AN: Please fav, follow, or review to let me know if you want me to continue? The more favs, follows, and reviews the story gets, the quicker I'll update. Disclaimer in the first chp. :) *Imagine a vulpix with nine tails.
Chapter 4
Kakashi ran, carrying Tai, with Sakura by his side, carrying Tenten on her back.
"Why do you want to give Naruto your eyes? Why Naruto?" Kakashi questioned.
"My little brother was quite fond of him, even going so far as to call him "friend". And I loved my little brother, so I too accept Naruto as a friend and want to help him reach his goal, whatever it may be. You of all people, Hatake Kakashi, should understand that."
Kakashi did not respond, just kept running until they reached the entrance to Konoha. He and Sakura headed to the hospital where Ino took Tenten and Shizune took Tai accompanied by Kakashi.
"Please take my eyes and kill me?" Tai asked as soon as they reached the surgery room. Shizune gave Kakashi a look.
"He's Ranmaru's older brother and wants to give Naruto his eyes. And die. Naruto, of course, refused." Kakashi explained.
"Of course." Shizune said, waiting while the nurses prepped everything.
"Please, I'm begging you. I have no reason to live." Tai said, grabbing Kakashi's shirt and looking him in the eye. Kakashi saw a bit of Obito in this stranger. He sighed.
"Kakashi?" Shizune said asking for his input.
"It's what he wants. What's to stop him from removing his eyes and committing suicide once he's all healed up?" Kakashi said, reluctantly consenting.
"Thank you. Thank you so much, Hatake Kakashi." Tai said. Shizune prepped him for eye removal and a needle in the arm.
As Naruto and Karin ran through the forest, Naruto wondered about the stranger they'd just defeated.
"I have to get Sasuke back. And a kekkei genkai like that would certainly help, but do I really want to use someone else's power to achieve my goal?" He thought. Then he thought about something Kakashi said to him once.
- Flashback -
"Kakashi-sensei, why do you only have Sharingan in one eye?" Naruto asked.
"This Sharingan was not originally mine. It was entrusted to me, it was a gift of sorts. Not to say that I don't appreciate it, it's indeed very special to me, but I only use when I need to. I want to use my own power to reach my goals, but sometimes it's not enough. That's why we have comrades, Naruto, to help each other. My friend and I had the same goal and when my power's not strong enough to reach that goal, I have a hand, well eye, from my friend to help me out." Kakashi explained.
- End Flashback -
"It's been four and half years since Sasuke left and I still haven't been able to bring him back. I've been trying to do it myself. Maybe I need to accept some help. But I still don't know if I want that kind of help…" Naruto's thoughts were interrupted by Karin stopping and grabbing Naruto by the collar.
"Wait a second, Naruto. Something's not right. I sense your friend's chakras, but they've been disturbed. I think they're trapped in a genjutsu." Karin said, letting him go.
"Genjutsu? Do you sense any other chakra in the area?" Naruto asked.
"No...wait. I sense...something...but it's faint…and whatever it is, it's not human." Karin said.
"Not human, you say. What on earth is it then?" Naruto said taking off toward his friends again.
"Naruto wait!" Karin said taking off after him. They caught up to Neji, Lee and Yamato at a small waterfall. In front of them, sat a small, fluffy creature. With nine tails.*
"Is that…?" Karin started but stopped as she turned and looked at Naruto.
"It can't be….can it? A miniature nine-tailed fox?" Karin asked.
"Kurama, is this possible?" Naruto asked.
"I know what you're asking and how dare you! Do I look cute and cuddly to you?! There's no way that thing is a part of my chakra!" Kurama shouted, feeling slightly embarrassed.
"Naruto?" Karin asked. Naruto blinked and looked at her, then back at the fox.
"I don't know." Naruto said. He took a step forward and the fox's ears perked up. It stood and looked around. As it locked eyes with Naruto, it's nine-tails fused into one, which it wagged furiously. It ran over to him and jumped toward him. Naruto caught it and it started licking his face.
"Aw, he likes you." Karin said, going googly eyed.
Naruto looked at the creature and went into tailed beast mode.
"I don't sense any hostile chakra coming from her." Naruto stated.
"Her?" Karin said, moving to pet the little fur ball. The mini fox then jumped into her arms and started licking her face as well.
"I'm gonna call you Kit." Karin said.
Naruto exited tailed beast mode and looked at the mini fox again.
"Kit...are you the one who trapped my friends in a genjutsu?" The fox stopped licking Karin's face and looked at him as if it understood what he was saying. Kit jumped out of Karin's arms and ran to stand in front of Neji, Lee and Yamato. She looked at them with her big brown eyes and they began to glow a light pink color.
"What...What happened?" Lee asked.
Kit ran back over to Naruto and looked up at him wagging her tail.
"Good girl, Kit." Karin said, picking her up again.
"It appears that - Kit, you call him? - trapped us in a genjutsu." Yamato said.
"Her." Karin said.
"Right. Well, I suppose since the sun has set and we'd be at a disadvantage if a fight were to start, we should set up camp here." Neji said. Yamato used wood style and created a small tree. Lee used his taijutsu to chop it into firewood, then he started laying out the sleeping bags. After he finished he looked to Neji.
"I'm going to help Naruto and Captain Yamato with the flames of youth." Lee said then took off after them.
Neji looked at Karin, his Byakugan activated, and realized something. He looked to Yamato, the two shared a look.
"Naruto, why don't we see if we can catch some dinner, ne?" Yamato said, putting a hand on Naruto's shoulder and leading him toward the bottom of the waterfall.
"Yeah, ok. I am hungry." Naruto said.
Neji waited until they were out of earshot, then turned to Karin, deactivating his Byakugan.
"Karin-san, I don't know you very well, and I don't know the jutsus you can use other than medical ninjutsu. I think that we should talk about some things," he motioned for her to sit next to him, " I noticed that when you're near Naruto, your chakra is...different. When he left with Yamato, it went back to normal. I've never seen anything like it. Could you explain?" Neji asked.
She looked down at the fox in her lap, which she continued to pet.
"Well, I love and admire Naruto. I want to be like him. He makes me want to become stronger." Karin said simply. Neji was shocked, something that almost never happened.
"The same words Lady Hinata said to me." Neji thought.
"It's more than that though. I want to walk by his side. I want to be his friend and…" Karin stopped, blushing furiously. Neji understood. He also worried.
"She reminds me of my cousin. But she's also extremely different. *sigh* I hope your ready for this fight, Naruto. This one will be unlike any other." Neji thought, smirking inwardly.