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The original FanFiction of Crimson Wind Red Dream is the concept of Tsukune08. This is merely a reproduction of their original story with the same title and some of my own original ideas. Please check them out and read their stuff.
Rated M for explicit language and trigger scenes!
The beginning of a Legend
October 10th, 13 AK
Konohagakure no Sato has known a era of peace that many never thought would be possible for the last six years. Civilian and Shinobi had been at ease, as the ever present darkness that had been known as the Kyūbi no Yōko, simply disappeared into oleaginous obscurity. No one had seen or heard from the Demon for nearly six year, and the anniversary of it's speculated expiry was fast approaching. Many people were excited as not only was today festivals in honor of the Yondaime Hokage's valiant sacrifice in defeating the Kyūbi no Yōko twelve years ago before reducing its powers to that of a mere infant child-but it marked the week long celebration that many citizens of the Village Hidden in the Leaf took a part of.
A Shinobi could be seen slowly approaching the Northern Gates of the village on a dirt road. There was nothing out of the ordinary for this Shinobi, as he was of fairly average height and build, garbed in the traditional gear and outfit of a Konohagakure Jōnin. His lackadaisical movement indicated his lack of motivation and carelessly lazy personality. The only thing that could be considered off about the individual was that while he walked, his attention was taken up entirely by a worn out orange book that he kept in front of his face. The occasional perverted giggle was the man's only response to the book itself, as he had the contents nearly memorized.
Coming to the large wooden gate with an iron portcullis, the man could hear two guards complaining about their jobs. In no particular rush himself, he was content to wait and read until either of them noticed him before the momentous a archway. It was only a few moments of bickering back and forth before one of the guards noticed the man out of his peripheral vision.
"Kakashi-san, you've returned from your mission. Must not have been too difficult of a mission since you only just seem to have left the day before yesterday." The guard spoke as he checked over papers that Kakashi had provided. After everything was in order, he handed Kakashi back his paperwork and pulled a lever to allow the portcullis to rise with enough room for the Shinobi to move beneath it. "How did it go?"
"It was a rather simple mission, quite boring, not enough details to gossip about," Kakashi responded in a dull tone.
"Well that isn't surprising from the renowned Kopī Shinobi no Kakashi himself. Well, I will not hold you back from reporting to the Hokage,"
The Jōnin nodded nonchalantly as he began to walk through the gates and into the depths of the village. Once he was sure that he was out of the range of the gate house, the Shinobi ducked into the nearest alleyway, before he checked that no one had paid him any attention. He waited several more minutes before he set his hands into a hand seal and was obstructed from view by a cloud of thin smoke. Once the smoke cleared away, the Shinobi was replaced with a pubescent boy with long blonde hair that fell in untamed spikes down his back.
"The was far too easy, security is far to lax if neither of those guards had any idea I wasn't who they thought I was," the boy shook his head, a serious expression on his face.
"It would not have many difference Naru-kun. Only those with a Dōjutsu would have been able to recognize the Jutsu. Even then, they would need to know how to dispel an Onipou in order to reveal your true identity,"A muted voice whispered from within the recesses of the boy's mind.
Naruto Uzumaki chuckled as he pulled on the zipper of his Flak Jacket to reveal a small fox to claw its way up his black shirt before it found a place to rest on the boy's shoulder. The petite animal wrapped its tail comfortably over his shoulder before it found a place to rest his head against the boy's neck. Naruto scratched it behind the ear before it began to purr.
"Hai hai, you are right as always, Natsu-chan. I would guess that it is time that we stop in to see The Old Man. I can only imagine the earful I am going to get considering the amount of time it has been since we left," Naruto finished with the guilt obvious in his voice. He had not meant to disappear from Konohagakure no Sato like he had, but there hadn't been much of an opportunity after what happened.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, Commander-in-Chief and Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato, was stuck behind the large wooden desk within his Office, a mountain of paperwork and a growing migraine. He grumbled loudly with each sheet of parchment he signed his name on. After so much time spent behind the desk, the years had not been kind to the venerable Shinobi-and he wanted nothing more than to spend this day, not to mention the entirety of the following week, in seclusion so that he could mourn in peace. The guilt he carried on his shoulders had been far to much lately.
