Chapter 2: Legends Of The Fox

(Flashback)

"Hahahahahaha! You will NEVER defeat me! Even without the Hachibii and the Kyubii, I still have the powers of the other seven tailed beasts." A demonic looking beast which had a single, massive Rinnegan eye with seven tomoes roared at a man wearing red robes with black flames and the Hokage's hat who stood in front of it. "And their powers along with the four kinds of Sharingan in my possession were enough to revive the Juubi which I have now assimilated. Your chances of victory are now Zero!"

The man wearing the Hokage's hat frowns at the monster. "I've always been ridiculously lucky so odds don't really apply to me anymore. Besides, you should know by now how determined I can be when I set my mind to something and currently, my mind is set on kickin' your ass straight to hell." The man said with a cheeky smile.

"Bwahahahaha! I am an immortal so I can never die! Nothing you do will be able to kill me." The demon said while laughing maniacally.

The Hokage's cheeky smile grew wider. "Who said anything about killing you? I'm planning on sending you to a special kind of hell reserved for assholes like you."

"Naruto Kun! Don't do it! Don't use that jutsu!" A voice calls out desperately.

The Hokage who is revealed to be one Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto looks back sadly at the woman he loved, Hyuuga Hinata who was currently the only one of his friends who is still standing in the battlefield.

The alliance of the Five Great Shinobi Nations were successful in thwarting the plans of Akatsuki. The Fourth Great Shinobi War had been thankfully brief and relatively bloodless as the criminal organization's strength had already been compromised even with the addition of Kabuto and Team Taka due to the fact that most of it's members had already been killed and their former ally Amegakure had joined forces with the enemy under it's new Amekage and former Akatsuki member Konan.

After a successful campaign, the Rokudaime Hokage himself had led a handpicked team which consisted mostly of himself, members of the former Rookie Nine, Karin who was a former member of Team Taka, Kirabe of Kumo and Sabaku No Gaara of Suna into the deepest depths of Akatsuki's base to confront and stop the immortal Uchiha Madara once and for all. But once they arrived there, they had discovered the corpse of Uchiha Sasuke minus his eyes along with the remaining members of Team Taka, Suigetsu and Juugo.

Things went south from there when Uchiha Madara who now possessed the Juubi's body ,suddenly attacked. The team tried fighting back but were decimated. And though none of them were killed by the assault, most were now unable to fight.

Which is the situation we currently find them in.

"I sorry Hinata Chan. I have to do this coz if I don't, Madara will rampage throughout the Elemental Nations and kill a lot of innocent people." Naruto said to his fiance. "It's my responsibility as a leader and as a Jinchuuriki."

"But what about your promise and responsibility to me?" Hinata cried. "You promised that we'd be happy together! You said..." Hinata suddenly slumps forward unconscious due to a nerve strike delivered by Kirabe who looked a little banged up from the assault.

"Thanks Octo Ossan." Naruto said to the Hachibi Jinchuuriki who simply nods in acknowledgement. The blonde then moves forward and caresses Hinata's face. "For what it's worth, I WAS happy with you Hinata Chan. Happier then I ever thought I could possibly be in my life. This is the ONLY time that I have to break a promise even though it's killing me to do it so I hope you'll forgive me eventually. But know that I will ALWAYS love you and NOTHING will ever change that." Naruto said, kissing her lips gently. A tear falls from the heiress's eye as he does this.

"You are certain that you want to use THAT jutsu?" Another voice spoke, making Naruto smile. The Godaime Kazekage Sabaku No Gaara steps out from behind Kirabe with his arms folded across his chest and looking unruffled as always despite his rather disheveled appearance. "What makes you think that neither I or Kirabe are just as capable or qualified of performing it?"

"That's coz you don't have Shukaku inside you anymore and Octo Ossan here has used up most of his chakra against Madara. Besides, it's a Sage technique and I'm the only one here who can perform it." Naruto pointed out.

Gaara closes his eyes and sighs in resignation. Kirabe's sunglasses and stony expression hid his dismay at how everything turned out.

"KIT. I PERSONALLY HAVE NO QUALMS ABOUT USING THIS JUTSU IF IT MEANS TAKING OUT THE ACCURSED UCHIHA BLOOD WITH ME. BUT WHAT ABOUT YOU? YOU STILL HAVE MUCH TO LIVE FOR." Kyuubi rumbled from within Naruto.

