"talking"
Thinking
Kyuubi talking
wWw
"what if I told you," the demon chuckled, "that I knew exactly who your mother was,"
Naruto's eyes widened; he knew of his father, the Yondaime Hokage Minato Namikaze, it would take an idiot to not notice the blunt resemblance, but his mother… she was a complete mystery in the young jinchirukki's mind. He assumed that he'd taken his mother's name, as it didn't seem like the Sandaime to completely fabricate family lines; yet despite this assumption, no matter how many times he looked through the clan directories, gazed at the memorial stone, or filed through the cemetery names, he couldn't find a single Uzumaki apart from himself.
It made him feel… lonely,
"what do you mean?" he asked, the surprise evident on his face.
"I'll tell you after you agree. Think of it as temporary collateral on my part,"
Naruto thought back to everything the demon said, coming upon another conclusion, "so… there's more to this deal?"
Her laugh was simultaneously high pitched and empty as it resonated throughout the seal, "of course, my dear container, I wish for this to be an ongoing arrangement. If you agree, I'll tell you about your mother, now; and every time you honor the deal and kill someone, torturing them if possible, I'll help with your training."
"how could you help me?"
"I'm a millennia old demon," she snorted, "how could I not help you,"
"I suppose" he muttered, opting to pace through the sewer-like location momentarily before turning back to his eternal companion, "and all you want is some sensible carnage?"
"Well it'd be nice if you could make this place a little nicer," she shrugged, "spending a lifetime in a sewer was never something I imagined myself doing,"
He raised an eyebrow, "so butchery and a pretty room?"
"yup!"
Naruto thought over his options, while he wasn't sure how comfortable he was making deals with a demon, he didn't really have much to lose in this case, and he really did need to get stronger if he had any hopes for a moderately enjoyable existence.
Not to mention she was technically his demon, such that she'd always be there, so it wasn't like he could very well ignore her forever…
Not that he wanted to either, despite everything, the child still had abandonment issues.
"okay." He said, "you've got yourself a deal. Now, tell me about my mother."
Kyuubi grinned, "well, I suppose I'll have to begin with informing you that you were not my first container, directly before you was your mother, Kushina Uzumaki…"
As he listened to Kyuubi recant her time with his mother, Naruto couldn't help but feel a certain sense of regretful closure as it seemed as much as he tried to deny it, a certain part of his subconscious had always hoped for his mother to still have been alive.
Such hopes were inconsequential now.
wWw
The next day, Naruto found it proper to ignore his sensei's 'suggestion' choosing to eat breakfast anyway as he created a hundred shadow clones to go off and train. Finally, he decided to arrive at the destined training ground sometime around eight. Not wanting to make the same mistake as the previous day, the young container stuck a small flask of sake in one of his coat pockets; otherwise his apparel was identical to the aforementioned day.
"NARUTO-BAKA! YOU'RE LATE!"
Joy. his teammates were already there.
"Am I now?" he looked around, "I don't see sensei anywhere; making your personal judgment nothing but a petty dissertation without sufficient warranting force."
"WHAT DID YOU SAY!" Sakura seethed, "I'LL SHOW YOU WARRANTING FORCE!"
She pulled her fist back, expecting him to simply take her abuse as per usual, before falling losing balance and falling over as he swiftly side stepped her wrath, subsequently ignoring her in favor of his new fuuinjutsu book.
One of the more noticeable aspects that Kyuubi had brought to light within her information regarding his mother was that of the Uzumaki clan's specialization in seals. Coupled with his father's apparent genius nature regarding the art gave Naruto a decent picture as to why he'd picked up the practice of fuuinjutsu so easily.
He turned his attention to the chapter he'd reluctantly put aside the night before in favor of at least an hour of sleep. Time-Space fuuinjutsu: the study of the destructuralization and rearrangement of physicality's.
Given who his father was, Naruto strived to not only perform the 'Hiraishin,' but also to perfect it's use. For this, he believed it was necessary to re-create the technique from his own knowledge and theoretical ideas, rather than ask for the inherited scrolls.
"what are you reading?"
Looking up from his book, Naruto turned his head slightly toward the source of the question, mildly surprised that his raven-haired teammate had decided to speak with him.
",'More than Ink: Creative Fuuinjutsu Creations, Level Five'," he recited, displaying the cover to his companion,
Sasuke raised an eyebrow, Fuuinjutsu was supposed to be the most difficult of ninja tecniques, "I didn't know you were interested in sealing,"
"what difference would you knowing have made," Naruto shrugged, "regardless, it's the only legacy I've got," he muttered,
"DON'T BE SO RUDE TO SASUKE-KUN"
Ignoring Sakura's outburst, Sasuke was curious about what his other teammate said, as far as they knew, Naruto was an orphan, never to have known of his parents.
