Disclaimer: Still don't own Naruto! If I did, I would bring Neji back duh.

A/N: I am really so amazed at the amount of support I've received! My email inbox flooded with emails, I was so happy! Oh and I didn't intend for the page breaks to be lines, but ffnet keeps deleting my own.

Also I have changed the title of the fic from Naruto: A Fox's Tail to The Joys and Tribulations of Humanity. I think it might be more appropriate, and hopefully more unique then previously. If people object, I might change it back hehe.

Oh and I've read the recent chapters of Naruto! Holy it is intense! And Sasuke is (maybe) a good guy again?! His proclamation made me face palm… And the others' faces omfg gold. Also I nearly rage quit when I thought they offed Shikamaru. Minato is just plain badass.

Oh well, I present chapter two!

Chapter 2

There hadn't been many moments where Minato disliked his position as Hokage. Despite his age, he was sharp-minded, brave, passionate, all the qualities of a great Hokage. And above all, he was willing to protect the village with his life. Of course, there were downsides to it. The pressures of responsibility, dealing with the Elders in meetings…

Yet something trumped over this. It was endless. It had been known to drive men insane.

Paperwork.

Minato could only put it off for so long. So here he was, sitting behind his desk, having to deal with paperwork. The rainclouds had begun easing, allowing soft tendrils of light to escape their confines, and with it the people of Konoha began to emerge.

'Yet I'm cooped up in here, forced to suffer.' Minato thought gloomily. Though there was one thing different this time… Minato glanced at the boy who was also sitting in a chair near the window. There was a look of curiosity and amazement as he watched the village come alive. In fact, Minato could not recall a moment where that look had left the boy's face. 'No, not boy… Naruto.' Minato thought, his mouth twitching as he remembered how the name came to be…

…

*Flashback*

Minato and Kurama stayed in the room for an hour longer, discussing the many details of their arrangement. Kurama refused to divulge the specifics of the situation in the Demon Realm, however what Minato learnt was that there had been a recent event, and the realm was in uproar. An incident, he surmised, that involved either Kurama or his child.

"I should not be away for so long," Kurama mused. "However I want to make sure you understand my kind a little more. I am sure you have some knowledge of demons."

While not a common occurrence, it has been documented within the Konoha records of several demons that appeared. Almost all cases were of savage beast running rampant, and Konoha had been forced to dispatch shinobi to eradicate them in fear of them harming people.

But there was one case where a team of Chuunin claimed to have come across a demon in a tree. It was described as monkey-like, but with glowing eyes and generating a deep growling. One of the Chuunin mentioned that the mere sight of it caused the group to tremble in fear. The demon seemed to ignore their presence altogether, and before the Chuunin could decide what to do, it vanished.

"Are demons sentient?" Minato asked. He couldn't help wanting to know about these beings, shrouded in mystery. It was in his nature to absorb knowledge. "We have records of demons appearing but they have never tried to communicate with us."

"Yes, we all have various levels of sentiency, however sometimes the energies between our worlds interact, and can cause demons to appear in your world. This change can affect the common lower class demons and make them lose their rationality. Those that don't are able to return without too much trouble. One of my duties is to keep order within the realm, and ensure that the balance between our worlds do not deviate too much." Kurama shook his head. "Though with this child-"

He was interrupted with a whine from the aforementioned child, shaking his head roughly at his father. Minato watched on in interest.

"He recognises that word," Kurama informed, exasperated. "He wants to have a name."

"He doesn't have a name?" Minato asked a little surprised at this.

"It is not something we demons tend to do," Kurama replied. "I was wondering if you would be willing to name him."

Minato's mouth fell open. "What, no I couldn't…"

"I insist," Kurama said. "He may be my son, but humans and demons have different perspectives on family. We…" he paused for a moment. "While I care more for my child then other demons would their own, I am still a demon. Certain emotions, such as familial affection, are hard for me to have. This child will be different. Since his body is now human, he has the ability to feel human emotions. My wish is for you to treat him as your own, and for the qualities of humans to shape him for the future."