"Tsk Tsk, I never thought I would hear The Hokage whine about his job. Isn't it quite unbecoming of a leader of Konohagakure no Sato?" A voice teasingly scolded out of the various shadows within the office.
"Show yourself, this is the Hokage's Office and unauthorized entry is punishable by death," Sarutobi announced to the room, already in the best defensive stance he knew, surrounded by four ANBU Officers. Since he couldn't be sure how powerful this person was, any offense was not the best option for him. To make matters worse, the mysterious person had not only managed to invade his personal office-but to do so without setting off any alarms or alerting his personal ANBU Officers until he voiced his presence? The level of skill this person would need is dangerously alarming.
"You mean you forgot who I am already? That breaks my heart, granted I suppose it has been about six years since I was taken from the village in the dead of night. Here I had held out hope that we had grown close before my exile, Ojiisan,"
A long silence filled the room as the ANBU Officers each tightened the grip on their individual Shinobi Tool of choice. The Hokage's eyes narrowed for all of a minute as he connected the dots, then his eyes widened and his expression lit up before he fell back into his chair in shock.
"Is it really you, Naruto-kun? After all this time you return, or is it merely the Kyūbi no Yōko playing tricks on an elderly man-returning to finish what it had started all those years ago?"
The boy decided that enough time had been spent playing the 'smoke and daggers' routine. He stepped out of his hiding spot; a room hidden behind a bookshelf. The Hokage's personal vault of all places. To say that Hiruzen Sarutobi was flabbergasted could be a gross understatement. He wasn't expecting the young child he once knew to return to Konohagakure no Sato, much less to do so in such an exemplary show of skill. If that hadn't been enough to give the poor man a heart attack, then it was surely the boy's appearance.
The best way to describe the young boy before him was by not referring to him as a young boy at all. If anything, it would be better to call Naruto a young man. He was rather average height for a person his age, but he had a clearly athletic body-his toned muscles were not overly large but still quite visible beneath the tape on his arms and legs. They only barely strained at the fabric of his black shirt and gray shorts. Long gone were the days when he was malnourished.
He wore a Flak jacket over his shirt, somewhere between a burnt orange and a metallic orange sunburst that remained opened in the front. Not the most drastic of his attire but probably among the most interesting was not only the two pouches strapped to either thigh, but two sets of swords-one slung diagonally across his back while the other was strapped horizontally against the small of his back, while a large scroll was slung across his back opposite of the sword. No, the most drastic addition to Naruto's outfit was the Hitai-ate around his neck, along with his orange face mask, with the character for 'Nine' etched into the stainless steel. Atop his shoulder rode a little red fox, apparently asleep if its closed eyes and deep breathing were of any indication.
However, probably most dramatic change was the young man's physical appearance altogether. His once golden blonde hair was now a darker orange and while it had remained as spiky as it had been as a child, it was far more wild, untamed and longer. His once cerulean blue eyes were not a bright orange with vertical slits for pupils. His whisker marks, which had been his longest identifiable mark, were now far more pronounced on his cheeks-as were his canine teeth, which were now elongated and gave the boy a feral appearance much like the Inuzuka Clan. But the most bewildering sight was the five orange tails that swung back and forth behind him in a hypnotic dance.
"Kami-sama, Naruto-kun-what happened to you?" The Hokage asked, almost made speechless by the young man in front of him. He could feel his personal ANBU Guard tense as if preparing for a fight to begin at a moments notice. "And if I might ask, just is your sleeping friend?"
"She would happen to be among my most dearest and closest companions, if not my most precious ally. She has been with me ever since I was exiled from this village six years ago. I will answer any and all questions you have, but not with your ANBU Officer's here. I did not go through all of the trouble of breaking into your office undetected, only to have Konohagakure no Sato Shinobi listen into what I have to tell you. Information that is meant for your ears only," Naruto requested as he began to scratch the ears of the fox on his shoulder, when he received something akin to an animistic grown from it.
