Hello! It's my first story, yay~ *throws confetti and hands out cake* I'm actually a little nervous about posting it, but whatever. Hope you all like it! You probably won't, but who cares~

Naruto will be very unlike himself as this story progresses, but that was done on purpose. He will not be as out of character eventually.

I will make a point right now that this is more of an alternate storyline. It follows almost nothing canonically. It does, however, take place in the same world with the same characters, etc. And I will underline this now there will be eventual slash. If you do not like this sort of thing, then you can choose to press that back button now.

Disclaimer: I own only the plot.


That I May Protect

Prologue


Every time. Every single time. Naruto sighed as he stared down at the village from his spot, perched on the Hokage monument, between two spikes of the Yondaime's hair. He stared sadly at his bleeding wounds that had been inflicted upon him by the villagers, eyeing them as they healed at an inhuman pace. His eyes drifted down to the village and he gazed at the silent scene, a sad smile curving onto his lips.

He loved Konoha – he really did. But in turn, all the village did was throw hatred upon his shoulders, weighing him down until they thought he would never stand up again. That was all he was to them. The demon-spawn who should have never been born in the first place.

The blonde raised his pure eyes, cornflower in hue, to the night sky. Sometimes he felt as though the stars were the only ones he could talk to – his only friends. But unlike normal friends, they could not speak back. They could only listen. He wondered what it would be like to have people that would not be afraid to speak with you and listen to you.

His happy-go-lucky charade had forever been branded into him. He would always put on a brave face towards the village that hated him so much, but there were times when the pain was just far too much to carry on his eight-year old shoulders.

He lowered his gaze back down to the slumbering village, wishing there was a way. He had many ambitions in life, and he was a rather stubborn child. He knew that perfectly well. To have them pushed down and crushed so many times over, only made his resolve to achieve his goals strengthen.

Sighing, he whispered a quiet prayer to the stars that he knew would listen, but never respond, before standing up, and beginning his descent from the monument. He just wanted to protect. Even if his loud proclamations of being Hokage and whatnot were still exclaimed without hesitation, what he truly wanted was to protect the village he loved. Was that too much to ask?

His feet were slower than normal as he continued his descent. Perhaps he didn't want to return to his house and go to sleep only to wake up to the horrifying reality that his life was. He sighed softly, feeling a little light-headed. Blaming it on the altitude, he thought nothing of it, and continued to take step after step down the long stairway that reached from the ground to the very top of the monument.

His eyes widened as the light-headedness he was feeling made him grow dizzy, and he slipped off the step he was currently on. He squeaked in surprise, and quickly tried to catch a grip on something – anything – but there was none.

No one heard the scream of the eight-year old boy as he plummeted down from the monument to the ground below which was, as one could guess, not what could be called soft.

The last thing Naruto saw before his back made harsh contact with the ground, knocking him out, was the stars glittering up in the night sky. He gasped as he hit the ground, swearing he could hear a crack, and soon passed out due to the violence of his landing.


He opened his eyes to find himself in a room that he had never seen before. It seemed to be a very dreary place, in his opinion. He wondered where he was, or why he was even there. Come to think of it, how had he gotten there? He didn't remember travelling anywhere.

Memories of the fall returned to him, and he blinked, a little curiously. Was he dreaming, or was this where people go when they die? He had to be dead – that fall was nothing a normal human could survive, and he was smart enough to know that.

He looked around the place for a long while, and walked around, trying to find anything that would hint as to where he was. He gazed down at the watery ground beneath him, and poked at it, wondering why he wasn't drowning. That was water, right? Although he had seen shinobi walk on water, he had never done it before. He should be drowning, according to reason.

"Is anyone here? Hello?" he called out, looking around. He continued to walk along, seeing nothing much but that same dreary scene no matter how far he walked. He spotted something further down, and curiously walked towards it.

He was met with a gate, but one unlike any he had seen before. This had to be the biggest gate he'd ever seen. Was it to contain something? If so, what? He looked around once more, but received nary a response. Was anyone even in here in the first place?