Minato still looked hesitant.

"It will create a strong bond." Kurama nudged the child forward as he spoke.

Minato thought for a moment, trying to think of an appropriate name for what was essentially a demon prince. He nibbled his lip and looked away, suddenly reminded of Kushina. His beautiful, amazing wife. Minato was not ashamed to broadcast his love for her to anyone who would listen (much to the annoyance of a few villagers. It was getting out of hand). But Kushina had always wanted something. Something that she could never create herself, and that was a child. The doctors had said that there was a problem with her ovaries, and so could not bear children of her own.

'Is this… our chance at having a family? Kushina… we've never really talked about adoption before, it didn't seem right. Is this what we have been waiting for? Was this meant to happen? It was always "if". If we had a daughter, she would be kind, majestic, and beautiful in every way. If we had a son, he would be strong, intelligent, and willing to give his all for others. If we had a daughter, her name would be Akemi. If we had a son, his name would be…'

"Naruto."

"Naruto?"

Minato shook out of his musings, realising he had said that out loud. His cheeks flushed slightly, but then he smiled with resolution.

"I want to say something to him… are you able to translate?" Minato asked.

Kurama nodded slowly. "The general idea, yes. He is quite young, so complicated words might be difficult."

Minato crouched down, so that he could be level with the small boy. He was so… child-like. Minato could already feel swirls of protective instincts. 'This boy… as my son? Is that even possible? …And what in the world will Kushina say?!' Yet for some reason, it didn't feel wrong. It didn't feel overwhelmingly like the right thing either, but it didn't feel wrong at all.

"Hello, I'm Minato, but you can call me… uh… Papa," he started. Faintly he could hear Kurama mumbling deeply. "I've decided to call you Naruto. That name has a lot of meaning to me. I just want you to know that." He looked up and Kurama, who gave a small nod. Minato continued, "I'll be your human father for a while." It felt weird for him to say it, but it wasn't unpleasant. In fact, it left a warm glow within him.

Kurama finished translating, and Minato only prayed he got his intentions across well. The boy's face brightened, and suddenly Minato felt soft hair tickling his cheeks and arms around his neck. Minato could only blink in surprise as the boy hugged him.

"Pa…pa," a soft voice stammered out. It was vastly different from the demonic voice the boy had used before. This one was light.

Emotions burst out from within Minato, ones he had never experienced before. He would later on describe it as unadulterated elation. And one thought went through his mind, pure and simple.

'I'm doomed.'

*End Flashback*

...

Minato couldn't help the happiness that welled up inside of him. He couldn't even understand it himself. It was just the mere concept of a child, one to raise and love… something he had wanted for a long time but never realistically thought he would have.

"Naruto, here. Come closer," Minato said gently, and motioned with his hands. Kurama had told him that while there would be a language barrier, Naruto would be able to quickly decipher meanings from gestures and tones. This was proven when Naruto nodded, smiling and sliding off the seat and moving to his side. Minato placed his hand on his shoulder, as Kurama encouraged him to use contact to bond as well.

"I'm sorry about this… the paperwork was important. I'm finished now. I know that you are hungry, so we can go and get some food for us."

Naruto cocked his head to the side. "Food?" Naruto asked, tapping his lip then his stomach.

Minato grinned. "Yes, to satisfy your hunger."

"To satisfy your hunger," Naruto repeated, testing it.

"You should say – 'to satisfy my hunger.'" Minato pointed and himself, then at Naruto.

Naruto frowned, then repeated, "To satisfy my hunger?"

The Yondaime beamed. When Kurama had said he was cleverer than the average human child, he really wasn't kidding. Naruto's learning curve was incredible. Minato was informed that back in the Demon Realm, conversations were not commonplace. For higher classed demons, their demon language was very basic, as they did not need much to convey meaning. "Yes, good job!"

"Thank you!" Naruto chirped, having learnt the term earlier and understanding that he was being praised.