The Hokage was highly suspicious of the turn of events, but suspected that there was nothing else he could do as the young man in front him seemed to be nonchalant about the entire situation. Sarutobi snapped his fingers, and within a split-second; the two of them were left completely alone, albeit with the fox.
"You have to understand Naruto-kun, that is a necessary precaution. I have faced many dangerous foes in my career and I have made my fair share of enemies. They are my personal protection from assassination attempts and are always lingering around me in the shadows, observing my movements. Not to mention that I did not detect you myself and you simply show up appearing the way you do, how can I be certain that you are in-fact who you appear to be and not the Kyūbi no Yōko? Though in my honest opinion, if you are the Kyūbi no Yōko-then I dare say the village probably would not be still standing and I would be in trouble regardless of who was in here to protect me," The Hokage states as he reclined in chair and reached for his pipe, setting the sharpened Kunai on the desk in front of him in exchange.
"Save for perhaps you and only a few select other people, you are quite possible correct-this place would be nothing more than rubble," The Fox thought to itself, eliciting a chuckle from Naruto that only caused The Hokage to raise his eyebrow.
"Actually that is why I am here and what I would like to explain about myself, the Kyūbi no Yōko and a few other topics that you should be privy to, Hokage-sama," Naruto explained as he took a seat on the couch in the office, the small fox changed its own location as it curled up in the young man's lap and rested its head on its paws.
"Now, Naruto-kun-I know that it has been several years, but I would hope that you might still refer to me as Ojiisan, as I am still the same person that tried to help you almost six years ago," The Hokage stated as he inhaled on his pipe.
"I can do that, Ojiisan. First and foremost, though it may be hard to believe-there is a very good reason why the Kyūbi no Yōko attacked the Village Hidden in the Leaves thirteen years ago. Secondly, while you are correct that the Kyūbi no Yōko is not in control of me-that very fact of the matter is that the Kyūbi no Yōko was never in control of me from the beginning. After it was clear what was to be my exile, I left of my own volition as I felt that my continued presence within the village would lead to civil unrest. Thirdly, I would like to introduce you to the Kyūbi no Yōko," Naruto finished as he indicated the small fox that rested in his lap.
"What do you mean that is the Kyūbi no Yōko? Naruto-kun what about the Seal? I've seen the Kyūbi no Yōko, as has most of the village-the Kyūbi no Yōko is a fifty story Demon Fox," The Hokage suddenly became far more nervous as a million questions started to flash through his mind. The first and most importantly was whether the Kyūbi no Yōko was actually free of the Seal and what it could possibly mean.
"That is a very long story Ojiisan, and while I don't mind answering your questions-it would take far too long to cover everything there is to be said in such a short amount of time. Perhaps we best stick to just the basics and I can give you the entire story tomorrow?" Naruto offered in exchange as he stretched out on the couch and began to pet the fox on the ears. "The simplest answer to your question is that the seal is fine. The Kyūbi no Yōko and I are still connected by the seal as it was perhaps intended to do. Our souls are intertwined and neither can exist without the other at this point. One of the most interesting and ingenious Fuinjutsu ever created. As for the appearance of the Kyūbi no Yōko-well what do you expect when a Bijū of such incredible Demonic Chakra is sapped of all of that Chakra? It really is not any different than Chakra Exhaustion. That being said, the Kitsune you see before you is in fact The Kyūbi no Yōko, Lord of the Nine Circles and Queen of all Demons,"
Sarutobi almost choked on sweet smoke in his lungs as the young man in front of him revealed to him that the most feared Bijū in the Elemental Nations was the size of a common woodland fox, if not slightly smaller.
"Naruto-kun, just how is this the Kyūbi no Yōko? The Yondaime Hokage sealed it when it was defeated. If it is out, that that means that the Seal failed somehow and it can go on a rampage when it recovers its Chakra!" The Hokage reached for his sharpened Kunai on the desk but was immediately stopped by a gloved hand on his wrist.