Had something changed?
This warranted investigation, he decided, "Hey Naruto," the last Uchiha spoke, noticing that Naruto had turned back to his book, "are you any good with deciphering seals?"
"I guess I'm better than most,"
"Could you help me out then? I've been trying to decipher several of the seals in the Uchiha family jutsu vault and no one I've asked has been able to figure them out."
Naruto shut his book, giving Sasuke his undivided attention for the first time since the conversation had begun, "and you want me to take a look?"
"yes…"
The blonde jinchurikki pursed his lips,
"will you pay for my services, should I be successful?"
Sasuke was taken aback, he couldn't remember the last time someone in the village had asked for money from him; it was… refreshing,
"of course,"
Naruto held his arm out, waiting a moment until Sasuke shook it, "you've got yourself a deal, Uchiha. I'll stop by tomorrow to look at those seals."
Sasuke cracked a slight smile, that nobody saw since Kakashi took it upon himself to appear at that exact moment.
"Yo!" the silver-haired jonin's tone was jovial, coupled with a half-wave.
"YOU'RE LATE!" Sakura screeched,
"ah well," Kakashi sighed, "there was this black cat crossing my path and I… err… had to walk all the way around Konoha to avoid it's 'bad luck-inducing wrath',"
"LIAR!"
"okay then!" he eye-smiled, placing an alarm clock on a tree-stump and whipping out two small bells, "you three have until noon to try and get these bells from me-"
"but sensei," Sakura said, "there are only two bells,"
"I'm aware." Kakashi deadpanned. Was this really the smartest female of the year?
Oh how their standards had fallen.
"one of you is going to be sent back to the academy undoubtedly… now, you can use whatever you have at your disposal as it'll be impossible for you to succeed without coming at me with an intent to kill-"
"BUT SENSEI! YOU'LL GET HURT!"
The three males in the clearing cringed simultaneously, it was going to be a long day.
"just go,"
With their teacher's prompt, two of the three children ran for cover in the trees and bushes; the third however, chose to remain in the clearing and pulled out his book.
"eh, Naruto?"
"what is it?" he responded, not bothering to look up from his reading material,
"you do realize this is an important test… don't you?"
"of course," he said, "I simply give finishing this chapter higher priority than your little test."
Kakashi was a little dumbfounded at the emotionless response he was receiving from his student, this was not what his file had prepared him for at all.
He was going to have a chat with the Hokage about this.
Unbeknownst to the befuddled copy nin, Naruto was far from disinterested in the task set before him. While reading he'd summoned three shadow clones and had them transform into versions a tenth of his normal size. Seeing as the shadow clone was the only high level technique in his arsenal (besides the great clone explosion, but to a certain extent they were the same), at the moment, he'd set it upon himself to know it inside and out, making the removal of hand seals an obvious step in that direction.
He'd figured that if he continued reading he could distract his teacher with the generally considered odd behavior for long enough to grab a bell.
That was not the case, as he lost Kakashi's attention veritably quickly; then again, the blonde mused, he should've realized such actions wouldn't hold the copy nin's attention for long as said ninja used the same tactic.
Often.
What the demon container needed was a plan. Not a completely new plan, the whole 'distract and grab' seemed pretty good as a basis for anything he'd need.
It was just about execution.
He couldn't try to use any seals, as anything powerful enough would take far too long,
He couldn't jump head on, like Sasuke was now trying to do; even if his clones had barely escaped the flames from his jutsu; as he would end up an unconscious head sticking out of the ground.
He couldn't sit back and do nothing, like Sakura had done, as that would just leave him prey to a sneak attack and further his chances of being knocked out.
He couldn't ask for help either; calling upon Kyuubi's powers would both piss her off and piss off the village council, and his teammates were both out of commission for the foreseeable future of the test.
Wait.
His teammates were unconscious, meaning they couldn't hear him if he said anything… right?
Then it hit him.
It hit him like a ton of bricks,
The perfect plan.
He almost grinned at what he was about to say, "ne, sensei?" Naruto piqued, pulling out his flask of sake and taking a sip,
Kakashi turned his attention from his own book, curious if his final student was finally going to do anything, "yes Naruto?"
"Though due to some less than fortunate happenings," he said, patting his stomach lightly, "I never really got to meet him, I've got a feeling that my father wouldn't have appreciated you reading those kinds of books around me, they're not exactly child-appropriate if you know what I mean,"
Kakashi almost dropped the book, his visible eye widening.