Minato gave him a pat on the head before turning his attention to a spot on the wall. "Hey Kakashi, why don't you say hi to him?"

A second later, the ANBU member flickered before them, his silver grey hair that defied gravity swaying slightly. A hand reached up and removed the dog mask to reveal… another mask. Though his black crescent-shaped eyes could be seen.

"Sensei… you are planning to tell me what the hell is going on, right?" Kakashi uttered with traces of irritation. He didn't like being out of the loop, especially with his nerves still tingling after the encounter with the strange man a few hours ago. The hint of raw power was enough to alarm him. The man had gone, but he appeared to have left something behind…

"Shhh, watch your language around children!" Minato chided.

"Naruto!" the boy in question corrected with a pout. "No child."

"You should say – 'I am not a child'." Minato almost unconsciously corrected. Naruto nodded eagerly, quietly repeating the phrase to himself. "And besides, you are a child," Minato teased. Naruto seemed to get the idea, as he pouted again.

Kakashi watched this happen with interest, as he had been doing since they had exited the private chamber. It was… odd, to see his sensei act so close to the boy. But it was also nice. While Minato was always cheerful around children, Kakashi could tell that deep down the blond desired a child of his own, with Kushina. It was terrible to find out that it could never be possible. And yet here Minato was, with a boy he had only met recently, but being more familiar with him than any of the village children.

"I will explain everything," Minato said, taking him out of his musings, "But I'll do so at my house later on, with the others. It'll be easier to tell you guys all at once."

The doors opened, and a voice was heard. "I am included in this group, right?"

The trio turned to the entrance to find an elderly man, dressed plainly in white and grey clothes. Both Minato and Kakashi bowed in respect, to which the other waved off.

Naruto on the other hand bounced excitedly and pointed the newcomer, and triumphantly shouted...

"Old!"

Silence. Deathly silence. Minato slapped a hand across his mouth and Kakashi looked away, suddenly extremely interested in the wall. 'It's a very nice wallpaper…'

The 'old' man's forehead ticked, but then a sickeningly sweet smile stretched across his face. "I come back from my little vacation to find rumours floating around the village…" he paused, raising a questioning eyebrow at Naruto, "Rumours that the Yondaime Hokage had an illegitimate child."

Bump! Crash!

Minato tripped into the corner of the desk, and the lamp was knocked onto the ground. Kakashi couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry, and settled with examining the wall a little more.

"Wha-wha…?!" Minato stammered out. 'My reputation! Oh… OH NO-!' "KUSHINA IS GOING TO KILL ME!" he wailed, sinking to the floor.

"How did this happen? I'm certain there were no civilians in sight…" Kakashi mumbled, before whistling twice. Two ANBU members flickered in, and immediately attempted to walk away. "Oh no you don't." Kakashi growled, yanking the cowering pair back. "Who started the rumours?"

"Wh-what rumours?" one of them stuttered.

"Don't play dumb…"

"It was the Chuunin stationed at the gates!" the other squeaked.

And that's all the information he needed. The ANBU pair immediately retreated to escape their captain and the Hokage's wrath. Though at the moment Minato was just sobbing on the floor, with little Naruto running around him in confusion. Not knowing what else to do, Naruto pattered to ANBU captain.

"'Kashi! Help!" he squealed, tugging on his sleeve. Kakashi just blinked. '…That is so cute.' Shaking his head, he wandered over to his fallen sensei, and nudged him with his foot.

"Oi! Man up will you?" Kakashi said, though if he was honest with himself, he would be crying too if he had to face Kushina's fury.

Minato just wept louder. "I'm not gonna be a man for much longer, so I might as well practice…"

Naruto frowned, tugging Kakashi's sleeve again and pointing the pathetically moaning blond in worry.

"He's fine, just being dramatic," Kakashi said.

Poor Naruto ran the sentence through his head, picking out the word 'fine'. He knew it meant… well? Normal? He looked his new father. '…Fine?' Then he remembered what Minato has said before.