"You are not listening to me, Ojiisan. The Seal worked exactly it was intended to, it did not fail. The Kyūbi no Yōko cannot and will most likely never recover the amount of Chakra she needs in order to raze this village or anywhere else for that matter. The Kyūbi no Yōko and I are connected, her Chakra is my Chakra. Yes, she enjoys a level of Freedom but this is the limit of her Freedom," Naruto stated before he let Sarutobi's arm go and returned to his place on the couch faster than the after image could disappear. The Hokage hadn't even seen him move. "Please Ojiisan, I promise that I will explain everything to you tomorrow. Not only to yourself but four other Konohagakure Shinobi whom I had the pleasure of meeting within my travels as a Rōnin,"
Naruto stood up from where he sat and looked out the window over The Hokage's shoulder, taking note of the sun as it started to set. He knew just where it was that he would return to for the night, as he had incidentally spent the last two nights in the very same spot before venturing into Konohagakure no Sato.
"Wait, Naruto-kun. There are some things you should know about the village. After you left, well… the more ignorant villages held a celebration at you 'exile' as you referred to it. Eventually word got out and even your generation knows of who you are; something I had hoped to avoid. Even though most people think you are dead after so long… it has become common knowledge within the village that you were the Jinchūriki of the Kyūbi no Yōko. I just thought you should know if you decide to return to the village for good. I truly am sorry for letting everything get so out of hand-and every day I feel the guilt of failing you," The Hokage bowed his head in respect for the young man before him, not a common sight from that of in a Kage's position of power within a village.
"It is alright, Ojiisan, even if they hadn't known already-they would have figured it out soon enough. I am not ashamed or saddened by what I am anymore. There might have been a time that I hated it-but I would not be who I am today if it wasn't for the Kyūbi no Yōko. I learned so much from that I probably would never have learned otherwise," Naruto said with a soft smile as he held the fox within his arms and pet its ears. "As it is, I will continue to remain within a Henge as perhaps it will be easier for others to accept than what I truly look like,"
Naruto held up a single hand seal and was enveloped in smoke. As the smoke cleared, the tails were gone and his eyes had returned to their original color but little else was changed. He still had a feral look thanks to the elongated teeth and pronounced whisker marks on his cheeks. His orange mask was pulled up over the bottom portion of his face, hiding his identity.
"I will return tomorrow at Nine AM, Ojiisan. Please do not seek me out before then and do not have anyone follow me, as I will know so before the realize I have caught on. I would rather not have any bloodshed of Konohagakure no Sato Shinobi if I can avoid it. Please remember that what I said and what you saw does not leave this room until I am ready to reveal myself. I trust that your personal ANBU Officers know how to keep quiet on state secrets." Naruto reached for the doorknob before he looked back at the venerable Shinobi behind the desk, "If you would not mind, as it would save me a lot of time and effort-please inform Kurenai Yūhi, Yūgao Uzuki, Anko Mitarashi, and Hana Inuzuka to attend our meeting tomorrow. I will reveal everything to the five of you and answer any questions you have afterwards," Naruto bowed one last time as he seem to simply vanish where he stood, leaving only a brief after-image. The only evidence that he had been there was the faint smell of sunflowers left behind.
October 11th, 13 AK
It was almost nearly Nine AM when there was a sharp knock on the door leading into the Hokage's Office. The Hokage shuffled some paperwork before he cleared his throat, which informed whomever was at the door that they should come in. He inhaled from the wooden pipe in his hand before he set it down on the desk and signed a few more sheets of paperwork as four Kunoichi stepped into the office and kneeled before him.
"Jōnin Kurenai, Tokubetsu Jōnin Mitarashi, ANBU Officer Cat, and Chūnin Inuzuka-thank you for joining me this morning. Yesterday, I was visited by a mutual friend of sorts it would seem. A certain traveling Rōnin who had deemed fit to ask for your attendance today-I understand his request of Jōnin Kurenai, but perhaps you would all like a chance to explain why he would request the other three of you," The Hokage asked the four Kunoichi as he gave them a signal to be at ease.
