This chapter is shorter than I wanted it to be, but fits the purpose quite nicely. Currently 3 in the morning as I write this, and I'm quite tired. Stayed up this late just to bang out this chapter, and I just wanna say that chapter 3 WILL be longer.

Many thanks to both reviewers, the three story alerts and the 78 hits, 52 visitors.

Enjoy!

Chapter 2

Aberration

"-kashi-Sensei what hap-"

"-ned to Naruto? Who-"

"Get me the Ho-"

"Kakashi what-"

"-tell me what-"

"-don't know. He just appeared-"

"Naruto... Zabuza... Gato... Shadow Clone... Kyuubi..."

Kyuubi fluttered in and out of consciousness, catching snippets of conversation, though none of them made any sense.

Who is Kakashi?

In one of his more lucid moments, he'd called out to Mito, begging her for help. He'd felt a liquid coming from his eyes, and had entertained the notion that he was bleeding from the eyes, before dismissing it. He was Biju, and Biju don't bleed.

He'd seen the blurred outlines of many people as he swayed on the edge of consciousness and not, ranging from the mostly normal, such as a wizened old man, to the absurd, like that man with bleeding eyes and shiny horns on his head, or the odd one-eyed creature with silvery hair. But by far, the clearest faces he'd seen were of his hosts- Mito, comforting him and telling him it would all be okay, and the duo of Naruto and Kushina, cackling with glee as they yanked the chains holding him to the orb of chakra taut, making him scream in pain as it felt as though all his limbs and tails were being ripped from his body.

And then, as sudden as it had started, it stopped, and Kyuubi finally was given the dreamless dark of unconsciousness.

Waking up, Kyuubi instantly noted that he wasn't chained up the the orb of chakra, nor was he in the vast dark blank signaling his being sealed within Naruto. Feeling with his hands, he felt a soft substance that was impeccably light, crushing and bending and shifting at the lightest of touches. Splaying his fingers, he pressed down, feeling some sort of resistance the harder he pushed, before hissing in pain and stopping the motion, his arms burning from the exertion on their muscles.

Wait...

Opening his eyes, Kyuubi groaned in pain as the light assaulted his senses, and his squeezed them shut, feeling his nose scrunch up and pull his upper lip-

Wait.

Hands.

Arms.

Nose.

Upper lip.

What on earth...?

Braving the pain, Kyuubi slowly unclenched his eyes, slowly letting them adjust to the light, before he felt safe in opening his eyes fully to gather his surroundings and solve this mystery. Looking around, his vision was blurry, making everything unintelligible blobs of color. His vision came back into focus, revealing a simple room, looking to be a simple log house, the kind that Mito had told him about. Across from him was an odd thing, a pair of long wooden planks with smaller planks set between them, holding things like human clothes and other trivial objects on them. Other than the wood thing, nothing else was in the room with him.

Looking down at the object laid over him, he idly wondered what it was when he noticed his hands.

His human hands.

Idly, he noted that his breathing was getting faster and shorter, and his vision was becoming much sharper, making a sort of tunnel vision that had him extremely dizzy and his head feeling like it was flying. The last thing he remembered before falling into the darkness was the appearance of a man dressed in white with the symbol representing Konoha.

When he next woke, Kyuubi found his hands (human hands) bound in some sort of metal ring, keeping his arms from moving so he could remove the odd tube running into his arm (his human arm) and filling his blood (human blood) with some sort of relaxant- as that had to be the only explanation for why he was so much calmer than before. Looking over his skin (hairless human skin), he felt the urge to restrictively breathe until he passed out once more, but the relaxant the humans had him on were preventing that from happening. With the ability to pass out no longer an option, Kyuubi instead chose to view his new (human, of all things!) body. His skin (human skin) was a paler shade than his former host's was, but still quite tanned. What little he could make out through the piece of cloth he was wearing (which really made him itch something awful. Why humans chose to restrain themselves was beyond him) showed that he had some form of muscle and little fat, making him quite lean and limber.

Closing his eyes, he then began to feel, allowing his sense of touch to note things he usually wouldn't- another thing Mito had drilled into him. First, he could feel the irritation on his skin caused by the fabric on his skin, especially on his nipples (thank Kami Mito had seen fit to elucidate him on some aspects of human anatomy, even though he'd been quite dismissive of it at the time). Perhaps this was a result of wearing the fabrics that humans wore, and he would get used to the feeling and it would go away? Moving past the itchy fabric, he also felt the soft fabric of the pedestal-thing he was laying upon, knowing that Mito had told him the name of it yet he could not recall the exact name, only the purpose- where humans went to rest and recuperate. On his wrists he could feel the metal rings, cutting into his skin and rubbing it raw.