"Not man? Uh… wo-man?" Naruto ventured hesitantly.

Kakashi's eyes glinted. "Yes, he will become a woman," he stated coolly, internally cackling. 'Obito would absolutely love this!'

"Kakashi…" Minato ground out, finally coming out of his hysteria.

Naruto scrunched up his face. Demons did have genders, but… the females were disreputably crazy, and avoided by most. Naruto himself had never met his own mother. He stared at the other blond. He didn't want Minato to be female! What was it that 'Kashi said?

"Oi! Man up will you?" Naruto shouted, pointing at the Hokage.

That did it. The combination of Naruto's worried but determined face and Minato's blank look caused howls of laughter to erupt from the normally more indifferent ANBU Captain. 'This kid! I can't.' Tears were close to streaming down his face as knelt on the floor, slapping it with a hand. 'If only I had a camera!'

"Yes haha very funny Kakashi…" Minato said flatly through the noise. "I'm sure you'll be laughing just as much while you train the rookies for the next week."

Kakashi stopped laughing and cringed. '…It was worth it,' his inner voice whispered. Then he noticed a peculiar sound, a light giggling. Naruto was holding his fists near his mouth, and his whole body shook in mirth. Naruto himself seemed to be baffled by it, after all, demons don't laugh in happiness. The others in the room couldn't help but smile themselves at the sight of a child's joy.

Minato coughed. "Well anyway, of course Sandaime-sama, I'll explain to you the situation at my house. Kakashi, I want you to go find Obito and Rin, and meet me at my place. I'm going to take Naruto to have lunch at Ichiraku's. Sandaime-sama, would you like to join us?"

"Not this time, I've already eaten," the retired Hokage said. "I'll go reassure some of the nosier shinobi that an explanation for this will be given soon… right?" he enquired.

Minato nodded fervently, and turned to Naruto. "Let's go get some food, ok?"

Naruto beamed as he hopped in excitement. "Ok! Food! Food!" he chanted gleefully. Minato took his hand and they walked out.

"What about my hunger…" Kakashi mumbled pitifully as he flickered out.

…

Seeing that Naruto had trouble keeping up with him as they walked, Minato rested him on his hip and carried him, much to the glee of the child. Minato smiled to everyone as he walked past, ignoring the whispers and the stares at the little boy in his arms. Naruto was oblivious, and took in the sights and sounds of Konoha, pointing at various different objects. Minato would then tell him what they were.

"That is a cat, people care for them as pets. That one over there is a dog. Can you see why that one is a cat and the other is a dog?"

Naruto looked from one to the other, before bringing a hand to his nose, and bringing it out again.

"Dog, bigger…?"

"Nose." Minato smiled and nodded. "Dogs have a longer nose."

"And…" Naruto swirled his finger. "Tail? Cats have a longer tail."

"That's right! You're learning very quickly!" Minato praised. He even surprised himself at how comfortable he was beginning to be around the kid. He couldn't help it…

"Demon cat have two tails!" Naruto informed, starling him a little. "…Bigger… Longer."

Minato bit his lip. He was reminded that Naruto wasn't human. Or, at least in the more spiritual sense. The feeling of ease diminished slightly. Naruto sensed his apprehension, and frowned.

"Um, sorry? Not ok?" Naruto felt that he had said the wrong thing. He didn't mean to… Was it because he said demon? But his father had said it many times in front of Minato. Maybe it was from him saying it was bigger, and it scared him…

Minato realised that he was worrying Naruto and shook his head. 'No matter what, he is still a child,' he berated himself.

"No, I am ok. You didn't do anything wrong," Minato tried to reassure him by smiling. Naruto tentatively smiled back.

"Ok. Ok good." Naruto pointed his nose ahead, and his eyes lit up. "Smell food!" he said in anticipation, his mouth watering at the delightful scent.

Minato also brightened. 'We're close to Ichiraku's! That means he loves ramen just like me!' he cheered internally. He ducked under the curtain.