"Hello?" Still no response.

Seeing no harm in it, he stepped through the wide set bars, and looked around. He was surprised to see that the area within the gate seemed a little more comfortable, but that was not saying much. It seemed more like a living quarters. So someone did live here.

"May I ask why you trespass in my domain, child?" a somewhat arrogant voice questioned. Naruto whirled around, wide eyed, as he caught sight of a man he had never seen before. Sensing the obviously great amounts of power that resided within the man, he bowed respectfully.

"I apologize for intruding, but there was no response when I called so I assumed there was no one here." He remained in his bow, not daring to stand up straight, until heard a sigh, and felt a hand pull him up into a standing position, and stare at him, tilting his chin up slightly.

Naruto took this chance to observe the man. Middle-aged and tall with somewhat wild, long, fiery hair that fell down to the middle of his back, and piercing amber eyes. His build was obviously strong, but also somewhat slender. He was garbed in a royal blue yukata scattered over with gold foxes and nine tails branching out in the back from where it was held up at the waist with a simple gold obi. His face was angular, but the effect was softened somewhat by the bangs that framed it. Embedded in the centre of his forehead, was a red jewel. His yukata was left a little looser around the top, revealing part of his chest. Upon his chest, Naruto could see a strange sort of seal.

He released Naruto, and made to walk away. Naruto stared after him, and finally found the voice to speak. "Wait!" He turned with a raised eyebrow, and stared at the blonde. Naruto bit his lip slightly.

"Please tell me where I am, and who you are," he requested, bowing in respect, but this time standing up straight again. A dry, humourless smile curled onto the man's lips as he sat lounged on a couch, and motioned for Naruto to come closer with a slender digit. Naruto obeyed. What else could he do?

"Sit down, child," he stated, motioning to a chair. Naruto did so, but continued to stare. The man sighed, and pushed himself up slightly, propping himself on his elbow, which rested on the armrest of the couch.

"I am the demon inside of you – what the people call Kyuubi no Kitsune." His eyes showed obvious animosity as he spoke. "Where else could you be if I am here? You are within your own subconscious, child." Naruto frowned thoughtfully.

"You aren't a fox though," he stated bluntly but honestly. The man rolled his eyes.

"I am not in my form most powerful. If I was, the amount of pressure that could be placed on your body could kill you – you are only a child. I prefer this form much better as well." Naruto gazed at him curiously, and a little apprehensively.

"Why did you destroy the village?" he asked, his voice curious. The Kyuubi blinked, before his eyes widened, and his already narrow pupils became slits.

"That's none of your business, child! All you need to know is that I enjoyed it. All those people dying and screaming in terror as I crushed them without a second thought. I loved the time when I did that, and I will never regret it," he snarled.

Naruto flinched at the outburst, before once again staring at the Kyuubi. He blinked for a moment, and looked closer, before sighing. He slid off the chair, and walked up to him, no fear in his eyes. He stared directly at him, and bit his lip before speaking.

"Kyuubi-sama, that's not the reason is it? Something's hurting you." He raised a hand and laid it on top of the demon's own which was resting in his lap. The Kyuubi stared at him, surprised. He frowned. "It's in your eyes. Demons are more honourable that that, aren't they? There must have been a reason. It's hurting you, and if you keep denying it, your anger will grow too great."

Silence reigned between them as Naruto didn't meet the demon's eyes, and the Kyuubi stared at him, slight shock within his own. Finally, a smirk of sorts spread onto the man's face, and he chuckled lowly, pulling his hand from under Naruto's and ruffling his hair.

"You remind me of someone..." He sighed softly, before sitting up straight, and staring down at Naruto. "Your perception of things beyond what the eye can see merits this knowledge. You have heard the story from the villagers' perspective – I will tell you from my own." Naruto nodded, and he began.

"It was a very long time ago, but there existed an era where demons and humans were able to coexist and live together in harmony. That was before chakra was discovered by humans. Of course, the demons already knew about the existence of chakra, but we also knew the danger in revealing it to humans.