Within himself he felt his chakra, a small amount, yet extremely large compared to the amount he'd felt in the non-Shinobi he'd attacked and consumed. Beyond that, he felt something new to him- a heartbeat, slow and steady, like the padding of feet as they moved on the ground, or the rain as it hit the leaves in the trees. Pulling back, he felt an emptiness in his stomach, which started to cause his mouth to water.

Hunger.

He was... hungry.

Kyuubi was... hungry.

Kyuubi... was hungry.

The thought was such an odd one to consider, that he was immediately snapped out of his trance-like state when a man in white came into the room to look over him, followed by a Shinobi wearing a feline mask. From the ANBU (for it could be no other), Kyuubi could feel something he hadn't felt in decades- the chakra of the Shodai Hokage.

"What do you want?" He growled out, before gawking at the sound of his own voice. He no longer held his deep, rough baritone, instead having a higher-pitched gruff. "And what did you do to me, humans!"

"So you are Kyuubi..." The ANBU spoke to himself as much as he did to Kyuubi, who became infuriated, lashing out at the man, pulling against his restraints while the man in white moved over to the plastic tube and inserted something in it that made Kyuubi feel the darkness encroach upon him once more, only this time he relished in the feeling.

Naruto bolted upright, gasping for breath, his entire body covered in a cold sweat.

What the hell happened?

The last thing he remembered was being on the bridge and Haku had just been killed by Kakashi-Sensei, when suddenly Gato emerged from the mist and-

The bridge!

Hopping off of the bed, Naruto instantly collapsed, the memories of the rest of the battle on the bridge passing by in a blur of images.

Him attempting to make an army of Shadow Clones, only to feel excruciating pain and witness a red-haired boy with amber eyes looking at him, and the both of them screaming and-

Kakashi-Sensei carrying him and the boy though the forest, talking to Sakura and Sasuke, avoiding their questions-

Being escorted by a team of ANBU, who led Kakashi-Sensei to a log cabin-

The Sandaime standing over him with a doctor, trying to ask him questions about his life-

Pain. Oh, so much pain it hurt to even think about it.

Naruto was snapped out of his recollections when he felt a light tug on his chakra. Looking around, Naruto couldn't find the source of the tug, and so tried to pull it back, only to have it resist, and continue the tug, pulling on just the tiniest bit of his chakra.

Placing his hands on the bed, he hoisted himself back onto it, sitting there while he tried to figure out what what going on. What had gone wrong when he'd used the Shadow Clone jutsu? Who was that amber-eyed boy? What had happened to Gato and the bridge-builder?

Naruto was snapped out of these musings when a medic-nin and ANBU with a feline mask entered the room. With the presence of the ANBU, the tug on his chakra became much more calm, almost soothing.

"What happened?" He began with the most important question, which the medic-nin chose to answer for him.

"We aren't entirely sure." The man began. "From what we can tell, there was a second influence in your chakra when you performed the Shadow Clone, almost like a second, denser chakra." Naruto internally twitched at hearing that. His thoughts immediately leapt to the obvious conclusion: Kyuubi. "Somehow, this second chakra had a life within it, and used up all the chakra you intended for the Shadow Clone to create a body for himself."

"Oh! So that's who the amber-eyed boy was!" Naruto exclaimed, before the full implications of that sunk in. "Wait. Then that boy is-"

"The Kyuubi, yes." The ANBU replied, speaking up. "I already confirmed it myself. The Hokage will be-"

"Is he the reason for that pull of my chakra?" Naruto interrupted, and both the medic-nin and ANBU looked confused (well, as confused as an ANBU can look, anyway), when the medic-nin ran a glowing green hand over his torso, most likely looking for the source of the tug. The medic's hand stopped right over Naruto's navel. Over the seal holding Kyuubi- or what was left of Kyuubi- at bay. The medic stopped the green chakra and straightened up, looking Naruto in the eye.

"It's quite likely that he is the reason, however I don't think-"

"I want to see him." Naruto said, before quailing under the look both men were giving him. "I mean, if you have him in custody."

"That isn't possible." The ANBU spoke, and the gestured to the doctor for elaboration.

"The both of you are still recovering from the trauma you endured. We're still running tests, so don't expect to even leave this room for at least another week."

"I don't care." Naruto argued. "He came from me, and I want to see him. Please." Naruto's voice became small and desperate, letting both men know just how important seeing Kyuubi outside of his body was to the boy.

"I'll get a wheelchair for you. Don't expect to be on your feet for another day or so." The doctor conceded, motioning to the ANBU, who swiftly disappeared- most likely to get the wheelchair, Naruto mused.

Kyuubi moaned, forcibly brought out of his peaceful slumber by that damned man in white. Glaring at the man, he just sheepishly gestured to the end of his pedestal-thing, where Kyuubi redirected his gaze upon.

