A Fox's Deception
Hi! Thanks for wanting to read this fanfic. Below is the legend, sometimes it won't as the following, most of the time it will. I hope you like this story.
PS: This is a joint story with OokamiTsume, so we both have it in our account.
Author notes
'Thinking'
"Jinchuuriki speaking with thoughts"
"Bijuu speaking in Jinchuuriki's mind"
'Bijuu thinking'
"Bijuu speaking / transformed Jinchuuriki"
Inner speaking
Flashback/Dream/Letter
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Chapter 2 Suspicions and Traitors
Naruto sat at his desk, looking really goofy and excited, while at the same time he was secretly jumping for joy. Today was the day of his third Genin exam!
'Alright! Today's the day Musha said I could pass! I'm going to become Genin for sure!'
On the outside, Naruto remained foolish, but allowed himself a true smile when no one was looking. He could do this test with one arm behind his back… Well, as soon as Sekimusha taught him how to do one-handed seals and/or no seals at all, but that wasn't the point! He would ace the test, no problem.
"Not so fast, Kit–"
"Eh?-!" Naruto blinked in surprise as the Bijuu's voice sidled into his conscious mind. "Musha! Stop butting into my thoughts!"
"Kit, it's Mizuki."
The ancient fox demon was right. Mizuki and Iruka had just walked into the room. Naruto looked up at them and, for a split second, saw something akin to hatred flash through Mizuki's eyes – just like always. Naruto just looked as though he hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary, and instead grinned at the two Chuunin. Mizuki caught himself just in time, or so he thought, and smiled back at the Jinchuuriki.
"Ohayou, Naruto." Mizuki said as he and Iruka passed on the way to the front of the class.
Naruto plastered a huge grin on his face, "Hey, Mizuki-sensei, Iruka-sensei, guess what! Today's the day I'm finally going to pass the Genin Exams!"
Mizuki smiled 'kindly' and Iruka managed a twitch of the lips as most of the pupil's laughed at the blonde's outburst.
"We'll see, Naruto, we'll see." Iruka said to the energetic boy, moving to stand at the front of the class, closely followed by Mizuki.
"Kit, watch out for Mizuki… He's acting stranger than usual, today."
"Hai, Musha."
Naruto beamed goofily around the class.
"Alright, listen up!" Iruka addressed the class, "For your final exam, you must create three perfect Bunshin's. Wait in here until your name is called from the next room."
'Aw, crap. With all my chakra, that's my worst technique! Well, at least I know I can create one Bunshin... Ten's as easy as tricking and pranking ickle Genin's…But three clones are harder…Why does my chakra have to be so big?-! Not that I'm complaining, of course. Oh well, with my training, I'll be sure to get one down! Ha, this test is mine.'
Naruto watched, calm on the inside, as one by one students emerged from behind the door sporting either a new hitai-ate or a downcast expression. One particular time, Uchiha Sasuke walked confidently out of the door, headband in hand to be met with fawning from his battalion of fan girls and a heated glare from Naruto – Sasuke took pleasure in glaring right back with cocky arrogance.
If there was one person Naruto hated, it was the Uchiha. God forbid if he was on the same team as that arrogant bastard. 'That bastard thinks that he's the best because he's an Uchiha. I mean, come on, there are millions of ninjas that are way better than him.'
"Uzumaki Naruto."
Finally, it was his turn. Walking towards the door, Naruto's grin widened as he thought of Iruka and Mizuki's faces… not to mention the rest of the class's.
As Naruto took up position in front of the teacher's desk, Iruka spoke, "Now, Naruto, all you need is three simple clones to pass the test… Don't try anything stupid."
Naruto grinned sheepishly, remembering his Sexy no jutsu from the previous day, before remembering that his mask was terrible at performing Bunshin no jutsu. His face slipped into a nervous one and he gulped anxiously. Something like hope or glee passed quickly over Mizuki's face… Did he think Naruto wasn't going to be able to do it? Well, not that he blames him. After all, his mask is the dead last.
A determined look settled upon Naruto's face, mind fixed on proving Mizuki wrong – as, thanks to Musha's training, he knew he could. Closing his eyes in a silent plea –Bunshin no jutsu was still his worst technique, despite being more able than everyone thought. He knew that three clones were relatively easy, though. He started to form the first seal.
