~The Arctic Fox~
~This story begins at the beginning of fury's trigger Chapter 291 in the manga~
~What Happens before~
"Give Sasuke back!" Naruto demanded as the demon's chakra flared around him. His canines grew exponentially and two tails were already beginning to form.
"There is no giving back, Naruto-kun... Here let me explain it to you." Kabuto sneered "Sasuke-kun came to us on his own free will it's about time you got over it. Going on like this is hardly the becoming of a man. Isn't that right Sasuke-kun?" he asked as a dark-haired Uchiha appeared next to him out of thin air. Then without warning the world suddenly went black to Naruto, his rage had finally over-taken him the mere sight of the uchiha had been overwhelming.
He sprinted across the bridge towards the trio of oto-ninja so fast that it startled Sai and Sakura who were sitting beside him. The Kyuubi/Naruto didn't like snakes... Orochimaru was the first one he went after, catching him by surprise he pummeled his face into that of a tree way on the other side of the bridge, completely unaware of the two new people now standing beside him. Kabuto foolishly tried to grab the demon from behind, managing to get a hold of him yes, but getting burned in the process by the skin of fox forcing him to let go and heal his arms. 'Physical attacks will never harm the Kyuubi, it was foolish of me to forget he thought while looking at the monster.' Kabuto thought. Mean while The Uchiha was busy mustering a fire spell aimed directly at Naruto, Kabuto, Sakura, Sai, and the Captain. The Kyuubi stood it's ground and the fire went right past him, not harming it a bit, Kabuto and Yamato's Squad all managed to evade the attack but it seperated them from Naruto.
The bridge had caught on fire and it would soon fall. The Kyuubi had summoned a black ball of pure power and energy and aimed directly for where Orochimaru had landed while he jumped into the air as the bridge collapsed. The Snake Sannin had little to no time to brace himself. Running he managed to escape a fatal blow but at the cost of his left arm. That wouldn't be good at all... losing an arm in this body might as well be fatal, he'd need to transform into his true form, that of a snake.
"Well Sasuke it looks like we'll be exchanging bodies sooner than expected" Chuckled Orochimaru. At a moments notice Kabuto and Orochimaru turned on Sasuke, Kabuto restraining him as the large white snake prepared to envelope him. It would be their last mistakes, Naruto hit Kabuto from behind and destroyed him body and blood nothing was left, as Sasuke who was then set free sliced the snake in half with his sword.
"They were foolish, they were rushed, and now they're dead" Spoke Sasuke.
By this time Yamato and Sai had begun their retaliation, using wood Yamato build another bridge in the stead of the first one while Sai used his scrolls to make his own way across. Meanwhile Sasuke was sealing up whatever was left of Orochimaru's power inside of him, he'd need all of it in order to defeat his new enemies. Unfortunately that was not the case, The Kyuubi had now grown a seventh tail. Which was far to powerful for him even with the aid of Orochimaru's power. He was pummeled he was kicked, beaten to a pulp, not even the curse marked had the ability to help him now. He didn't even have the time to perform hand seals, and to think that this demon was just toying with him. But before it could lay the final blow, before he slipped into darkness, A cage was built for the create... "Made of wood?" was the Uchiha's last thoughts before he slipped into unconsciousness.
Yamato yelled out the seals name "Hokage style-submission Jutsu! Kuku-ans enlightened return!" and slammed the palm of his hand on the place where the First's Necklace should have been...
~The condemned~
After seeing Sasuke the next thing Naruto knew was that he had awakened in the Hospital in Konoha. Kakashi and Tsunade had come to visit him, they even told him that Yamato and the rest had captured Sasuke on the mission and that Orochimaru and Kabuto were dead. Which was great news all in all, though the one thing the disturbed him the most while he was staying there is that Sakura hadn't come to see him once. She was probably off spending time with Sasuke, In fact he hadn't seen her since the battle with Orochimaru. One thing was sure in his mind though, now that Sasuke was back Sakura was bound to forget all about him, and hate him as she did before. This he was sure of, in their years as genin she had always mirrored the same emotions as the raven-haired Uchiha.
"Uzumaki Naruto?" a nurse called for him
"Yeah I'm him." he replied
"The doctors said you could be released today, just try not to do any excessive work." the calm nurse informed him
"I see, thank you." he said while getting out of the hospital bed.
'Where should I go now?' he wondered 'I haven't been in my apartment much since I got back, it would be good if I could just relax once in a while.' figured the blond as he set out to his apartment. When he arrived though he felt a strong pain in his abdomen.