"Welcome! Oh, it's my favourite customer!" the man behind the counter exclaimed as he cleaned the bench.

"Hello Teuchi-san! I'd like my usual order and an extra pork ramen!" Minato said, sitting down and putting Naruto on his lap.

Teuchi nodded. "And who's the little one with you today?" he asked, smiling warmly as he went to work.

"Ah, I'm sure you have heard rumours…"

"That's true, but I usually don't believe them unless there is evidence," Teuchi cocked his head to the side. "Which, forgive me Minato-san, is beginning to appear before me."

Minato sighed. "I can't really clarify this right now, but believe me when I say I will explain it to the people soon enough."

"Of course, Minato-san!" Teuchi chuckled. "Hello there little one! I'm Teuchi. What's your name?"

"Ah, hello! My name Naruto!" He was thought for a moment, before his face lit up. "Pleased to meet you!"

Teuchi hummed in amazement. "How cute!"

"You forgot the 'is', Naruto." Minato said with a grin.

Naruto 'ohhed', remembering. "My name is Naruto!" he corrected.

"What a clever thing you are!" Teuchi cooed as he set down the bowls of miso and pork ramen. "I'd love for him to meet Ayame!"

"That's a great idea!" Minato agreed. "She's seven, right?"

"Yup! She's in school right now, but what she really enjoys is coming to work with me, so I guess she'll be helping me cook ramen!" he said happily. "Now quickly eat your ramen before it gets cold!"

"Alright," he grinned, and snapped open the chopsticks. "Here Naruto, these are called 'chopsticks'. You eat food with it." Minato gave a new pair to Naruto.

"Chopsticks," he repeated, and snapped them open like he saw.

"Hold it like this." Minato held the chopsticks, and allowed Naruto to analyse the grip. Soon Naruto was holding his own just like Minato's.

"Food?" Naruto whined.

"Yes, you can eat now, though I haven't taught you how to…" he trailed off as Naruto began scooping noodles from the bowl and into his mouth using the chopsticks with lightning speed, and within a minute the bowl was empty. Minato shook out of his stunned reverie. '…Well he did use the chopsticks, although incorrectly.'

"Was that yummy?" he asked.

"Yu-mmy?" Naruto repeated.

"It means delicious, nice, good…"

"Yummy! Very Yummy!" Naruto immediately shouted.

"Are you still hungry?"

"Yes!"

Minato gave him one of his miso bowls, and ate while he watched Naruto eat at a slower pace this time. When they finished, Naruto leant back against Minato's chest and sighed contentedly.

"Not still hungry," he slurred.

"You should say – 'I'm full'." Minato smiled, quite amazed that the little body managed to eat two whole bowls of ramen.

"I'm very full…" Naruto said instead, which earned himself praise from Minato.

"Right, well we should get going now…" Which only made him recall why he was so reluctant to go home… and face his wife. "Thanks for the meal, Teuchi-san!"

"Thanks for the meal, Teuchi-san!" Naruto echoed.

A/N: Done! Apologies for the non-action chapter… Can't have exciting things happen all the time haha~

I'm hoping that readers will not mind that these first few chapters will mostly be from Minato's point of view. It will soon switch to Naruto's POV… forcibly. *evil cackles*

Also, if you are wondering why Naruto doesn't seem bothered by his actual father leaving him it's because for Naruto it was quite normal. Kyuubi would frequently leave their 'home' for long periods of time, to do his duties.

I'm explaining this now because I found it difficult to put it in the fic yet, but I'm writing this author's note in the middle of finishing the chapter, so if I manage to explain this but neglect to remove the end note sorry!

Chuunin – lit. Middle Ninja. I believe I forgot to put this in last time. This rank is between Genin and Special Jounin I believe?

-san – suffix equivalent to Mr etc, sorta respectful.

I'm sorry if it's a bit cliché in some parts! Especially Kushina's 'can't have child' thing… But I didn't know how else to explain.

Anyway, reviews are like cookies to me! I love cookies. *-*