The Deal

Naruto awoke with a jolt. He tiredly turned his head only to see his wrists were bound with leather restraints with weird symbols etched into it, to a slick, cold table. He weakly struggled against the restraints and quickly noticed his ankles were bound in a similar fashion.

"You know, struggling won't do you any good." A man's voice told him. Naruto turned his head and saw a tall man wearing a lab coat. The man's steely grey eyes shone with cold fascination.

Naruto instantly felt a shiver run down his spine. He took a deep breath and asked, "Who are you and what do you want with me?! I'm not gonna tell you anything!"

The man smirked at his response. "Well, I'm glad you asked. Though, just so you know, I don't want nor do care about any information you have on your village." The man then dramatically paused. "Well, you see, I've been doing experiments on the majority of Earthland's inhabitants' magical energy versus the Elemental Nation people's chakra. I have found that those with ethernano are more powerful than those with chakra. My guild and I want to rid this world of chakra."

Naruto's eyes widened. 'Was this going to try to destroy the Elemental Nations?!'

" I have succeeded, with a help of the byakugan, in mapping chakra pathways and where the coils are located. But what I have not been able to do is extract them without killing the subject. On the bright side, a person can use chakra and ethernano." The man looked curiously at Naruto. "But that was before I found you; you're a jinchuuriki. I've heard a lot of things about bijuu, and from what I've heard they're sentient masses of chakra. Since I learned this, I've started to wonder if they had a sense of self-preservation. If they do, then would they use this to keep their host alive if their host's anatomy changed and it was life-threatening."

Naruto's eyes slowly widened. "You're going to use me to test your experiment on." His face started to twist in horror. "You're a sick bastard!"

The man simply shrugged in response as he put on rubber gloves. "Oh well. Now try not to move too much." The man flashed him a scalpel and a bright blue and yellow crystal-like object.

Naruto quickly realized what the man was going to do and looked fearfully at the object in his hand. "Please... don't..." He quietly pleaded.

The man smirked. "Sorry, no can do. Now like I said before, try not move." The man held Naruto down and started to make an incision into him. He began to hum lightly in an attempt to ignore Naruto's screams, cries and pleads.

Drip

Drip

Drip

Drip

Naruto found himself in ankle-deep sewer water. He curiously looked around to see the familiar surroundings of his mindscape. "Why I am here?" He slowly way through his sewer-mindscape to where the Kyuubi was. Naruto stared up at the massive nine-tailed fox.

"What the hell do you want?!" Naruto snapped.

The fox looked at Naruto with narrowed red eyes. "You passed out from the pain so I brought you here to talk."

Naruto looked at the Kyuubi up and down with skepticism. "What'd ya want to talk about?"

"Oh, I don't know, what that man is doing to you and then subsequently me!" Snapped the fox.

Naruto frowned. "But I know what he's doing to me. How's it going to affect you?"

The Kyuubi rolled his eyes. "Obviously you aren't thinking of the long-term consequences for his actions."

"What do you mean?"

The Kyuubi paused and then sighed. "I'm going to explain everything and it will be in terms that even you can understand." Naruto glared. "In the land of Fiore, which we are now and borders the Elemental Nations, it has ethernano in the atmosphere and in all living creatures, kind of like chakra. The ethernano would flow into your magic container, what that scientist is putting inside of you, and you use it to perform magic."

Naruto blinked. "So ethernano is like chakra?"

"They are similar, but you're born with chakra; ethernano is everything and is everywhere."

"Oh," Naruto paused and then frowned. "Wait, doesn't that mean that crazy bastard of a scientist will eventually take away my ability to use chakra?!"

The fox nodded. "Eventually. That man has you bound and chained with chakra and ethernano restraints. There aren't any means of escape for you now, but I'll try and quickly figure something out."

A look of uncertainty flashed across Naruto's face. "You're going to help me? Why?"

The Kyuubi's ruby eyes widened. "Well ... I don't... I'm not ... I just don't want to be used through you for the rest your pathetic existence."

"Alright, but what will happen to you and the seal. I mean, what will happen to the chakra in you both?"

"It could possibly fade."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"What will happen to you?"

The Kyuubi looked taken aback. "Why do you care?"

Naruto huffed. "I was just askin'."

"Whatever pathetic human, just be quiet."

"Why?"

"Because I'm being gracious enough to let you stay here instead of going in and out of consciousness while that scientist cuts you open and messes with your organs."

"But why help?"

"BECAUSE I CAN NOW SHUT UP!" With that, the Kyuubi spun around, with his back facing Naruto.

"Well, thanks I guess," Naruto grumbled before plopping down onto the ground with a splash.

Naruto awoke again with pain shooting through his body, resonating at his right side. He bit down onto his tongue to keep back his agonized cries. When he fully opened his eyes and adjusted to the light in the cell. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a deep red chakra bubble around the incision on his side.

"What..." He rasped.

'I'm healing your sorry butt.' A deep voice told him. Naruto looked around to the best of his abilities. 'I'm talking to you mentally, moron.'

"Who?"

'Your favorite furry friend.' The Kyuubi responded sarcastically.

Naruto's eyes widened with realization. "You're talking to me? Why?"

'For the same reasons, I mention in your mindscape. Also, talk inside your head to so it won't look suspicious.'

'Like this?'

'Yes, like that.'

"Well, it looks like my little experiment is awake." The scientist marveled, interrupting Naruto and the Kyuubi's conversation. Naruto the bars to see the brunet scientist studying him intently. "So, the Kyuubi healing you up perfectly, just like I suspected." The scientist shifted his calculating towards Naruto's eye. "After some tests, my second experiment will be conducted."

Naruto studied him for a moment. "Why are you telling me this?"

The man pondered before giving Naruto giving Naruto a humorless grin. "Because I want to make you an offer."

"An offer?! What kinda offer could you give me except releasing me?!" Naruto yelled. He glared hatefully at the man in front of him.

'Hear him out, I want to know what he's offering.'

The scientist arched his brow. "Is that really your final answer? I can make things far worse for you." Naruto's jaw tightened with anger.

'Hold your tongue.' The fox commanded. Naruto nodded. 'Now listen up and do as I say: You're going to hold your anger and control yourself. You're going to pretend to give in to trick him into giving you information. That scientist is cocky and it's because he's in control; we're going to make that his downfall.' Naruto silently considered the Kyuubi's words.

'Alright, I'll do as you say. Thank you for the advice.' The Kyuubi's eyes widened at the thanks: few had ever thanked him.

"Um, I'm sorry for my behavior. Please don't make this worse for me." Naruto pleaded.

The man looked at Naruto with feigned shock. "Oh, what's brought this on?"

Naruto bit his lip and he dipped his head down, hiding his irritation. "I ... realized I'm completely powerless in this situation. It would be best if I listened to you." Naruto fought hard to keep his voice from betraying his true emotions.

The scientist studied him for a few moments before giving him a superior smirk. "Good, you've learned quick. It would be a pity if you were an imbecile. Anyway, because you've learned well, I'm going to give you a reward: I'm going to give you pain-killers the next time I slice you open."

Naruto bit his lip, which caused it to start to bleed, and he clenched his hands. "Thank you, sir." He bit out.

"Hmm, call me Master Jin instead."

Naruto sucked in his breath. 'Do it.' Naruto looked the man in the eyes and responded with, "Yes, Master Jin."