"Well, Hokage-sama, that is a very long and complicated story," Yūgao Uzuki answered her Commander-in-Chief.
"Perhaps I should be the one to tell the story then, that way if any of you have any questions afterwards-I can answer them," A disembodied voice spoke out into the room as a young man. After a moment he appeared, in the very same position he had only been in the previous evening with his orange mask pulled over his face to hide his identity. A crimson fox rested in his lap, curled up but its ears moving with every sound in the office. "Hokage-sama, if you would please excuse your personal ANBU Officers-I can assure you that just as last night, I am no threat to you or any of the Kunoichi in this room.
The Hokage snapped his fingers and the presence of the four ANBU Officers entrusted with guarding him disappeared almost immediately.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama, but as just an extra step in precaution if you don't mind," Naruto formed a set of several hand seals that were far too quick, even to the Hokage's well trained eye. "Onipou: Otofugen Shōheki no Jutsu[1]," The young man called out with barely a whisper as a purple aura flashed through out The Hokage's Office.
The four Konohagakure Kunoichi were standing there bewildered at what they had just witnessed. This young man had appeared out of nowhere, asked the Hokage of Village Hidden in the Leaf to dismiss his personal ANBU protection detail and sealed the room with a barrier of some kind, all within a few short seconds as a clock that hung on the wall of the office stopped the nine chimes to indicate the time.
"Arashi-kun? It's really you?" Anko spoke up before anyone else. She didn't recognize his attire but the long spiky orange hair and the way it fell wild over his shoulders, had been the dead give away.
"How? I watched you fall off the cliff," Yūgao was the next to respond to the events. She was staring at a ghost from the past.
Sarutobi was taken aback as two of the Kunoichi referred to Naruto as Arashi. He wasn't certain where the name came from but he became all the more curious exactly just what connection these four women all had to the young man in question. He only knew for certain about Kurenai Yūhi's connection but now it sounded as if he had a run in with at least two of the others.
"Naruto-kun, I think you have a lot of explaining to do," The venerable Military Leader of Konohagakure announced to the young man sitting on the couch. He tried his best to use a commanding tone, but it still came out as the comforting voice that he had always used when directed at the boy.
"Naruto-kun? You mean as in Naruto Uzumaki? That is impossible, he's dead," Hana Inuzuka managed to say as she was caught completely off guard by this new information. The entire village thought that Naruto Uzumaki had either just up and vanished, or died nameless in the gutter of an alleyway. It had upset her when the village started to celebrate his death as if it was something to build a festival around-but the only people that had known that were her three closest friends and her mother. Yet, The Hokage called the young man in front of her Naruto, even though she knew the man as Arashi-much like her friends.
"Aww, you had to spoil my fun a little too quickly, Ojiisan," The young man said as he pulled down his orange face mask. 'There is no point in making any attempt to deny it now. They would have found out anyways, but then I could have at least been the one to reveal it. Damn you, Old Man,'
Kurenai could not believe it. Here was the Rōnin who had saved her so many years ago from such a traumatic experience. He had not only been living right under her nose in her own village, but he had also been the Jinchūriki of the Kyūbi no Yōko. He was supposed to be the pariah of the village! It was in that moment that another thought came to her, The Hokage had lied to her. He knew who the Rōnin the entire time and told her otherwise.
"Well, since this is going to be a rather long story-I suggest that you all grab a seat," He offered as he vacated his spot on the couch and indicated to it for the four Kunoichi in the room-so they could take a seat while he moved over to the large windows so he could stare out over the village and the Hokage Monument off in the distance. "I guess the best place to begin my story is the start of my exile,"
"Exile?" the four Kunoichi questioned each other quietly.
