Chapter 1 - Kyo'kitsu Fox Ninja of Tsubasagakure

When he awoke it was to a grassy field and nothingness. 'Where… am I?' he thought groggily trying to clear his head. Wait he remembered a song-it had been really pretty and he had wanted to get closer to the source. Was that why he was here? He sat up. The sky was blue and birds were chirping in the trees.

'Hey?' something whizzed out of one of the nearest branches and he jerked back. A piece of fruit? 'You're cramping my style.'

'Huh?'

'Don't huh me-who are you and what are you doing here?' the voice was young but not young enough to be a child's.

'Me I'm-'

'Bah-I don't care-just get lost will you, or I'll put a kunai in your foot.'

That did it. Suddenly the first boy grabbed the piece of fruit that had (he remembered,) hit him in the head earlier and woke him up. Bouncing it in his hand a moment he hurled it up at the tree. There was a thwack as something was hit and another body fell.

'I'll get you for that-' That was when the boy who'd dropped form the tree stopped, and was looking at the stranger in a completely different light.

'What the heck are you?' he asked analyzing the first boy up and down then staring behind him.

'What?' the first boy turned his head and shrugged shoulder. 'Looks like a tail I guess.'

'And is it-are they-supposed to be there?'

The first boy shrugged. 'I have no idea.'

###

There was a crack and a bright light over head as the boy sat up. He looked behind him.

No tails to be seen.

His head hurt a bit and it felt like he had been running for ages. It was raining and he had been asleep in a pile of mud. Just as he was about to stand, something long and sharp was thrown his way. He managed to doge as multiple attacks came at him, and looked around wildly to see who had thrown the weapons.

"Hikari you moron-stop throwing those!" it was a female voice followed by a loud thud like someone being punched.

"Ouch-"

"He doesn't even have a hitai-ate!"

"Well he looked like a threat to me…"

"Oh shut up-you just want a reason to throw kunai at someone!"

"He-hello?" the muddied boy's voice was a bit off. "Who's there?" 'Ninja…' the name came to his mind and he felt himself go on guard. Yeah-he remembered what those were, and they were dangerous. There was silence from the trees beyond as a voice spoke. "State your name and what you're doing in Yoru country."

"Huh?"

"He's an idiot-a complete baka-"

"Hey!" The young man had just about had enough of this. A moment later he had jumped from the opening in the forest, to in front of the two arguing young ninja.

"Gah-"

"Not a threat-eey Soriu?"

"Who the heck are you guys?" the boy said. He was hanging upside down from a branch above them. He didn't quit know how, but his body seemed to remember how to do it. 'Chakara'-that's right it was holding him to the tree.

"See he is a ninja!" The boy that spoke had a mop of teal hair that changed to a deeper green as it grew. He must have been the one getting the tongue lashing from the girl. The stranger dropped out of the tree.

"So-who are you guys?"

The girl, a violet white haired ninja with silver eyes spoke first. "State your name first stranger."

He shrugged about to speak when he stopped. Huh? What was his name… geez he couldn't remember-in fact he couldn't remember a thing about himself since he woke up. 'Err come on think…' "It's-it's..." he rubbed the back of his head looking comically confused. '... Kyu… kyuubi...'

"My name is… Kyuubi." He stated trying to sound sure of himself. After he said this the two just stared at him then doubled over in laughter.

"Haahaaa-oh that's a good one!" the girl was laughing so hard she had her hands across her stomach.

"Yeah-gahahaha-you think we're stupid or something-"

"Eeerr-it's the truth alright!" The boy who called himself Kyuubi stated. Or at least he hoped it was.

"Like hell you are!" the boy stopped laughing first and shoved a finger in the strangers face. "You mean to tell us you're the 'Kyuubi no Kitsune!' Oh that's rich!"

At this the other boys face turn bright red. Okay so maybe he was a little confused… But now he was curious. The boy looked awful familiar. He got up close to him shutting his eyes trying to think.

"Hey-back off-"

"Do I know you?"