"Humans are very greedy creatures – when they want something, they will do whatever it takes to get it. That is only their nature, thriving within them from a very young age. Even wants that seem good are still greed." The Kyuubi smirked slightly. "You always say you want to be Hokage, or you want to protect the village. Those are all wants, and the greater the want, the greater the greed.

"Anyway, when humans discovered chakra, the want for power grew, and they thought that getting their hands on the demons would somehow gain them more power. That great power also drew rifts, and that is why there are all the different lands and villages you know of today.

"I am not merely a demon. I am one of the nine in the demon council – the ninth to be exact. The demon council are made from the most powerful demons in the entire realm, each signified by their tails. I, as you know, am the ninth; the most powerful and also the lord of the demon realm." He sighed, and averted his eyes slightly from the blonde.

"According to unanimous agreement from the council, the demons retreated into hiding from humans. But they were still power hungry." Kyuubi's face softened ever so slightly.

"I had a mate. She was not a part of the demon council, but held power in her own right. We lived a little ways from Konoha, away from civilization, within the forest." His face contorted into a piercing glare at nothing in particular.

"My mate was having kits, and everyone knows that birthtime is when one is most vulnerable, for humans and demons alike. I did not know that there were shinobi waiting for just that moment. My mate was at her weakest, and my kits had just been born – that was when they decided to attack.

"The attack was lead by a certain man, who claimed he was Uchiha Madara. I had heard of the Uchiha before, and I did not want to fight. Not because I would be defeated, but because my mate was there. The chakra of a demon is so powerful, it could be considered dangerous if one was exposed for too long in it. I tried to protect her and my kits, but in this form, and having to take my family into consideration, the humans outnumbered me. They took advantage of this, and tried to grab at her power – even a weak demon is a powerful one for a human." The Kyuubi's eyes slid shut.

"Their attempts which I could not stop, killed her. The after effect of the wreckage that the unleashed chakra caused killed my newborn kits as well. That drove me into a rage, and I attacked them. They called for reinforcements, and began to attack me from the village as well, but due to rage and grief, I attacked them in my true form, and destroyed the village.

"The Yondaime Hokage, who I doubt had anything to do with this plan, decided that enough was enough, and I had to be sealed away, so he sealed me into a newborn child, eight years ago. I'm certain that you know of this child," he finished, before falling silent. Naruto nodded slowly, allowing it all to sink in.

"It was me..." To that, the Kyuubi remained silent. They both knew the answer. Naruto stared up at him.

"So that's why you hate humans so much?" he asked innocently. The Kyuubi fixated him with his piercing amber stare for a few moments, before gazing back out at nothing in particular.

"The term 'demon' may not conventionally be acquainted with other terms that hold positive connotation, but we are beings that have ability beyond that of a human. One of our many abilities, is to sense the purity of a human. That may change over time, but we can clearly see and sense the purity of a human. We know who is worthy of our trust and who is not."

"But all shinobi have killed and everyone does bad things," Naruto queried, merely out of curiosity. The Kyuubi's lips curved up slightly.

"Our judgement is scarce imprecise, even if our actions regarding the situation are prone to being the wrong ones," he stated. Naruto nodded, trying to comprehend all this in his head. A sudden thought came to mind, and he turned to look up at the Kyuubi.

"Kyuubi-sama, am I dead?" he questioned. The man seemed a little surprised at the question, even though he hid it very well.

"Of course you are not. I am sealed within you, so your death will result in mine. I believe that you were merely forced into this segment of your mind due to the fact that I had to use a greater amount of chakra than normal to heal you." Naruto's eyes widened.

"It was you?" The Kyuubi rolled his eyes.

"Do you know of any one else which would make sense of your healing?" Naruto had no answer to that. The last time Sandaime had taken him to a hospital to get him healed only resulted in the doctors trying to kill him. Thankfully, the Hokage had gone to check on him and rescued him.

"Thank you so much, Kyuubi-sama," he stated gratefully, gazing up at the demon. "I wish I could do something for you – you've already done so much for me..." The Kyuubi merely rolled his eyes, but Naruto was sure he could catch a slight hint of fondness within them.

