Summary: Trust is a valuable asset to have in any situation. Its also something that is hard to gain, but easy to lose. This a story based on a single Shinobi's unwavering trust and commitment to Naruto that changes the course of Naruto's life.

Disclaimer: Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.

'Italics'-Thoughts

Italics-Flashback

Bold Italics-Demonic Speaking

'Bold Italics'-Inner Sakura

'Bold'-Kyuubi Speaking

Chapter 1- Meeting the Anbu

Watching the sunset over Konohagakure no Sato, the Hidden Leaf Village, Sarutobi, the Sandaime, the Third Lord Hokage and dubbed, 'Professor' of the Shinobi Arts, gave a small disgruntled breathe. It was October 10th, the anniversary of the sealing and defeat of the Kyuubi no Kitsune. It was a time of both celebration and mourning at the lives both saved and lost this day six years previously. To Sarutobi, it was an unpleasant reminder towards a blonde hair boy. It was the boy's birthday, a day which a child would be overly joyous. That wasn't the case today. Rubbing his temples slightly, the aged man gave a sad smile towards the village that was in full celebration. Feeling a collective group of chakra signatures enter the room, Sarutobi turned around and was met by his personal Anbu guards.

The group consisted of two males and one female, all of which wearing the traditional Anbu armor, their tattoos showing on their left arm. The first male, being on the left, from the exposed parts of his clothing, was a light tan in color. His hair was as black as night, shooting off in almost every direction, his bangs falling over his mask, made to look similar to a dragon. In the middle was the second man, whom was easily the tallest of the three of them. His hair was short and cropped, blonde in color with patches of gray. His skin tone was tanned like his companions, except a much darker color. His mask was made to resemble a dog. Next was the woman, whose hair was a deep shade of red, cut to her neck line from the back, but her bangs falling down past her shoulders. Unlike her teammates, her skin was a pale white. Her mask, was made to look like a tiger.

Taking an air of authority, Sarutobi took his seat at his desk before he said rather calmly, "Report." Steeping forward, the middle member of the group threw a scroll at the Hokage's desk, anger clearly evident in the man's posture. Raising an eyebrow at the Anbu's lack of respect, Sarutobi brushed it aside for the moment and opened the scroll. Reading the details written, Sarutobi's posture went rigid, anger coming off of him in waves. "I refuse to partake in this mission Hokage." Snapping his eyes towards the Anbu, killing intent released to the point where the man visible shivered, Sarutobi stood before asking in a deathly quiet voice, "What?" Gaining his courage again, the Anbu said, "I refuse to look after the demon. Its that things fault why so many people lost their lives six years ago. I lost a good deal of friends because of that monster!" Feeling his anger quell slightly, Sarutobi felt like his true age of sixty-six. Looking at the man once more, he spoke in a voice that left no room for argument. "Very well then Inu. You will be reassigned, but let me warn you, I will not tolerate any disobedience from you. Any slur against the boy, and I will have you incarcerated and be Ibiki's new pet project. Understood?" Nodding his head with fear coursing through him, Inu gave a shaky bow and Shushined out of the Hokage's office.

Settling himself back into his chair, Sarutobi looked at the scroll again before he looked at the two remaining Anbu. "And you two?" Shaking her head, the female Anbu titled Tora said, "I am fine with continuing the protection of the boy." Nodding his head, Tatsu said, "As am I." Letting a little relief pass through him, Sarutobi said, "Excellent."

Going back to the scroll, Sarutobi asked, "Everything here is correct?" Nodding his head, Tatsu said, "Same as the other reports made previously. The boy was thrown out of the orphanage, before he was cornered by a mob consisting of twenty villagers and three Shinobi, one Genin and the other two Jonin. The child suffered multiple lacerations on his back and torso. He also has several third degree burns on his legs and also suffers from a broken arm and five fractured ribs. The burns we believe were caused by Katon Jutsu. His left eye was slashed, no damage to the retina however, so he'll still be able to see. He lost a lot of blood by the time we arrived. He also sustained six deep cuts on his face, which unfortunately will remain as scars." Tossing a photo of the boy's injuries, Tatsu watched with a small hint of sympathy as the Hokage immediately looked away. Tossing another scroll on his desk, Tatsu said, "The heads of three Shinobi are sealed inside, their deaths filed as you can see in the report." Placing the scroll down, Sarutobi said, "And his condition now?"