"I have no choice Kyuubi. We're the only ones who can do this and neither of us can do it without the other." Naruto answered mentally.

"Kid... you DO know that once you cast that jutsu, there's no turning back right?" Kirabe spoke seriously, mirroring Kyuubi's sentiments.

"Yeah..." Naruto answered solemnly, looking at the older man. "And when I'm done, you and the Hachibii will be the only ones left in this world to protect it for a long, long time."

Kirabe nods in understanding and smiles widely as he holds out a fist. "It's been a blast kid. I'll hold down the fort for as long as it takes."

"THE TRUE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE TAILED BEASTS NOW FALLS ON YOUR SHOULDER BROTHER HACHIBI." Kyuubi said to the Hachibi through their telepathic link.

"I WON'T FAIL YOU, BROTHER KYUUBI. BE AT PEACE." Hachibi answered formally.

With an equally massive grin, Naruto knocks fists with Kirabe before turning to a morose Gaara.

"Temari will be very unhappy but she will understand the necessity." Gaara intoned, referring to his sister who was also engaged to Naruto in a political engagement before holding out a hand. "I will not say goodbye. Just till we meet again, Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto gratefully took the hand of his closest friend and shook it. "Till we meet again, Sabaku No Gaara. Please apologize to Tsunade Baachan, Iruka Sensei and Kakashi Sensei for me, will 'ya?" He then turns towards the unconscious forms of his other friends.

The energetic and eternally youthful Rock Lee.

Konoha's own weapon's mistress and his part time kenjutsu instructor, Higarushi Tenten.

The Hyuga Prodigy and his ANBU captain, Hyuuga Neji.

The T&I department's resident bombshell, Yamanaka Ino.

Another good friend and his eating buddy, Akimichi Chouji.

His lazy tactical genius and Go partner, Nara Shikamaru.

The silent but always efficient captain of the Hunter Corps, Aburame Shino.

The feral but loyal Inuzuka Kiba and his partner Akamaru.

The former ROOT member turned ally and Secret Police Head Sai.

And finally, the former Taka scanner turned good friend, Karin.

Naruto then looks at the two women who meant so much to him.

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to save Sasuke Sakura Chan. Live well." Naruto said quietly to his pink haired teammate and medic before looking at the unconscious Hinata one last time. "I've told you this before and I'll say it again Hinata. I'll always love you and that will never change."

"IT'S TIME KIT." Kyuubi said.

"Kyuubi... Before we do this, there's something I need to say to you. You've been a source of both suffering and salvation in my life. But I am honored to have walked down this path with you. You have my thanks." Naruto said to the Biju.

"DON'T GET SAPPY ON ME KIT AND DON'T THANK ME YET. AFTER ALL, WE'RE DOING THIS TOGETHER, RIGHT? THANK ME WHEN WE'RE ON THE OTHER SIDE." Kyuubi grumbled.

Naruto then turns his attention back to the Juubi and speaks. "Get everyone out of here as quickly as you can Gaara. What I'm about to do now is not going to be pretty."

"And what makes you think I'll let them escape?" Madara/Juubi said as he/it lashes at the unconscious nins but was stopped by Naruto who held on.

"Go Gaara! Get out of here already!" The Godaime Kazekage nods and uses his sand to engulf everyone before teleporting away. Roaring angrily, the monster flings away Naruto who lands nimbly back on his feet with a mixture of natural energy and Kyuubi's chakra starting to envelope him.

"Pitiful insect. Your sacrifice is meaningless because once I'm done with you, they'll be next." Madara/Juubi roared.

"I won't let you! Kyuubi! Give me everything you've got now!" In response, the nine tailed fox howls wildly and starts flooding his Jinchuuriki with power. Naruto then bloodies his hand with a kunai and goes through a lightning fast series of handseals before slamming both hands on the ground.

"Senpo Fuinjutsu: Seikiryuumon Genkai! (Sage Art Sealing Technique: Centennial Dragon Crest Limitation)" Runic markings suddenly spreads out from his hands and covers both his and Madara/Juubi's bodies.

"I-I can't move! What have you done?" Madara/Juubi demands. Naruto grins up savagely at his opponent before answering. "What I'm doing is taking us both to hell together, Uchiha Madara!" A hot, blinding flash envelopes the area and Naruto knew no more.