'kyuubi?' with that last thought he slipped into the chambers of his mind to speak with the Kyuubi.
"Ah and here comes the glamorous hero worshipped by all of Konoha!" Snickered the fox.
"Not in this life I'm afraid my good Kyuubi" The blonde reasoned.
"So what brings you here?" she asked
"What do you mean what brings me here? You're the one that wanted to see me didn't" but before he could complete his sentence he collapsed on the ground clutching his stomach.
"So you feel it to? How all of your strength is leaving you... as if you were... dying" the fox smiled ever so sweetly. "Do you remember Naruto when you were training with Jyriaya all those years ago, we came to our only agreement."
"I do remember Kyuubi, and I also remember that it would kill us both shortly after." He retorted "I thought you above all else didn't want to die?"
"Yes I do not want that, but there simply isn't anything I can do about this situation and shouldn't forget the details of our agreement either, in this unlikely event for dying I'd get to torment you for as long as I wished in the afterlife... but at least your precious wittle friends would be safe... at least Sakura would be hap-"
"BE QUIET YOU WRETCHED FOX!" snarled Naruto
'Ah young love' she thought to herself
"What did you mean there wasn't anything you can do about me dying?" naruto questioned the demon.
"Well as your luck would have it, I've grown tired of this complacent life in your belly. But I'll fight death to the very end, you should be thankful, I'm the only reason you're even still alive." Kyuubi smiled at him
'Her smiles are absolutely horrorifying.' he thought and continued "If I were 'dying' our agreement was that I'd only let you loose in a dire situation."
"Oh so now that you've rescued your precious Uchiha you've forgotten all about the Akatsuki, tell me boy, do you really think they'd believe you were dead? Their most prized target? No, they'll eventually come to Konoha looking for you, just as they went to the village of the sand to get Shukaku, but without any jinchuriki here to opose their power how on Earth do you expect your puny village to survive?"
"Kyuubi wouldn't you like to have revenge on the one who caused you all this suffering to bear?" This time it was his turn to act innocent and sweet he very much knew how much she hated the Yondaime and how she would like to take out her revenge on the very village that spawned him, if he could redirect that revenge though... it could be useful.
"Do not tempt me boy, if I wanted to I could break free from this cell and tear you apart!" Kyuubi was back to her evil self.
"Tell me do you think it's just a coincidence that nearly all the tailed demons have ended up sealed inside humans?"
"How am I supposed to know that?"
"Oh so the Queen of Bijuu admits she's not omnipotent well that's a start, but if you were to ask me. I'd certainly say there would be some connection between Akatsuki and the sealing of eight of the mighty nine bijuu... I mean if you demons were just sealed away a few decades or even centuries apart that'd make more sense. But all of you with the exception of the the three tailed turtle." Naruto made his case.
"...but I am the might bijuu lord... I-I.... I would never fall for such a ruse! None can command me!" she bellowed into the empty chamber
"No... you along with the lot of the other bijuu's minds were corrupted. I'd think you were set up."
For a long time or what seemed like an eternity the Kyuubi pondered on all she had come to meet before and after she was sealed...
"So you think I was brainwashed?" she said viciously.
"It's not right of you to blame my father for defending his village, it is right of you to immensly hate the one who was responsible for all the actions that you still feel, you had no troubles with Konoha before, Akatsuki had to be involved somehow and controlled you to attack Konoha and it is the reason you hate me, the Yondaime, and the village as a whole." Naruto spoke and the Kyuubi listened. "Kyuubi what were you before that day?" he whispered softly as he reached up and cupped the muzzle of her mouth.
In an instant the Kyuubi was no longer the fox demon, but the goddess that she once was. "Goddess of all the foxes..." he whispered into her ear "The most beautiful of all the goddesses" he had only seen her like this once, and it had only been for a brief moment. "Akatsuki imprisoned you, Akatsuki turned you into a demon, and only the death of the ones who casted such a spell on you, will you ever be set free."
A single tear fell from the beautiful girls face as she touched the hand that was still on her cheek. But soon her rage returned, and she onces again turned into the demon fox, Naruto immediately withdrew his arm to prevent it from being torn off. To which she quickly seemed to be embarrassed by her actions.
"Fine... do what you will..." the large kitsune said before curling up into a corner.
Naruto didn't know all the details but he knew the basics, the 'demons' in this world were all once miniature gods and goddesses who were by all means immortal, although in the creation of this world there had apparently been some loopholes, and it had also seemed there was a challenge between them to see who could stay around the longest. Even if and when they turned into demons, that challenge was still on for whoever won apparently gained great status in the afterlife.