His stomach's appetite suddenly disappeared, as he found his former host staring at him. Trying to glare at the blond child seemed like a moot point, as he'd never really known the boy in person enough to actually know whether or not he was of interest or not. So, he settled for the next best thing.

"What are you doing here, mortal." The boy flinched, brought out of his musings by the sound of Kyuubi's voice, and now was looking elsewhere. "Come to mock me for being stuck in this pathetic human body?"

"No." The boy- Naruto, that was his name- answered, looking Kyuubi in the eye before grinning madly. "I just wanted to see what I had been afraid of. Turns out you're nothing stronger than a civilian. I honestly wonder what I was so scared of, seeing you like this."

"Unbind me and say it again, mortal. I am Biju, I am superior to a worthless species such as yourself." Naruto looked ready to retort, his face red with anger, when a new voice spoke up.

"I'm afraid you can no longer say that." The voice belonged to a wizened old man that Kyuubi vaguely recognized as the Sandaime Hokage. Standing next to him was the man with the bleeding eyes Kyuubi had thought he'd hallucinated. It was that man who spoke. "I'm Jiraiya, Toad Sage, Sannin and seals expert."

"You don't look like much." Naruto muttered, and Kyuubi couldn't help but agree.

"The boy is right. You don't look to be as powerful as you say you are." Cue snickering from Naruto, who looked quite smug for his statement. Kyuubi intended to quash that feeling. "Don't look so smug, boy. I was merely concurring with your statement, not praising you."

"Hey, no fighting." Jiraiya stepped between the two, keeping them apart. "Look, from what I can tell, you," He nodded towards Kyuubi. "Are now human, flesh and blood and all that. The only thing keeping the both of you alive is that connection you have with your old body. From what I can tell, the further apart you both are from each other, the weaker the connection. If that connection becomes too weak or it breaks, both of you will die." Jiraiya looked from Kyuubi to Naruto, ensuring that they fully understood what he was saying. "Now, that said, here's what's gonna happen..."

Kyuubi didn't know why he suddenly felt as though a rock had replaced his intestines.

Naruto didn't know what to expect when he was wheeled into the room, but a teenage boy around his age was not it. The teen had shaggy crimson hair, the kind that almost seemed to glow brightly, which seemed to do nicely with his angular face- with the three whisker-like birthmarks on his cheeks. Looking him over, Naruto figured that the teen was around his height before berating himself- of course Kyuubi would be his height. He was made from a Shadow Clone of Naruto!

Which brought Naruto into something of a dilemma. On the one hand, he'd been unsure of what Kyuubi was like, and so had always been scared of having to meet it- him.

On the other, Naruto didn't quite know what to think of having Kyuubi outside of him. Sure, he didn't want the Fox in him, but that didn't mean that he wanted him out. From what he understood, when someone like him, who holds a demon, has that demon removed, they die.

Naruto didn't want to die.

So, since he was still alive, he just focused on the tug, which was more of a pull now that he was in the same room as Kyuubi, staring at the teen that had once been the strongest of the Biju.

When Kyuubi had talked to him, he hadn't been expecting the human voice, despite all physical evidence to the contrary, so he'd been embarrassed when called out on it. And he'd gone and done the one thing nobody had ever done before- crack a joke at Kyuubi's expense.

A part of him was fully expecting to be removed from existence on the spot, but the continued fact of his being alive made him much more relaxed as time went on.

And then he'd been told that he and Kyuubi were tied together by that pull on his chakra, which was the only thing keeping them both alive. But then it got worse.

"Now, that said, here's what's gonna happen." Jiraiya began. "Naruto, at the Sandaime's request, has been listed as being on "indefinite leave" from his Shinobi duties. This will let us adjust to your guys' situation and figure out a way out of it. That said, the two of you will be quarantined to this cabin with Tenzo here to watch over the two of you. He'll report on your actions, and has also volunteered to teach Kyuubi here about being a human.

"Now that another thing. Kyuubi, you can't be called that anymore."

"What did you say?" Kyuubi growled out, much like Naruto does when he's angry.

"Exactly what I meant. You aren't a Biju anymore, no matter how much in denial about it you are. You'll need a name."

"Kensuke." Naruto didn't know when he's spoken up or why, all he knew was that his lips were moving of their own accord, providing the group with a name for the former Biju. "It starts with a 'K' sound like Kyuubi, and is easy to remember."

"No." Kyuubi argued from his bed. "I will not be taking a human name. I take pride in my current title, and nothing will change that."

"I'm still calling you Kensuke." Naruto said, not knowing just where his mouth got off saying things his brain didn't. "You need an actual name. We can't keep calling you Kyuubi, since the whole, well..." Naruto gestured at Kyuubi's body, which made the teen growl at the blond.

"So it's settled." The Sandaime stepped in. "Naruto will be removed from the Shinobi ranks for the time being while he and Kensuke adjust to their new situation."

"What?"

"What?"