"I am not dishonourable enough to ask a favour of a child," he stated, his slightly arrogant tone back. Naruto frowned for a moment at the statement, before gazing back up at the Kyuubi.

"May I ask a favour of you, Kyuubi-sama?" he questioned. The man nodded for him to go on. Naruto bit his lip, and lowered his eyes for a moment before continuing. "Will you please teach me?" he asked. "I wish to become strong so that I can protect the village, even if I don't become Hokage. I want you to train me, because you're strong, and you can teach me to be strong too." He paused for a moment, before discontinuing. He had a feeling he had said enough.

For a moment the Kyuubi was silent, before he dipped his head in agreement. "So be it. I will train you, but I am warning you: I will not go easy on you because you are a child. You will address me as appropriate. You are to listen to me, and do as I say without complaint. Question is allowed, but only if it is worth asking. I trust you have the intelligence to know what is and is not worth asking. But I will say now. If you want me to train you, you must leave the village." Naruto's eyes widened.

"What?" Kyuubi shook his head, a serious expression in his eyes.

"I will not repeat myself." Naruto blinked.

"Kyuubi-sama, why will I need to leave the village?" he asked. The man chuckled slightly.

"That is because I intend to train you thoroughly. You will need a place where you will not be disturbed, and where you may demolish your surroundings without punishment." Naruto frowned. Being a child, the idea of being able to destroy things sounded rather appealing, but at the moment, he wasn't sure if he should agree.

Finally, after having thought through the entire option at hand, he nodded, determined. "I will. I doubt I will be missed too much, and when I return, I will be strong enough to protect the village." The Kyuubi nodded, before standing up, and glancing over at the blonde.

"Indeed. But now you must wake – the night is far spent. Your body has been undergoing a rigorous healing process, so you should be able to do most things although you must go easy on yourself today. You will leave today, and head due southwest to the area of no man's land in the Land of Rivers between Tanigakure and Amegakure." Naruto nodded, and stood up, a smile spreading onto his face, directed at the Kyuubi. He bowed out of respect, before laughing slightly.

"Thank you, Kyuubi-sama. I know I am a kid, but I'll try my best not to disappoint you." The Kyuubi stared at him for a moment, before nodding as the boy's subconscious state faded into one of consciousness, leaving him once more alone with his own thoughts.

His lips slowly curled into something of a sad smile. That boy...something about him seemed familiar, or at least more than it should have. He sighed, and gazed up at the unending expanse of space that was his prison in the furthest corners of Naruto's mind.

Akane...


Naruto snapped back into consciousness, and winced as the first thing that his mind registered was the pain. He sighed softly, and stared at the sky, which was still dark. It was evident that the dawn was just about to break. He sighed and sat up, groaning as pain shot up his back. Healing he may be, but that didn't make it hurt any less. He really owed the Kyuubi one for this.

He pushed himself to his feet, and took a step forward. A sharp pain flew up his back, but he tolerated it. He was extremely fortunate to be alive after falling from such a height. He bit his lip to stifle his noises of pain, and continued to walk for his house.

Quietly, he padded through the streets, and entered his house. He looked around, before pulling out a backpack from the closet – he had found all sort of things there – and began to pack. He winced slightly with every step he took, but was beginning to grow accustomed to the pain.

He packed with him every weapon he had, and managed to fit in a few sets of clothing as well. He sighed softly, and glanced back at his closet. He shut it, and pulled out a piece of paper from a nearby drawer. Grabbing a brush and ink, he wrote a note addressed to the Hokage, and left it on his bed. He would not tell the Hokage of course – he didn't want to be kept back.

Hefting his bag onto his back, he flinched at the pain, but bore it, and began to walk just as the sun broke over the edge of the village, bathing Konoha in a warm golden light. Naruto smiled, and began to walk. Perhaps if he left early and travelled at a good pace, he would be able to make it there in two or three days.