Stepping forward, Tora said softly, "Right now he is fine. His 'furry' problem somehow was able to recover the more damaging wounds he suffered. Right now he's in the OR, the doctors mending any injuries that weren't attended to or missed."

Accepting her answer, Sarutobi waved his hand, saying, "Dismissed." Bowing, Tora Shushined from his office. Seeing that Wolf was still standing before him, the old man raised an eyebrow before he asked, "Anything else that requires being said?" Removing his mask, Tatsu revealed his appearance. His face was angled and sharp, his eyes a dark shade of green, making him on a whole appear only that much younger then he really was. "Lord Hokage, permission to speak freely?" Nodding his head, Sarutobi prepared himself for what he guessed was the young man changing his mind about safe guarding one Uzumaki Naruto. "Lord Hokage, I feel protecting the boy is not getting things done. He is constantly being attacked and beaten by both villagers and Shinobi. Assassination attempts have been made by several of my fellow colleagues, as well as ROOT Anbu. Not only are they not punished, they continue to repeat these offenses. And, if I may be so blunt, am fucking tired of dealing with Shinobi and villagers getting away with these atrocities."

Surprised was the only thing that Sarutobi was certain he was feeling. Not only was one of his Anbu not refusing to protect Naruto, he was also trying to make a case out of previous heinous acts made against him previously. Taking his pipe out, Sarutobi lit it before he took a long drag and looking at the man before him in the eye. "And what do you suggest?" Pulling at several pieces of papers from his the inside of his armor, the man handed them to Sarutobi and said, "These are adoption forms. I would like to formally adopt Uzumaki Naruto and raise him. I already have my resignation filed and I just need your seal of approval " Shocked and surprised once more, Sarutobi smiled from genuine happiness for the first time since the Yondaime's inauguration.

"However before we continue, I have several requests that need to be made. First off, I request that in regards to the Kyuubi, if it is brought up by any civilian or Shinobi, in any form, including slurs or acts of violence, I will act upon the law you created six years ago. I will execute them, regardless if its one or a thousand."

Biting the end of his pipe rather abruptly, Sarutobi looked at the man in a combination of outrage and fear before he said, "That is unreasonable. There will always those who will harbor ill feelings towards Naruto." "And I told you I've had enough of it! I will settle for the looks and glares they give him, but I refuse to let one comment, one act of violence meant to do him harm go unanswered." Giving the older man a look of defiance and determination, the Anbu continued. "By doing so, despite the amount of ignorant lives lost, will get the message across. In the end, a lot more lives will be saved rather then lost." Feeling tired, the Sandaime nodded his head and consented, for now.

"Good. Now for my second condition. I request that Naruto be removed from the Academy. I will take over his training until I feel that he is ready to become Genin."

Seeing Sarutobi about to protest, he raised his hand, effectively silencing him. "Don't give me the, 'He needs friends his own age', crap. Most of the students there treat him just as badly as the adults do, most getting their hatred for him from their parents. The few who don't hate him refuse to interact with him. He is better off without that type of environment." Seeing the old man slacken in his seat, a sign that he caved in to his demands, the Anbu let out a breathe before he gave his finally demand. "Thirdly, I ask that while I am away on missions, that someone watches over Naruto. Someone of my choosing." Nodding his head once more, Sarutobi said, "Very well then. Though your conditions are far from reasonable, I will grant them, for the moment." Glaring at the youth before him, Sarutobi said, "But I will say this. If you abuse the conditions I have given you, I will remove the boy from your care. I am Hokage, and I will ensure the safety of this village and its people! Are we clear Anbu?!" Returning the glare ten fold, the man said, "Yes Hokage-Sama. I understand the will of the people overlaps the will of the Yondaime." Seeing the hurt flash across the Hokage's face, the younger man couldn't help but feel some satisfaction at the sting his remark and left. Bowing, the man said, "As I relinquished my rank as Anbu, I will take the rank of Jonin. I will come tomorrow for any finalization of anything else that needs to be done. For now, I will take me leave." With a Shunshin, he disappeared. Sighing, Sarutobi looked at the adoption forms in his hands. 'Itonami Kyoufu is it? Maybe things will start getting better for you Naruto-Kun.'