"Eey?"

"You're that guy from the dream just now…"

"Dude-I do not swing that way-" With that the green headed boy stopped speaking and took a closer look at the mud stained stranger in front of him. Underneath all the dirt… "Now wait just a minute…" he poked the guy between the eyes. "You're the guy who was cramping my style!"

"Yeah-and you're the jerk that threw fruit at my head!"

The girl was looking between them confusedly now. "What are you two talking about?"

This time her teammate's face broke out into a grin. "You know what-I think this guy might actually be telling the truth."

"What?"

"Last night I-" Just as he was about to speak the unexpected happened. The guy who clamed himself to by the Kyuubi felt himself get dizzy. As the tension died down so did his immediate adrenalin rush, and he began to fall crumpled to the ground in front of the two stranger shinobi.

###

The boy groaned his eyes flickering open and closed. "What happened?" he mumbled feeling something soft underneath him. A bed…?

"So you've decided to join the land of the living have you young one?" the voice that spoke was old but kind and he turned his head. An elderly woman sat beside a fire cooking something over an open pot.

"Where am I?"

"You're in Tsubasagakure in the care of the Tsukage."

"Tsubasagakure? The Village Hidden in the Wings?"

"I'm afraid so young kit."

"Huh, what did you call me?" the boy sat up feeling a little light headed but still wanting answers.

"You are 'Kyuubi no Kitsune' are you not?"

His face reddened at the title. "Actually I don't know who I am…"

"As all young people tend to be. Open your mouth." She came over to his side with a spoon and he obliged. Instantly he regretted it and gagged.

"Well you surly are alive now aren't you?"

"Gah-what is that nasty stuff?" he practically jumped still on the bed his back to the wall.

"My laundry water."

"You crazy old woman!"

"Obasan!" this time it was a familiar girl's voice and the boy looked up to see the same ninja that had found him before. What had happened? Oh yeah, he'd passed out…

"I was only teasing. It's a special potion made here in our village. Tell me don't you feel a bit more strength in your limbs?" the old woman asked going back over to her pot.

Come to think of it, yeah, he felt quite a bit stronger now. "Still, you could have warned me." He pouted making the old woman's eye brow raise, though she didn't say anything. This really was a strange boy-interesting colors to. She hadn't seen gold hair like that since the Yondaime Hokage. Her eyes darkened a bit at this thought and she went back to her pot of healing herbs.

After a while of silence the boy on her bed said, "I guess I owe you guys a big thanks." When he looked up again it was to the girl's face very close to his.

"I don't know Hikari-are you sure this guy is really the one from your dream?"

"No doubt about it-I didn't recognize him with all the mud at fist-but there is no way I could miss that hair!" The male ninja said sitting backwards on a chair across from the others.

"What's wrong with my hair?" the boy on the bed asked touching his head.

"Nothing's wrong with it-sheesh-cut the guy a break!" the girl hit the other boy up the backside of the head and he grumbled,

"Hey-there ain't no blonds around here…"

The boy sitting on the bed still didn't get it and he was staring to get a little annoyed. "So who are you people exactly?" He felt he had asked for the hundredth time.

"My name is Damenagi Soriu and this is my team mate Nerofumi Hikari." The girl pulled the boy by the ear.

"Ouch-let me go Sori-"

"And I am Damenagi Otemo Tsubasa's wise leader."

"Obasan!"

The boy on the bed couldn't help but laugh a bit at the old woman antics. She might have been a little bit crazy-she was laughing too!

"As for you young man, Hikari here says you claim to be the powerful 'Kyuubi' the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox." Otemo-sama drank a bit of her concoction and sighed. Again the boy felt embarrassment.

"I told you I don't know who I am. I don't remember anything since…" since his dream with supposedly Hikari in it, and waking a muddy mess on the forest floor. Just a big blank of nothing.

"How'd you get in my dreams anyway-no offence but I think I could think up something better." The boy pointed out. Hikari blushed deeply and Soriu laughed out load.