He glanced around to make sure no one was watching, before making a dash for it, and running out of the village and into the forest. No sooner was he at least a hundred metres into the forest, he stopped, staring at the village gates from over his shoulder. He turned back to the forest, and once again began to walk, not looking back.

His mind drifted back to the Kyuubi, who he now knew. He couldn't find it in himself to feel anything antagonistic towards the fox-demon. After all, it had been the Kyuubi who had healed him all those times the villagers had tried to kill him or at least hurt him. The Kyuubi hadn't done what he had out of spite, and in Naruto's opinion, he had all the right in the world to wreak havoc on the village that had killed both his mate and kits.

Naruto still cared about the village though. He didn't fully understand why, but there was a certain joy he revelled in when he thought about protecting the village so that it could be a happy place. He wanted children to be able to play like that all the time without a care in the world, which was why he wanted to grow stronger. So that he could protect the village from whoever bore ill will against it, even if he had to do so alone.

His steps adjusted to his injury, and soon he found himself more at a brisk running pace. He let his worries slip his mind as he continued to run. It wasn't only that he wanted to grow stronger, he knew. He had to grow stronger. He didn't know why, but he could feel a strange sort of foreboding course through his body that practically screamed impending danger.

For how long he had run, he didn't know, but it was beginning to take its toll on his young body. He slowed down, to a fairly brisk walking pace, and looked around to see if anyone was there. Not seeing or sensing anyone, he fixed his eyes on the forest before him.

He wondered if anyone had taken note of his disappearance. His thoughts took on a slightly sour tone as he wondered if anyone would hold a celebration upon discovery of his disappearance. To be honest, he really couldn't put it past them.

He stopped by a tree, and decided to take a short break. Easing the pack off his back, he sat down, resting against the trunk. He stared up at the sky, and sighed softly before pulling his knees up to his chest, and resting his chin upon them.

Child, stand. Lesson one begins now.

Naruto blinked at the voice in his head, but held up his part of the bargain and made no complaint. Besides – if the Kyuubi was alive when demons and humans lived together, he must be wise. Naruto knew that as a child he himself was still naive, and would probably not understand the reasoning of the demon. He pushed himself to his feet, and waited for further instructions.

First I will give you a thorough lesson about chakra, then a will teach you some simple ways in which you can make use of your knowledge. Listen carefully, child. I will make you repeat to me all that I have taught you when I am done.

Naruto nodded, and listened intently, not wanting to miss out on anything that could benefit him or the village.

Not long after his comprehension had been tested, he found himself trying simple jutsu. He wondered if the Kyuubi was teaching him like the Academy would, or like he had been trained himself. Naruto paused in his rather complex kata that had been given him to do.

Don't stop, child. This is for your self-defence. You are not yet at your destination, but do not expect your journey to be as smooth as it has been so far. You have unusually large reserves of chakra for a human, and that combined with my chakra makes you a formidable force. If people were to know who you are, they'd do anything to get their hands on you.

Naruto continued, but that didn't stop his thoughts from running off. He could feel a small bead of sweat trickle down his cheek, but had not heard any given order to stop, so he began once more, speeding his movements up slightly.

The sun was slowly rising to its zenith in the sky, and Naruto was still going strong. He always had been known for incredible stamina anyway. He was called to stop and rest for a little while before moving on.

You've been making good pace, child. By any good fortune, we should be able to reach the border of the Land of Fire by noontime tomorrow.

Naruto smiled, and nodded quietly to himself. He took a drink of water from a canteen that he had tied onto his pack. After a few minutes rest, he began his run again, the pain in his back barely noticeable this time around.

A slow grin spread across his face. Even if it would hurt, he would return to Konoha as a stronger ninja that could protect the village. He knew it would take a long time, but he trusted it would all be worth it. Besides – didn't he have the best sensei he could ever ask for?

Naruto dashed on, this time without looking back.


Please tell me what you think about this! *holds plate of cookies out with puppy dog eyes* :)

Also, I just love the thought of Kurama being like a father figure to Naruto~ Screw hatred - this is much cuter.