October 17th, 7 AK
Naruto Uzumaki was awoken to the feeling of wind against his face, and as he opened up his eyes-he was surrounded by a familiar darkness. The young boy couldn't feel his hands or his feet, only just barely cognizant of the fact that his arms were pulled behind his back into an uncomfortable position. There was something hard pressed up into his stomach, and in that moment-he became scared as he could not understand where he was or what was happening. He remembered falling into a pleasant sleep on a bed in the room that The Hokage said he could use. That was probably the last thing he could remember before he was awoken.
Naruto's instincts decided to kick in as he began to struggle. As a result, the boy could feel himself falling face forward, before he landed hard on his face into cool grass. He scrambled to reorient himself while his eyes did their best to adjust to the darkness around him. A man stood before the young boy, dressed in dark cloak and blank porcelain mask.
"I did not expect you to take for several more hours, the sedative I used was supposed to be incredibly potent," The mysterious man spoke in a monotonous voice.
"Who are you? Where am I? What is going on?" Naruto questioned fearfully. He didn't know the man in front of him.
"My identity does not matter you to. You are currently twenty miles north by north east of Konohagakure no Sato. I have been assigned with escorting you from the village," The man responded.
"Why are you taking me away from the village?" Naruto struggled the best he could, but he still did not have any feeling in either his hands or his feet.
"You are no longer welcome in Konohagakure no Sato, Demon," The man lied.
"What do you mean?" Naruto tried to understand what he was being told.
"I am not obliged to answer anymore questions, Demon. Just know that you have simply outlived your purpose," The man spoke before he disappeared from Naruto's sight, only to reappear in front of the boy. The man extended his left foot and a thick crunch of broken bones filled the entirety of the clearing as Naruto was thrown back against the truck of a thick tree.
The boy coughed hard as he tried to regain his breath. He felt something hard smack him in the chest before the boy looked down to see Kamikaze at his feet. He was confused when he stood up and could finally move his arms back around him-the feeling slowly returned to his hands.
"Pick it up, I heard of what you did with that weapon and I aim to see if it was nothing more than a fluke or perhaps an exaggeration," The man spoke as he three three sharpened implements in the blink of an eye, one severing the ropes of the boy's feet while the other two embedded themselves into Naruto's left shoulder and stomach.
The boy reached down the best he could and grabbed the hilt of the blade, watching it slide out of the scabbard with little resistance. He could feel the sharp metal digging deeper into his arm and stomach as he crouched down and stood back up. Naruto felt dizzy for a few moments as he reached up with his right hand and pulled out the Kunai from the opposite arm, flinching as he did so.
"Do you wish for my power to protect yourself, young one?" A voice whispered from deep within the boy's consciousness.
"Hai," Naruto responded weakly. His cerulean eyes changing into a deep vicious red with elongated slits curved into the misshapen 'S'. His vision vastly improved and he could pick up the smallest detail even in the darkness. The second Kunai seemed to just eject itself from his stomach and the wounds closed instantly. The young boy changed forward, the blade extended out from him.
The mysterious man was caught surprised by the sudden speed of the young boy, and reacted a moment to late as his cloak was torn from his body, revealing him in an all black uniform similar to the ANBU Officials of Konohagakure no Sato. As he landed a distance from the boy, he withdrew his own blade from the scabbard on his lower back and jumped forward.
Click.
Clack.
Clang.
The sound of blades colliding with each other resounded throughout the quiet forest clearing. It was an engagement of attrition and though his strikes were heavy against the young boy, it didn't seem to be having any effect. In fact it appeared to be quite the opposite as the boy's own strikes were becoming more powerful themselves. After several moments, the mysterious ANBU Officer left back, holding his blade horizontally in front of him in a reverse grip while his free hand was in the 'Tiger' hand seal.
"Kanton: Karyūdan no Jutsu[2]," The man spoke as he exhaled a continuous stream of red hot flame from the small circular opening of his porcelain mask. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately for Naruto, this had been a mistake as the man was overconfident of his own ability against an untrained child.
"Kaze no Kizu," Naruto responded as a red aura of Chakra surrounded him before the blade in his hand transformed to that of a large curved black fang, the tsuba became a large patch of orange full-and the boy swung the blade down in a diagonal motion.