***********************************

Arriving at the hospital, Kyo stood gave an irritably sigh as he realized he forgot to make his way back to his apartment and change into something other then his Anbu uniform. 'Not like I need it anymore.' Going inside, he walked right by the attendant at the desk, heading straight to the third level of the building. Once there, he saw Tora stationed outside the door at the far right hand of the corridor. Moving towards her, Kyo said, "Tora." Tilting her head to the side, she replied, "Tatsu, where is your mask?" Giving her a slightly uneasy smile, Kyo said, "For starters, I resigned as Anbu. For now, call me Kyo. Secondly, I resigned to take care of Naruto. I'm adopting him." If it weren't for the mask, Kyo would have seen shock run over her face. Seeing that she hadn't replied, Kyo placed his hand on her shoulder before he lightly shook her. "Tora?" Snapping out of it, Tora said abruptly, "Kari."

"What?"

"Kari. My name is Kuragari Kari." Removing her mask, Kyo saw his former teammates face for the first time. Her face was set in a stoic fashion, but still didn't in anyway deteriorate her beauty. Her bangs without the mask fell over her face, covering her forehead and obscuring her left eye slightly from view. Her eyes were a icy blue, their frozen depths holding years of hardship and loss. "If we are going to go by a first name bases, then you should know mine."

Assenting, Kyo held his hand out before he said, "Itonami Kyoufu, Kyo for short. Pleased to meet you Kari-San."

Taking his hand, Kari replied, "Likewise." Placing her mask over face to Kyo's disappointment, she moved to the side, allowing him to enter. Walking inside, Kyo noticed immediately the bundle of sheets in the center of the bed. "W-Who's there?! Hello?" Hearing his fragile voice, laced with fear made Kyo's blood boil.

Walking to the end of the bed and sitting down, he raised his hand before lowering it again. 'Touching him probably set his mind onto the defensive. Wouldn't be surprised with all the shit he's been through.' "Naruto?" Peeking his head through the covers, Kyo silently pledged to kill the one responsible for the marks on his face. He watched as the boy carefully looked at him with his only visible eye, his other hidden underneath a cotton swab bound by medical bandages. Seeing him fully, Kyo noted all his wounds were sealed up or attended to. 'Thank kami something went right for once.'

Giving the boy a reassuring smile, Kyo whispered softly, "I'm not here to hurt you Naruto-Kun. My name is Itonami Kyoufu. Kyo for short. I'm here to tell you something very important." Naruto, though still wary, removed himself from the covers he was hiding under, allowing Kyo to get a better look at him.

He frowned as he noted that several patches of his bandages were red in color, showing that some of his wounds were reopened or not tended to properly. 'When I find the medical attendant that decided to half-ass my Sochi's treatment, I'm going to make them pay their dues in blood!' Looking at him now with curiosity rather then apprehensiveness. "What do you have to tell me Kyo-San?"

Raising his hand, he slowly placed it on his head, watching with attentive stare as Naruto allowed it, but stiffened and flinched on contact. "I had a meeting with Hokage-Sama today regarding your accident. I was one of the three Anbu that rescued you and brought you to the hospital. Getting to the point, I told Hokage-Sama that I had enough of your beatings and constant hospital visits, so I decided to adopt you."