"Kit, fail."
Naruto's cerulean eyes flew open. "Wait, what?-!"
"I want to test a theory. Just fail already."
"Demo–!"
"Just do it, Naruto!"
Naruto obviously had a stunned look on his face, as Iruka was frowning at him, "Something wrong, Naruto?"
Blinking a few times, Naruto looked up at his sensei, "Wha–? Oh, right! Here I go!"
Taking the plunge and putting his faith in Sekimusha, Naruto gathered up what he knew was a ridiculous amount of chakra for creating a simple Bunshin. Iruka and Mizuki both exchanged glances that said all too clearly 'He's going to fail.'
"Bunshin no jutsu!" Naruto announced. "Behold, three perfect–!"
Naruto cut himself off as he looked across to a clearing plume of smoke, revealing… three dead looking clones lying pathetically on the floor.
"…clones…" Naruto allowed his expression to falter and his hands fall limp at his side. "Eh…Heh…" He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.
"Naruto… you fail!" exclaimed Iruka.
Everyone but Naruto passed… once again. The blonde sat on his favorite swing staring gloomily at the interaction between the happy parents and children. "Musha, what's that theory you want to prove? I wanted to become a ninja this time, you know!"
"Be patient, kit. I promise that your 'failure' would not be a waste." If anyone else had heard Sekimusha say that, they would've thought they were crazy – the Kyuubi wasconsoling the kid, after all… albeit, in a not very noticeable way. "Ah," the demon lord carried on, "Here he comes now."
Naruto, too, felt the presence of Mizuki coming his way. He turned around and greeted him gloomily, "Hi, Mizuki-sensei."
The sliver-head smiled, "Naruto, can I talk to you?"
"Okay, Mizuki-sensei…"
Soon enough, he and Mizuki sat side by side, Naruto still in his role of 'sad failure'.
"Iruka is a really serious guy…" Mizuki started, looking across at Naruto. "His parents died when he was young…"
Naruto pretended to look surprised.
"Tch, already knew that, seeing as I–"
"Urusai, Kyuubi… I don't want to know how you killed them."
Sekimusha shifted in his cage, snorting quietly, "Your loss, Kit."
"Hardly…"
All the while, Mizuki kept on speaking, oblivious to the Fox's intervention, "…Everything he's accomplished he did by himself, with a lot of hard work and discipline."
"So…-?" Naruto was confused to where this was going, "What's this got to do with me?"
Mizuki looked sideways at Naruto, smiling slightly at the boy. "So…you remind him of himself."
Naruto's eyes widened at that, properly surprised, 'What?'
"Aw…" The fox interjected sarcastically. Naruto ignored him while Kyuubi snickered, the sound echoing around his cage and in the back of Naruto's mind.
"He thinks he's helping you to grow strong… Try to give the guy a break… Can't you understand where he's coming from?"
Naruto's face remained perfectly downcast as he listened to what Sekimusha was telling him to say.
"…One orphan to another…-?"
Naruto looked up; a twinge in his lower gut telling him that he had always been uncomfortable on the subject of him being an orphan. Shaking off the feeling, he proceeded to say what Musha told him to say – The kitsune suspected that he would then be playing right into Mizuki's hands, which is what the demon wanted.
Naruto cast his gaze down to the floor and his face fell once more – the perfect act.
"But… I really wanted to graduate…"
Mizuki thought Naruto failed to notice the triumphant glance he sent the boy's way. "Then, I guess there's no choice but to tell you…" He said, feigning offhandedness.
"Huh?"
Mizuki turned to smile at Naruto. Naruto could tell that Mizuki's smile hid something ominous behind it, but Mizuki thought that Naruto's wide eyes and curious look were genuine. Sekimusha had to hand it to them – Mizuki and Naruto were great actors… But Naruto was better.
"Let me tell you a secret that I've been keeping for a long time…"
'Bingo.'
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Later that Night...
An orange jumpsuit-wearing thief crept his way towards the Hokage Tower, unnoticed by anyone.
"I bet all of my tails that Mizuki has something to do with the fact that you hardly even needed to use stealth to get in."