A crescent of red energy tore through the Kanton Jutsu, and parted it down the middle before colliding with the man and disappeared. The Jutsu ended as there was no Chakra to fuel its intense flames, and a crack appeared to run down the middle of the porcelain mask before it separated in half to fall to the ground. The mysterious Shinobi was stunned to witness such power from such a young child, even if they were the Jinchūricki of the Kyūbi no Yōko. However before he could react, the boy was gone from his field of vision, only to reappear behind him with his back turned and the weapon back to its original size and shape.
The boy crouched down to retrieve the scabbard from the ground when the Shinobi turned around and moved to draw a tool from the pouch at his hip. When Naruto sheathed the weapon however, the man heard the sound of his Flak Jacket torn as the material separated from itself.
"I will not fail my mission, Demon," The Shinobi spoke vehemently before the boy disappeared once more, only to reappear with a Kunai pressed tightly against his throat.
"Tell your Superiors that you did fail,"The boy spoke in a strained voice, deep and resonating with pure malice as violet and red flame began to rise and engulf his body.
The Shinobi was frightened, perhaps for one of the very few times in his life as he watched the flames dance across Naruto Uzumaki's spiky blonde hair. He thought he was about to die, and a part of him actually wished for it as it would be better to die on the battlefield then to return with the knowledge that he failed to accomplish the task that was given to , in the time it took the Shinobi to have those thoughts-he could no longer feel the sharp metal against the flesh of his neck as the boy simply vanished. The Shinobi thought for a moment the Demon Child had put some distance between the two of them, but he could not longer feel Naruto's Chakra anywhere. The child had literally vanished without a trace.
Naruto Uzumaki, Jinchūricki of the Kyūbi no Yōko, feared and despised by almost the entire population of Konohagakure no Sato-awoke once again in an unfamiliar place. This time though, it was to the constant staccato of water as it dripped just outside of the boy's vision. One minute he had responded to the quiet voice within his head, and now he was in a place that made him think of the sewers beneath the Village Hidden in the Leaf.
After several long moments, he finally got to his feet and realized that the water was only ankle-deep. The young child noticed pipes that ran along the flat stone ceiling. There were three of them; one was a blue-white and was the smallest; the second was a blue much like the water the boy stood in; and the third, which was by far the largest; was an angry crimson color. The boy was confused and called out, but received no other response then a light that appeared more than a dozen feet away. As the boy approached the light, he realized that it was a lantern of some sort that was attached to the wall and as he got closer to it, another one appeared in a short distance.
Naruto decided to follow the light as they seem to direct him in a specific path-they appeared as he got closer to them and disappeared behind him as he walked away. As the young child followed the path through what felt like a hundred twists and turns; he appeared in a large open room that extended up far into the darkness. What confused Naruto the most was that there appeared to be large wooden poles in the room, that separated him from a shroud of darkness just behind them. In the middle of these posts was a single paper that had the character for 'Seal' written on it. He was astounded by the sheer size of each wooden pole as they were wider than he was tall and yet more of them seemed to stretch far into the distance on either side of him as they disappeared far into the darkness above him.
"So, after all this time-you have finally come to see me," A thick unfathomable disembodied voice spoke out from every direction of the room.
Naruto was surprised to say the very least at the voice, as he immediately felt a feeling of terror he had never known before. He wanted nothing more in this moment than to flee-to run as fast as his legs could carry him back in the direction he had come from. There was no escape for the small child though as the voice surrounded him, and the feeling of oppression made him feel so heavy that he could hardly breathe, let alone move.
"I don't know w-where I am, or w-why I am here… I just w-want to leave, if I can?" The boy tried to yell out in response, but the fear in his voice reduced it to a mere squeak.
"Do you wish to know the answer to those questions?" The profound voice responded as a colossal crimson orb appeared from within the abyss behind the pillars.
"Hai," Naruto could barely respond as he came to the conclusion that he was staring into a gargantuan eye. "W-who are you?"