He frowned as Naruto's expression darkened, anger and self-loathing evident in his usual bright sapphire eyes. "Why would you want to adopt me? I'm just a demon brat, a monster! I'm sick of everybody trying to hurt me!" Kyo felt his heart, even after years of being in the Anbu Corps., cringe as Naruto finished his proclamation. 'I guess I deserve that in a way. I was actually expecting that he'd be open to the idea of having a family, but I was relying to heavily on his naivety.'

Placing his hands on the boy's shoulders, Kyo looked Naruto in the eyes before he spoke in a soft voice laced with determination and resolve. "I am not lying Naruto. As of this moment, you are now my Sochi, my responsibility. I never gave a damn about what anyone of these villagers think, and I'm not about to start now. Whether it be one, or a thousand, I will not let them harm you ever again. I swear this on the honor of my clan and as a Shinobi, that I will protect you and be the best father possible." The conviction in his voice lessened Naruto's fear, but it was the serenity and honesty in his eyes that allowed Naruto for the first time in short life to hope that things would start getting better for him. Giving the boy a grin, Kyo asked, "So? Do I get to be called Tou-San from now on or do I have to start bribing you with sweets?" He had to steady himself when the little ball of energy slammed into him. 'Wasn't expecting that.'

After he was able to pry Naruto off of him, Kyo sat him back on the bed before he said, "Naruto, before you get all excited and everything, I need to explain a few things to you. But before we start, you have to promise not to tell anybody what I'm about to tell you. Hokage-Sama included. If he found out what I'm about to tell you, he'd probably stop the adoption. Promise?"

Naruto, though as young as he was, wasn't about to let the chance of having a father slip by him, and nodded his vigorously. "I promise!" Sighing, Kyo hoped to Kami he was making the right decision. "Naruto, six years ago, on this very day, was the attack of the Kyūbi no Yōko. You can guess from the festival going on and from what the Academy probably covered today, that the beast was defeated." Naruto again nodded his head, showing that he was following him so far. "The fact is this Naruto; The Kyūbi wasn't killed. The Kyūbi is, at the most basic level, self aware chakra. It can think and feel just like you and me. But unlike us, it can never die. Chakra is the energy that flows through all living things, so it is always in existence and around us. It never stops growing, and with each passing day, each and every living beings chakra capacity continues to grow. The Kyūbi being made of chakra, continued to grow in strength, making it impossible for it to be defeated. The only way to have it killed would be to stop it from maturing in its growth, which is impossible." Pausing, Kyo wanted to smack himself when he noted that Naruto stared him, his expression a cross between confusion and comprehension.

"Naruto? I knew I'm probably confusing you, but can you tell me if you understood what I was saying?"

Nodding his head once more, Naruto's face morphed into one of concentration as he started to speak. "You said that the baka fox is not dead, because it is made of chakra, and chakra continues to grow or something?" Kyo nodded his head, a relived smile on his face. 'He understood me. Most kid's his age wouldn't have a clue on what I was saying, but Naruto took it and understood it. Though it is a chopped up version of what I said, he's six years old, so I can't really expect much more from him.'

"Yes, exactly. Your smarter then you look Naruto." He watched as the boy's eyes gleamed as he started to jump up and down his bed in excitement at the praise he received. 'He's acting as if I told him Christmas came early. Has he been this starved in receiving any affection?' Calming the boy down, Kyo said, "Calm down Naruto. What I said was fact. You are much smarter then what most of your Academy Instructors have stated. But settle down, I'm not finished with my explanation yet." After Naruto settled down, Kyo continued with his story.

"To make a long story short, the Yondiame realized he had no hope in defeating the Kyūbi on pure strength allow. So he devised a way to defeating the fox by means of the most complicated Shinobi Art, Fūinjutsu, the art of Sealing." Giving Naruto a quick explanation in Fūinjutsu, Kyo silently contemplating on whether or not he should lie about the next part. 'He's going to find out sooner or later.' "After a long battle, the Yondiame unleashed his ultimate Jutsu. With it, he was able to summon the Death God and bind the fox within a human child, who had coincidentally had been born the same day. Because the Jutsu required his life for it to work, the Yondiame died, but not before he had asked that the village see the boy as a hero. Can you guess who that boy is?" Naruto's eyes widened suddenly as he remembered the countless times the villagers glared at him, sneered at him, beat him at every turn. "Its me, isn't it?"