"How should I know? You're the one who came stomping into my dreams!"

The old woman was looking at the boy on the bed closely and he twitched a bit.

"What?"

"I can sense a powerful chakra from you. Wild and untamable.' She turned to Soriu. "Bring one of your mirrors. The girl looked confused but nodded her head. A moment later she was back in the room with a large mirror in hand.

"Put it in front of the boy." Otemo ordered and she did. There was a gasp from the onlookers as the boy saw his reflection. A kitsune with red eyes and nine tails was looking back at him. He reached for one of his pointed ears but found nothing was there.

Hikari whistled. "Whoa. He really is a Kitsune!"

The boy's brow wrinkled, "What's with this mirror?"

"Soriu's mirrors can show the truth in lies."

"B-but I don't look like that!"

Otemo put a finger to her lip, "Not now apparently, but the mirror doesn't lie."

There was silence as the boy stared down at his hands. 'I don't even know what I am.'

"Humm, so you have no identity have you?" Otemo put a hand to her chin. "Well then… it seems we will need a name for you while you are here." The boy didn't argue. His first thoughts being that he was glad he was welcome in this place. His second; that he wasn't sure he wanted the old woman to name him.

"Kyuubi no Kistune… Kyu…Kyo…" she snapped her fingers and pointed at him. "That's it, from this day forward you shall be know as The Ninja Fox 'Kyo'kitsu' of Tsubasagakure!" She was so pleased with herself that she patted the boy on the shoulders. "What do you think?"

"Kyo…" he spoke the name almost uncertainly. Then looking up in the accepting eyes around him he broke into a grin. "The Fox Ninja Kyo-I like it!"

"Now hold on a moment grandmother-we don't even know where he came from. He's obviously had ninja training with the way he moves and mold chakra. Kitsunee or not-he had to get learn from somewhere!"

"Ahh yes…" the old woman hardily deflated. "Do you have a hitai-ate on your person?"

"A who-dee-whatie?"

"A forehead protector." Hikari said touching his own. The met glinted in the orange glow from the fire; in the center sat a symbol shaped much like a wing that spiraled in the center.

Kyo shook his head. "I don't remember having anything like that."

"Then it's settled. You must be a wandering nin of some sort. Why else wouldn't you have a village headband?" Otemo-sama said a finger to her chin again. The others weren't quit convinced though. "Come now you three. Don't look so glum. I'm sure with time Kyo will remember who he is and where he comes from in time. Until then, Lord Tsukage is happy to have you among his house."

Kyo felt a sudden warmth for the old woman. It was strange and his eyes started to burn a bit.

"Huh-Kyo what's wrong?" Soriu asked. She hadn't seen a boy cry since she'd punched Hikari, while they were playing ninja in their academy days.

"Geeze man, get a grip…" it was Hikari this time, but his usual pride filled voice had weakened.

"Sorry… it's strange. It's as if I thought this was going to be a lot worse. I never imaged anyone would except me so quickly…" Kyo whipped his eyes with an arm and then smiled. "I don't know who you are or what Tsubasagakure is, but I'm really grateful to you all for what you've done for me."

The others still surprised looked pleased. Although they were extremely cautious Tsubasa was never a village to turn out those in need. "Welcome home, Kyo'kistu, Ninja Fox of Tsubasa."

###

It was still late in the night when Otome met with their leader Tsukage. Her light and jubilant face from earlier was now quite the opposite. "Well he's here; Konoha's Jinjuriki."

"Very good. Does he remember anything?" Tsukage asked his tone serious.

"Not a thing. His ninja skills certainly still seem up to par, according to Hikari and Soriu."

"And do they suspect anything?"

She shook her head, "I explain the boy must be a wandering nin had an accident to lose his memories."

"Good."

"Tsukage-sama…"

"Speak freely Otome-san."

"They are still so young…"

The Tsukage sighed, a hand to his head. "You were much younger in harder times, and so was I… I have faith that this plan will work."

Otemo nodded her old head, "As you wish, Tsukage-sama."