Flashback
"Naruto..." the kyuubi called out sweetly
"Come to me Naruto" she swooned like a siren.
"What do you want you damn fox? I'm trying to get some sleep!" he accused her "huh who are you? Where'd the fox go!?"
Kyuubi nearly did a face plant when she heard Naruto say that "Don't be so naive child who do you think I am?! Some waitress at Ichiraku's Ramen stand?"
She did notice that for a swift second it appeared that Naruto thought he was in heaven as could be seen from the look of what seemed like ectasy on his face.
"Come on child we both know you don't like Ramen all that much." she remarked
"So you are the Kyuubi but how?" he asked stupidly and shocked.
"Well if you could take off that seal I could... make it worth your time..." she struck a sexy pose that Jyriara would have died from a massive heart attack if he had ever saw it.
"You and I both know that won't be happening anytime soon."
"Alright I'll just tell you anyways if you want but it's an extremely long story perhaps you should find a chair to sit on so you don't have to sit on the hard floor." She grimaced.
End of Flashback
It seemed as though the Kyuubi only turned into her old self when strong and powerful memories were brought back to her and although the first attempt may have only been an attempt to set herself free Naruto did indeed learn a great deal about the Kyuubi and the tailed-demons beforehand. What Naruto did know is that for the two times he had ever been in the presence of the kyuubi in her human form, he could never feel even the slightest hints of malice or evil. But a very strong emotion that some would call love.
"So what should I do?" he asked.
"You know the others might not be able to see through that stupid facade of yours but I'm a part of you, just go find the Hokage's papers find out where the Akatsuki is and take them out." She said knowing full well that was the biggest threat to konoha.
"I know about that, what I meant was about me leaving the village. If I just leave they'll send Anbu after me, and that would slow us down and we really don't have that much time left do we? The Council will never see it fit to just release me as I could pose a danger to Konoha... but if I said the seal was weakening and you'd be unleashed in all your glory..." the blonde trailed off
"Then they wouldn't have a choice." the fox finished the sentence for him "But that would also hurt your loved ones."
"Exactly, I'm not much for seeing the ones I love cry."
"So just lie to them." offered the Kyuubi
"Lie?" The word seemed alien to Naruto
"Don't be so foolish you use to lie all the time, in fact you still do especially when it concerns how you feel most of the times."
"You can really become annoying sometimes... thank you" he said almost to the point where it would be unaudible as he left the depths of his mind.
'How could I have been so ignorant!?' roared the grand kyuubi as she slammed her head against the bars, deep down she believed that Naruto was right. 8 bijuus, 8 out of 9 of the tailed demons had been sealed into pathetic humans and all in not even a half a century. "Akatsuki is it?! I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE!!!"
Time always moved much slower in there, what could be hours in his mind would only be a few minutes in real time.
He was where he had been, sitting at his small kitchen table staring at his last cup of ramen. Contrary to popular belief Naruto's apartment was quite clean and orderly. But that didn't mean a thing, the money he was paid for doing missions was getting smaller and smaller each month, the council was obviously trying to starve him. Although the Apartment rent was relatively cheap after he returned the money he made from missions barely covered it. Ramen was the only thing he could truly afford in large quantities that would allow him to keep going. He didn't hate Ramen, and sure it was good... but after a while one desires the taste of something different.
He'd be treating himself to something special tomorrow before he left, using what was left of his money that he had saved for hard times such as this. But first he needed to buy some blank scrolls along with ink and a brush to be able to write his goodbye letters, or maybe he should go talk to Tsunade first. The council held a meeting every Monday night which was absolutely convenient for him in a few hours... no he should never consult the council about anything concerning the Kyuubi, ever, those old hounds were all politics. But how would he lie about his temporary leave?
"Well... I do have two weeks off before I even have to be on a mission." Naruto thought out loud 'but... I still need a way to find out where Akatsuki is hiding, the most likely sources would be the secret files stored in the Hokage's tower. Getting those files shouldn't be that hard especially at this late of an hour. If I managed to steal the scrolls of forbidden jutsu's stealing a simple document should be a peace of cake.'
Slowly he got up from his chair and looked around, his apartment was nearly bare, he had to pawn off alot of his belongings to make ends meet and he really didn't want to give Tsunade something to worry about. Being Hokage was definately hard Tsunade had grown a few white hairs since she first became Hokage and she constantly had to improve her age technique to try and hide them.