(Flashback end)

"And the next thing I knew...Chomp...I woke up in that cave...Slurp...to that blasted dragon screaming it's lungs out...Munch...and me in a fox form which I somehow knew how to use...Slurp...and without Kyuubi talkin' to me." Naruto said, finishing his story as he polishes off a bowl of ramen.

Inside the office of the headmaster of Mahora, the other occupants which consisted of the Headmaster himself, his assistant Shizuka and one of Mahora's most powerful faculty members Takimichi could only look on in amazement and disbelief as they watched the mysterious blonde who called himself Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto put away his 15th bowl of ramen since he started explaining his origins to them and he was still going strong.

After sensing the killing intent, the headmaster had sent Takimichi along with the campus security team of mages to investigate the incident and found Negi and two of his students together with the blonde man. Negi managed to convince them that the stranger was no threat and the man even willingly allowed himself to be disarmed before following Takimichi to the Headmaster's office after the senior teacher had dismissed Negi and his students.

Upon arriving in the Headmaster's office, Naruto stomach had growled loudly prompting the Headmaster to laugh heartily and order food for their guest. Of course, how was he to know that the blonde had a bottomless stomach when it came to ramen as evidenced by the tall stack of bowls by his side.

"An amazing tale Naruto San." The Headmaster remarked after listening to the blonde's story while stroking his long beard causing the young Hokage to pause from eating and look up at the old man who somehow reminded him of old Sandaime Jiisan.

"You sound like you don't believe me." Naruto said, chewing slowly.

"On the contrary young man, I DO believe you. I'm not as close minded as you may think and you'll find many things in this school that any normal folks may find... Fantastic." The Headmaster said.

"Like the fact that many here seems to possess some sort of supernatural abilities?" Naruto asks, smirking at the expression of the old man. "Don't look so surprised Jiisan. You've said it yourself that there are many things in this school that normal folks find fantastic and one of my abilities is sensing people through their life energy so of course I'd notice it. That plus the fact that you don't seem to be too concerned about the damned DRAGON under the school."

"The dragon was placed there for a very good reason Naruto San. And yet you were able to drive it away with sheer killing intent alone so it's clear that we must re-evaluate our security measures there." The Headmaster said.

"To be fair, putting a dragon there IS a good security measure. It's just that it's never met anything like me before so that's probably why it freaked out like it did." Naruto stated. "But then again, I don't really understand how I got here or how I became like this in the first place. Whatever power I have right now is something I can't control too well yet and it's probably one of that forbidden sealing jutsus wierd side effect."

"Wierd side effect? What do you mean?" Takichi spoke up for the first time.

"It's as I've said. The Seikiryuumon Genkai is an ancient forbidden technique which I found at the library in Myobukazan while searching for a way to defeat Madara. The problem is that the side effects of casting such a jutsu were never documented because nobody was foolish enough to try." Naruto said. "Not exactly the smartest move on my part but I was desperate enough to try anything."

"Indeed. So what are your intentions now that you've awakened?" The Headmaster asks, a plan already forming in his mind.

"Well first things first. I'd like to know what happened to me and find out if I was actually successful in sealing away Madara and the Juubi." Naruto said seriously. "Forbidden techniques like the one I used on him tend to be quite potent given the price you pay for it but I'd like to make sure. Call me paranoid but that's just the way I was trained."

"Understandable given how much of a threat he seems to be." The Headmaster said with a nod. "But do you even know where to begin? Even though we're not entirely sure for how long you've slept, I imagine that the landscape now looks vastly different from what you're used to. For all we know, this might not even be the Elemental Countries anymore."

"Good point." Naruto said thoughtfully. "I'm going to need access to a lot of old books and records to find out exactly what I'm looking for, a place to stay for a while and probably a way to earn some money for supplies and provisions." The Jinchuuriki then warily looks at the Headmaster who had a small knowing smile before sighing. "You don't happen to know where I can find all those, do you?"

"As a matter of fact Naruto San, I may have just the thing for you. Would you be interested in hearing me out? It will be mutually beneficial for the both of us." The Headmaster said.

After studying the Headmaster, Naruto shrugs his shoulders dismissively and decides to take a chance with the strange old man. It wouldn't be the first time he took risks anyways and he had a feeling that this new world will be quite an experience for him.

Author's Notes: Wow! I never thought that this new story would generate this much interest in you readers seeing as I only wrote it on a whim. But seeing as a lot of you people put it in your alert list (Though I DO also want your reviews), I'll make more of an effort in continuing this story. Hope you enjoyed this update and remember to R&R