He stared at Naruto's impassive form silently for a few moments, seemingly incapable of comprehending what he'd just been told.
"but then again," the blonde's perpetual frown deepened, "it's not like you done anything so far regarding my life in itself… so I suppose it's ironically appropriate to showcase your appreciation for my godfather's unique brand of coping considering he's done even less for my well being…"
Picking on an obviously vulnerable guilt-inducing point within someone's psyche; I'm so proud
Goodie, a demon's proud of me, wait till I tell mom – oh wait, you killed her,
Aww was that supposed to make me feel bad?
No. it was supposed to shut you up. I'm busy.
AH, that reminds me: hurry home after this, from being sealed within your mother I can implant her memories of sealing knowledge into your subconscious,
…What's the catch?
*sigh* sometimes I think you've grown too prudent… I want you to torture someone, I need to hear their insignificant cries for mercy, it's been far to long.
I've told you before I can't just go around torturing people,
Ah ah ah, but I've figured out a solution to this predicament of yours,
Somehow I know I'm going to regret asking what this solution is
Just volunteer for the interrogation bureau, I'm sure that old man feels enough guilt to get you in,
Fine, I'll try,
*grins*
Please stay quiet until I finish with this test now… thank you,
"I guess that just goes to show," Naruto continued, unperturbed by the half-minute pause he'd made to converse with his demon; if anything, it seemed to unnerve his teacher even more, "how little my father's trust really meant to the shinobi world, if such a feeble request –no dying request can be tossed aside so effortlessly,"
By this point Kakashi was gaping. The 'genius' attribute within his mind began applying the given information to the status quo, allowing for a maelstrom of questions to bombard his conscious thought process: How did he know of his father? How did he know of his tenant? How did he know of Jiraiya? How did he know of him?
Then the guilt came.
No matter how he tried to reason with himself, Kakashi knew Naruto was right in his assumed ramblings. He should've been there to support the child of his sensei after Jiraiya left the village. He should've done more than idly watch as the villagers belittled and spat on the fourth's legacy, his greatest sacrifice and-
Then he realized: he hadn't felt this guilty since Obito's death.
A realization that prompted all of the emotional baggage and thoughts connected to the deceased Uchiha flooded from his subconscious, conveniently connecting themselves to just how helpful and comforting his sensei had been.
Damn regret.
Damn it all to hell.
For all that passed through his mind, the only coherent sound to come from the copy nin's mouth at the resounding moment was something along the lines of, "I-I-I-eh?"
Naruto, however, was prepared to move on, "Don't worry yourself over it, Hatake-san," he conceded, "all things considered, I think I've turned out just fine,"
Somehow, that didn't make Kakashi feel any better.
"By the way, Hatake-san," the blonde rose his voice slightly to confirm he'd caught the older man's attention, "I think we pass."
The sound of the small bell ringing in his now permanent student's hand was Kakashi's first and only indication it had been taken.
"But… when?" he stammered
"hmm?" Naruto said, having turned his attention back to his book, "oh, I took it while you were wallowing in your own self-induced guilt,"
…what the-
"so we pass, right?"
"err," Kakashi sighed, "the point was for you all to work together… so no-"
"ah but we did, Hatake-san! Had they not confirmed your suspicions of our general level of strength you would've never let your guard down long enough for us to chat."
"Fine. Be at the Hokage's office in two days for missions."
With that, Naruto was left alone in the clearing. Not wanting to waste time explaining the situation, he simply wrote up two post-it notes and attached them to his teammates foreheads.
Dun dun DUN
Thank you so much to everyone who's reviewed, alerted etc… it's really encouraging :]
If you're wondering why Kyuubi is trying to help him (with the seals and what not,) it's because she's recognized, to a certain extent, that Naruto can't uphold his part of the deal if he's not a little stronger,
I'm also trying hard to not overpower him overnight. He will be powerful, he'll just earn it over time.
Also, though it may not be as evident in the recent chapters, Naruto is very psychologically damaged, he's simply distracting himself with the goal of getting stronger.
Yeah,
okay
Now a few responses:
MagicFear - I promise you, this will not be a harem. Maybe it's just cause I'm a girl, but I feel really awkward writing harem stories in general.
Grimangel163 – I think you'll like what I have planned for Hinata.
Shihouin Shunshin - I didn't mean to imply that there would never be any emotional attachment whatsoever, only that it may take a while for Naruto and Kyuubi to feel anything, or even realize they feel anything... I mean I can't very well have them on the verge of 'like' right from the get-go since technically they've just met, and it would just be weird… By the way, I love your username.
…
…
I need to stop rambling