'Well' he thought 'lets get this over with' with one hand he made his famous jutsu "kage bunshin no jutsu!"
after transforming the clone into a random Konoha ninja and giving it the orders to find the document, read the document, and after completing the mission to disperse. He walked outside of his apartment and into the street. It was very late in the night, and there weren't any villagers to give him glares or shout curses at him although a lot of shops were kept open until the wee hours of the morning.
"You should probably eat first" intruded the Kyuubi " you might not have much of an appetite after writing down your good-bye letter."
'Agreed, but I should get an estimate on how much the scrolls are going to cost me. I obviously can't buy a scroll for each one of my friends otherwise I'd haven't any money for supplies' he concluded.
"What a sad tale, the son of a hero... the spawn of a demon." she said mockingly
'Your's isn't much better.' Naruto shot back as he willed the demon out of his sub-consciousness.
'I really don't want anymore Ramen... but... Ichiraku doesn't only serve Ramen, I bet I could get a free meal if I told them I'd be going off on another trip.' naruto thoughtfully hoped as he remembered the Meal they gave him before the Chuunin exams 'Roasted buttered Lobster with a million side dishes.' he thought as his mouth begun to water completely unaware that the Kyuubi to remembered and was reminiscing over what she had called 'the great feast' for that had been one of the few times Naruto was able to have something besides Ramen, and the only time he'd ever had Lobster.
He made the turn to Ichiraku's and sure enough they bought the story but this time it was prime rib... another thing he'd not yet had the chance to have. Although it was unkown to Ayame and Ichiraku Naruto had set himself up perfectly.
"Thanks again Ichiraku and Ayame-chan." he said giving a polite bow before leaving on a full stomache. If by some chance he could get a chance to repay them the favours they had done for him throughout all these years he would.
For now though it was time to shop. As soon as he found the nearest market that was open he entered and bought all that he could in supplies, along of course with the scroll and writing utensil. The scroll was black with white strips, compliments to the funeral that would succeed him in the event of his death. And that accursed Orange and black Jumpsuit, soon he'd be rid of it... forever...
However now was not the time to think of that, now was the time to be thinking about what he'd write about. Which he was thinking as he walked along the twisted roads that would eventually lead him back to his house.
"Sakura-chan..." naruto was surprised to see his pink-haired friend outside of his apartment at this hour.
Sakura Jumped, apparently he had startled her.
"Stay back!" she cried "J-Just stay away from me!"
To say he was surprised would be an understatement, shocked would be more like it. Sakura was afraid of him...
"Sakura-chan what's the matter?" he tried to ask so he could help her
she took a step back for every step he took closer, her eyes were wide, he could see that she was hysterical. Then suddenly without warning she burned with rage "You Monster!" she yelled as she caught him off guard with a chakra enhanced punch to his jaw.
When he began to get up the fear quickly set back into her. She trembled as she made a few hand seals and a puff of smoke was all that stood in her place.
"Well at least she didn't say she hated you." the demon in his head stated as if she were trying to comfort him.
Fear and hate, they run so close together. She might as well have said hated him, she probably did. It was the story of his life, people either hated him or feared him and some both. Save for a few that had actually come to know him. Now Sakura was amongst them... 'well she shouldn't be troubled for long then.' he thought as walked up the stairs to his apartment and unlocked his door. But he didn't have time to wallow in his own despair, even his heart had just been crushed.
Setting down the supplies he bought on the floor he accounted for them all. Loads of smoke bombs and teleportation jutsu scrolls, although a few kunai and shurikens were to be found. He hadn't planned on fighting just escaping fights, very unlike Naruto, but Naruto's strength and will were diminishing such was the price of death's shadow. He grabbed the scroll he had bought and the brush then sat at his crude table to write. He wasn't very good at good-bye's, he'd never thought he have actually had to use that promise he made to Jiraiya
The letter
To: Jiraiya
Yoma Kazoe Uta
One It was a love in one generation.
Two The two of us go to hell.
Three Even though we kill everyone.
Four Signpost for the land of the dead.
Four Signpost for the land of the dead
Five The blood rain because of the war.
Six Just like a dead body,
Seven My tears run out.
Eight the dark night starts to melt
Eight the dark night starts to melt
Good-bye,
Naruto Uzumaki
He rolled up the scroll and set it on the dining room table which was right by the sofa, Naruto also left the headband of the yondaime and Tsunade's necklace laying beside the scroll. He hastily packed his supplies into his rug sack which contained only food and liquids. And he lined the weapons on the inside of his jacket and pockets so they could be accessed with ease. With everything ready and nothing to stay for, Naruto set forth to seak the Akatsuki.
'Good-bye, Sakura-chan.' he let a few warm droplets fall from his eyes before regaining his control.