"No duh, Fox…" Naruto resisted the urge to roll his eyes, before voicing a question to the kitsune. "If he can do this, then why can't he get the scroll himself?"
'For all his brains, he can still be so damn slow…' thought Sekimusha.
"Hello…-! He plans to put the blame on you, kit. You know… two birds with one stone. If he can get away with it, no one would suspect him and he gets to go free. You, on the other hand, would be put in prison or be executed... It's a wonder why, for all the attempts on your life, you didn't already realize that."
Ignoring the fact that Sekimusha was obviously mocking him, Naruto went inside the room that Mizuki had told him about. 'Okay, let's see, the really big scroll marked "The Forbidden Scroll of Seals".' Almost as if he had wished it, in the far corner he immediately spotted a really big scroll. 'This got to be it!' Just as he picked it up, he noticed a smaller scroll attached to it at the back, probably so that one wouldn't notice it unless they picked up the big scroll. He was about to detach it, when he noticed something strange… it was addressed to him. 'That's weird… Why would it be addressed to me?' A frown flashed across his face. 'Hm…I'll read it later.' Naruto thought as he quickly pocketed it.
Suddenly, he became aware of the presence of Sandaime Hokage outside the door. He braced himself to attack – he couldn't get caught now! The door creaked open and as soon as the Hokage stood in the doorway, Naruto quickly formed a few seals and called out softly, "Oiroke no Jutsu." A cloud of ninja smoke consumed him. When it disappeared, a beautiful, yet very much nude, girl version of himself was revealed. The question on the Hokage's lips disappeared and a wizened hand came up to fruitlessly try and block his nose. It was no good – Sarutobi lost consciousness as the force of his nosebleed made him soar backwards and hit his head on the wall behind him.
Quickly, Naruto made his way out towards a secluded field in the forest with a small cabin. When he got there, he opened the scroll and took a good look at it. Due to his photographic memory, he memorized everything in there, and stored them away in mental files for later. After he was done, the blonde went back to the first jutsu – Kage Bunshin no Jutsu – and started training.
It took a few hours, but now, Naruto has completely mastered the jutsu. He has even found out about the secret of Kage Bunshin's – when a Kage Bunshin is dispelled, everything that it knows, the original will know. Basically, Naruto now has a better way of training. He was about to move on to the next jutsu when he sensed Iruka-sensei, unknowingly being followed by Mizuki, coming towards him.
The Kyuubi's impatient voice sounded in his mind. "Hurry up, kit. Let's get this show on the road."
"Hai, Musha… Just give me a second."
Just then, Iruka came into the clearing, "Naruto!" He exclaimed angrily.
Naruto looked at him and grinned foolishly, "Hey, Iruka-sensei, I've learnt a technique from this scroll, so can I pass now?"
"Nani?"
Still grinning, the blonde answered, "Mizuki-sensei, told me that if I can master a jutsu in here, I get to pass the Genin Exams and become a Genin!"
Iruka looked shocked for a moment, doing a very good imitation of a goldfish with his mouth hanging open. He couldn't believe that Mizuki of all people…-! Suddenly, he sensed as well as saw a barrage of kunai headed straight towards them. Acting out of instincts, Iruka pushed Naruto away and took the deadly blows head on. He grunted in pain, "Nice job finding him. Now, I see what's going on."
A smug voice overhead was heard, "Now, Naruto, hand over the scroll," And Iruka dragged his head up, just for his eyes to widen in shock – It was Mizuki!
"What's going on? Mizuki-sensei? Iruka-sensei?" asked a very 'confused' Naruto as he looked at the two teachers, putting on a slightly scared face.
Mizuki laughed coldly. "Hand over the scroll, Naruto."
Iruka's shocked and worried eyes darted from Naruto's 'scared' face, to Mizuki's triumphant one. "Naruto!" Iruka shouted to the blonde, "Protect that scroll with your life! That is a dangerous scroll that has forbidden ninjutsu sealed within it! Don't let Mizuki have it, he was just using you to get his hands on it!"
Mizuki just chuckled, "Naruto, even if you've read it, it'll still be meaningless… I can show you what it means."
Iruka blanched. "Urusai, you fool!" Mizuki paid no heed, though, and continued to stare down at the 'frightened' Naruto with a look as though he was a cat that just got the canary.