"Yes. But you need to understand this Naruto, that you are not the Kyūbi. You are Uzumaki Naruto, soon to be Itonami-Uzumaki Naruto. What you do with your life will ultimately decide who you are." Naruto still didn't look convinced. "I lost both my parents that night. I was ten years old when I lost them. Right now, I'm trying to adopt you, the child which holds the beast that killed my parents. If I believed you were the Kyūbi, why would I be trying to earn your trust?" Naruto finally looked up at him, a small bit of hope evident. "The villagers, though their ignorance isn't truly an excuse, feels that they are just in their decision to treat you as an outcast." Checking his the clock that hanged on the wall above the bed, Kyo mentally cursed as he realized how late it was. 'Almost three in the morning. Naruto needs his sleep.'

Standing up, Kyo smiled at Naruto before he said, "Its really late Naruto. Get some sleep. I'll be here tomorrow alongside Hokage-Sama to discuss the details I didn't get to today. If you need anything, just ask the Anbu outside the door. She is friend and doesn't see you as the fox. Now go to sleep. I'll be here tomorrow, I promise." Giving the boy another pat on the head, Kyo made his way to the door, his hand on the handle before he heard Naruto's sleepy voice murmur, "Goodnight Tou-San." He smiled. "Goodnight Sochi."

***********************************

Closing the door behind him, Kyo took a glance at Kari as she remained standing where he had left her, the only difference was that her posture was more rigid then from before. "You heard?" A small nod of her head answered him. "And your going to report me?" She didn't move for what seemed like hours, when in reality it was only a minute. Slowly, she shook her head. If he had to take a guess, he'd say that underneath her mask her face was probably scrunched up in confusion at her own reluctance to bring him before the Hokage.

"Do you think it was a good idea? To tell him about his burden?" He frowned slightly. "From what I've seen so far, yes. He'd have found out sooner or later, and I think it'd be better that he found out from someone who actually cares about him then some villager who could care less on how he'd react or feel." Looking back at her, Kyo whispered, "Can I trust that this will remain between the two of us?" At Kari's nod, Kyo gave a small relieved sigh.

Smiling again, Kyo started to make his way down the hallway before he stopped. Turning his head back to face Kari, Kyo silently pondered over what was running through his mind before he nodded his head in confirmation.

"Hey, Kari?"

"Yes?" Raising his hand and rubbing the back of his neck, Kyo gave her a another glance before he said, "I know we have just introduced ourselves officially for the first time, but I was wondering if it'd be possible that you assist me in taking care of Naruto?"

Seeing her not give a immediate reply, Kyo mentally chided himself. 'A reason, I've got to give her a reason!' "I'm not asking you to be in his presence constantly. One of the conditions that I had Hokage-Sama agree on was that when I'm out of the village, that someone watches over him. Outside of perhaps Hokage-Sama himself, there is no one else I trust enough to leave Naruto with, other then you of course."

Removing her mask, Kari gave him a sincere smile. "I'd be happy to Kyo-Kun." Fighting the blush on his cheeks, Kyo nodded his head before he turned back around. With a hand seal and spike of chakra, Kyo was gone. Not before he gave Kari on last smile and said, "Thanks Kari-Chan." He didn't get to see the blush that had ignited on her cheeks afterwards.

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/-/Author Note/-/

First chapter for my first story. Remember to review and give me some feedback. Any and all suggestions are welcome. I'll tolerate flames, but they have to be nice. In other words, anything with obscenities will be ignored and be disregarded. Hopefully I'll have chapter 2 up in maybe a week or so. Until then.

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/-/Jutsu/-/

Shunshin: Body Flicker

Allows the User to travel between short and long distances depending on the amount of chakra used.

/-/Shinobi Arts/-/

Fūinjutsu: Sealing Arts

Shinobi Art involving the sealing of objects, living beings, and chakra into another object.