin upon its features. The demon fox spoke in a voice that boomed, a voice that shook mountains, that shook Naruto to the core.

"About time you came to visit."

Naruto nearly stumbled over his own feet at the ludicrous statement, eyes widening at the statement.

"What do you mean 'about time'?! Why should I visit you in the first place, ya giant furball!" He shouted, shaking his fist at the figure before him. For a creature that was supposedly imprisoned within him, he didn't see much in regards to bars, or seals, or anything of the sort. Yet, he was strangely comfortable before the Kitsune, somehow confident in the fact that it couldn't hurt him.

"Oh, I'm hurt. First, I take care of you for the first dozen years of your miserable life, then I give you the power to take care of that pesky little ninja that killed your mate, and I don't even get a visit every now and then? Not even a 'thank you'?"

Naruto began to spoke, then paused, the Kyuubi's words sinking in. As Naruto's eyes widened, the Kyuubi stretched out before him, laying down with one paw folded over the other and its bright red eyes focused upon the statuesque boy before him.

"K-Killed...? So, Sakura-chan is...?"

"Dead. Yes. You already knew this, however."

"But Kakashi-sensei said...!"

"That the Uchiha had survived. He never mentioned the fate of the pink-haired one before you passed out again." The Kyuubi explained, the faintest semblance of regret seeping into its tone – seemingly directed more towards Sasuke's survival than Sakura's death. "We'll have to work on that. I can't have my container passing out after every battle."

Naruto fell to his knees before the Kyuubi, cradling his head within his hands. Hot tears spilled past his fingertips, onto the solid darkness below him. The Kyuubi sat there before him, patiently waiting. After a few minutes of sobbing the demon fox grew impatient and leaned in close to Naruto.

"Enough crying, boy. You have two options here. You can give up hope and shrivel away into nothingness, or you can live up to that mask of bravado you maintain and get stronger. I can help you with either choice. Personally, I'd prefer if you gave up now. I'd be free again, and you'd be out of my fur. But if it's strength you choose... Well, I can give you strength beyond compare. Strength that will help you never lose one of your 'precious people' again."

The Kyuubi's words had a saccharine tone to them, an addictive, alluring quality that gave Naruto pause. Tears still stained his cheeks, but he looked up at the fox with a growing determination.

"How...?"

"Chakra is energy. It is a combination of physical energy – something you Uzumaki have an abundance of – and spiritual energy, something that /I/ have an abundance of." The Kyuubi looked a bit proud of his statement, watching as Naruto tried to comprehend his explanation.

"Combined, it results in chakra. Given your status as a jinchuriki, and an Uzumaki, you have incredible amounts of chakra... And this energy can be controlled. Manipulated. You've already seen what it can do on a simple level. Tree climbing, water walking... Even the Hyuuga's fighting style is dependent upon the manipulation of chakra."

The fox paused for a few moments, letting it sink in. When Naruto nodded his head in some understanding, he continued.

"With a bit of guidance, and more than a little of my chakra, you can do incredible things... Without the use of your jutsu, or seals, or whatever you call them."

Naruto looked a little skeptical. "What kind of incredible things?" He asked, head tilting to the side.

"Tsunade of the Sannin can supposedly destroy buildings with a single punch. I can flatten mountains with a single tail. You think that's done by raw power, or size? It's done by chakra. If you can master chakra, if you can master energy, you can become unstoppable... It won't happen overnight, however. It'll take more effort than you can imagine. It'll be your toughest challenge yet. But by the time you're finished, you'll be a legend, and nobody will be able to turn their back on you."

Those words caught Naruto's attention. The fox was a tricky one, knowing exactly what strings to pull to entice the young boy. His eyes narrowed, however.

"What do you get out of it, though? Why should I trust you?" He pointed a finger up at the demon fox, a triumphant look in his eyes – as though having caught the fox with its hand in the cookie jar.

"I get to enjoy that constipated look on your face as you try to control your own chakra. Amongst other things that are none of your business, boy. I can't bring your Sakura back from the dead... But I can help you prevent others joining her. Do you want my help or not?"

Naruto thought about it for a good, long minute. He folded his arms over his chest, narrowed his eyes, scrunched his nose... The Kyuubi chuckled, highly amused by his jailer. Perhaps the demon fox has developed some parental instincts for the young male, or perhaps it had ulterior motives in offering Naruto a source of strength, but as it was, he was far too vulnerable right now to say no – the Kyuubi knew this, and fully intended on exploiting it. After several more moments, Naruto spoke up once more. His jaw was set in a way that reminded Kurama of the infernal man that had trapped him in this dark cage twelve years prior, and those even more familiar blue eyes were alight with a mix of determination and sadness that only warriors could know.

"Fine. Show me."

The Kyuubi's grin threatened to split its face in half. "Good choice. Now go back to sleep. You need to be well rested for the trip home. There, we can begin." It reached out with a large paw and shoved Naruto backward, into the darkness. He fell through the previously-solid floor and once more into the land of Nod.

Chapter One: End.