"Naruto…Do you know what really happened the night twelve years ago? …where the great demon Fox, Kyuubi, was killed…"
"No! Don't!" panicked Iruka.
"Oh, really, I prefer the name 'Sekimusha'… but, still these pitiful humans do flatter me so…"
"Oh, be quiet, Musha…" Naruto turned his attention back to Mizuki, while still maintaining his 'scared-not-knowing-what-the-hell-is-going-on' look.
"The truth is that it wasn't killed, instead Yondaime died sealing it. Since then, the people in this village have been bound by a decree…"
"Wow, I even have a special decree…" Musha's prideful voice resounded in Naruto's head, and Naruto had to refrain from actually rolling his eyes at the Kyuubi's antics.
"Well, technically it's about me… not you, you self-absorbed kitsune… and you already knew about it, because you told me…"
"Shut up and listen to the human, kit…"
"Ha, that's got to have deflated your gigantic thousand-year-old ego a bit…"
"…"
All the while, Mizuki carried on speaking, completely oblivious to the conversation in Naruto's head, and carried on believing he had the scared little Jinchuuriki under his thumb.
"I… I don't remember hearing about any decree…" Naruto stuttered out, watching Mizuki chuckle while Iruka struggled to unpin himself from the kunai knives as Naruto walked 'obliviously' into Mizuki's greedy and traitorous hands.
"Bravo, kit… your performance deserves an award… You keep playing the puppet…"
"You wouldn't know, Naruto… Part of the decree was that everyone would know… except you."
"…Except me? What are you talking about? What decree?"
Mizuki threw his head back and laughed manically and uncontrollably at Naruto's 'bewildered' expression, "The decree is that nobody is allowed to talk about the fact… that you are the demon fox!"
"What do you mean?" asked Naruto 'warily', trying to look confused at the same time.
Everyone ignored Iruka as he yelled 'Stop' in vain.
"It means that you are the Kyuubi… the demon that killed Iruka's parents and nearly destroyed the whole village! You were sealed up by Yondaime Hokage, the one you admired the most, and you have been lied to by everyone! Didn't you find it strange that everyone hated you, and you didn't know why? Iruka is the same… he actually hates you! Nobody will ever accept you!"
Flashbacks of Sandaime Hokage talking about Naruto appeared in Iruka's head as he watched the scene unfold with panicked eyes.
"That scroll was used to seal you up!" Mizuki cried out with a glint of mania in his eye. Unhooking the weapon from his back, Mizuki threw one of the giant shuriken towards a 'frozen' Naruto.
Just as Naruto was prepared to use Kawarimi no Jutsu to escape, Iruka leapt towards him, now unpinned from the kunai, and took the shuriken with his back. Drops of blood splattered onto the blonde's face and he stared, shocked, at his favorite teacher.
"Why?"
"My…" Iruka's voice hitched as he cried, tears dropping down onto Naruto's stunned face. "…my parents… after they died… nobody complimented or acknowledged me… I would always act like an idiot… to get people's attention… since I wasn't able to get attention by doing well in class… It was better than being nothing… so I kept acting like that… It was so painful… Naruto… You must've been in a lot of pain too. I'm sorry, Naruto… if I had done a better job… you wouldn't have to feel like this."
Without another word, Naruto put on a scared, shell-shocked face and ran. In the back ground, he could hear Mizuki laughing and Iruka's shouts.
"Kit, we're going to have to stop him. Don't let him get the scroll."
"I know, Musha… I just have to lure him away from Iruka-sensei… Then I'll make sure he can't ever try and betray the village again…"
"So the 'puppet' turns on its master… He'll get a shock, kit, when he realizes that we've been the ones pulling the strings all along. Then again, that pathetic excuse of a human probably wouldn't even realize it to the very end."
"That was very well said, Musha."
"Why thank you, Kit." Naruto could hear Musha's snickers in the back of his head, and allowed himself a small smile.
Suddenly, he felt to presences nearby and he hid behind a big tree trunk about twenty meters away as another 'Naruto' pushed 'Iruka' away.
'Iruka' struggled to get up, as 'Naruto' sat against a tree, and growled. With a puff of ninja smoke, 'Iruka' became a very furious Mizuki, "How did you know that I'm not Iruka?"
'Naruto' grinned smugly, "Because, I'm Iruka." With another puff of ninja smoke, 'Naruto' turned back into Iruka.
"I see…" chucked Mizuki, "You'd even transform into what killed your parents to protect him."
"I won't hand the scroll to an idiot like you!"
"You're the idiot. Naruto and I are the same."
"Like hell he is! I can go on just about forever on how you two are different."
"Yeah, what he said!"
Iruka was shocked, "The same… -?"
He continued, "If you use the skills in that scroll, you can do whatever you want. There's no way that the Kyuubi wouldn't try to use its powers."
Iruka sighed, "Yeah, you're right…"
"Whoa, wait, what?"
"…the Kyuubi would do that, but Naruto is different. He is… I've acknowledge him as one of my excellent students. He may not be the hardest worker or the best and he's really clumsy, so no one accepts him. He already knows what it's like to feel pain in your heart. He isn't the demon fox… He's a member of Konohagakure no Sato… He's Uzumaki Naruto!"
"Iruka-sensei…"
"Wow, who knew that a guy like him could say something so touching?"
Mizuki growled and took his second giant shuriken off his back, "Iruka, I said I would take care of you later, but I'm changing my mind. Hurry up and die!"
As the shuriken flew forward, Iruka smiled grimly, 'So, this is it…'
Suddenly, an orange blur came out of nowhere and knock the shuriken off its former path and into the trees.
Naruto growled furiously, "Don't touch Iruka-sensei, you traitor!"
"You idiot! Why did you come out?-! Run!"
Mizuki yelled, "I can kill a punk like you in one shot!"
The blonde placed his hands into a very familiar cross-shaped seal, "Try it, kokuzoku! I'll return the pain a thousand times! Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Suddenly, the whole area was covered with Naruto's.
Mizuki's eyes widened as he stared at the hundreds of shadow clones. He stumbled onto his behind and stammered, "W-What?-! How?-!"
Naruto just smirked. "Well, I thought you said you can like me down in one shot. So, what are you waiting for? Come and get us! If you're not coming… then, we'll come to you!"
A moment later, the clearing echoed with Mizuki's painful screams as fist after fist and foot after foot came raining down upon him, unmercifully. Iruka just sat at the base of the tree, too stunned to do anything but watch the scene unfold, 'Naruto…'
Naruto turned to him, scratching the back of his head sheepishly, with a bloodied Mizuki at his feet, "Eh..heh… I guess I went too far…"
"Bravo, kit… When you get home, you're training."
"Oh great, thanks…"
"Naruto…" Iruka said, smiling at him. "Come here, I have a present for you." Slightly perplexed, Naruto obeyed and closed his eyes as Iruka told him to. Soon, he felt something being tied across his forehead.
"Sensei, can I…-?"
"Yes, Naruto, open your eyes."
Naruto complied, opening his cerulean eyes to come face to face with Iruka… only, something was missing. Iruka was holding his goggles and his forehead was bare… Naruto's eyes widened and a hand shot up to his own forehead.
"Congratulations, Naruto! You graduate—! Oof!"
Naruto had tackled him to the ground and hugged him, momentarily forgetting about Iruka's wounds.
"Naruto, to celebrate, how about we go for ramen?" 'Now that you're a full fledged shinobi, things will only get more difficult... at least, that's the speech I planned to give… But I'll save it for later, at the restaurant.'
Naruto smiled up at him. "Sure, Iruka-sensei!"
"What did I tell you, kit? I told you to trust me… see, you graduated."
"I guess I did…"
"But, you're still training. Don't think you're off the hook."
"Nani?-! But Musha—!"
"No, buts!"
"Damn Kyuubi…"
"I heard that!"
"You were meant to, baka kitsune!"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"Thanks, anyway."
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What do you think of our second chapter? Read and Review. I just love you reviewers.
Disclaimer: Any characters you recognize form the Naruto Series aren't ours, they are Kishimoto Masashi's. Only the plot, etc... are oursPlease ask for permission and getting it before taking our things.
PS There's a reason I said'etc' people.
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May fantasy guide your writing through it all - Dementra