"I will answer your first two questions, but I will only answer the third if I deem you worthy of an introduction," The coarse voice responded. "As for the where? We are simply in your very own mind. The why? Not even I can truly say, as this is your body after all. Though perhaps the why should not matter, as it was inevitable that you would eventually find yourself here before me,"
"My Head? How can I be in my own head, unless I am dreaming? But if I am in my own head, how come I do not know your voice? Why is it in...in… why would I come here myself?"
"You do know my voice, or rather a form of my voice. Perhaps this would all be made easier if I did introduce myself to you, though I have yet to find any worth of you knowing just yet. Perhaps you can prove it to me after this conversation is over. Come closer, young one," The voice said before the boy did as he was commanded and stepped further to see a massive creature that towered over the small child. "I am a Demon to put it in the simplest terms that you could understand. To be more specific-I am the Kyūbi no Yōko, Lord of the Nine Circles, and ruler of all Demons. But most importantly, I am currently your prisoner in this place."
Naruto had almost experienced a surreal out of body moment, staring up at the monstrous creature in front of him. Its mouth was filled with fangs longer than a full grown adult was tall, and those crimson eyes unsettled the poor child. It wasn't ever day a child met with a Demon.
"You're really HUGE!"
"Quite an astute observation," The voice snapped sarcastically at the child, its jaw sounded like thunder as sparks of lightning shot out into the darkness. "As for the observation about where you, every word you said is wrong. This is not a dream, but instead the manifestation of your mind. I have already explained that you do know my voice, or rather a form of it and I will not waste my time going into any further explanation. As for your last question-it was only a matter of time before you sought me out for the Power I can offer you. Although I had hoped you had a lot more 'training' before you came to me. No matter, that just means I will have to train you myself I suppose,"
After the voice finished what it had to say, Naruto tried his best to understand the best he could. He had his questions answered, but even more just seemed to pop into his head-and much like the curious child that he was, Naruto voiced them without any thought of consequence.
"How did you get in here? You said you are a 'Prison' inside of me, so who put you inside of me? What training, do you mean like Shinobi Training? I thought only big kids got to be trained-I am only seven years old,"
"That is an interesting story, one I will not share with you yet as you are not ready to learn it and I am not ready to share it with you. All you need to know is that what you thought you knew about my defeat by the Yondaime Hokage of your village; is only partially correct. While I was indeed bested by a Mortal, I was in no way killed. My Chakra was merely 'Sealed' away. Now while I have my Pride as the Lord of the Nine Circles and Ruler over all Demons, I must commend your Yondaime Hokage in his actions. As asinine as they were, I have a begrudging respect for a Mortal that would stand against me and make the sacrifice he made." The intelligent voice spoke as it moved its eyes and maw closer to the boy to be only slightly above his level, still showing that it was in control. "You have gained a modicum of that respect, as it wasn't your choice that I would be 'Sealed' away within you, and you have had to endure the cruelty of Mortals for it. That is why I decided that when you sought me out for my power, I would train you to harness it,"
"So, I am a 'Demon' too?" Naruto whispered more to himself as he absorbed the story like a sponge to water. A small part of the boy, perhaps finally understood why people did what they did to him. "Well, at least I know why everyone is always so mean to me, and why my parents got rid of me. Thank you for the explanation, and telling me that I earned some of your respect." The small child tried his hardest not to cry-whenever he cried, things always got worse for him. Yet soon enough, his head was fallen with his chin against his chest and rivers of tears splashed into the clear water at his feet.
"You are no Demon, instead you are perhaps the furthest thing from a Demon, and I would know. Something you must understand-Mortals fear what they cannot understand. You endured pain and torment because of the ignorance of Mortals. They thought that by hurting you, they were hurting me; and that is simply a ludicrous idea. You are nothing more than a means to an end." The Kyūbi no Yōko spoke with the tone of something that was used to being revered and worshiped. "Now, enough of that discussion-we are not here to wallow in your misery, but instead to come to an 'Agreement'. You have to be trained if you ever wish to use my Power for yourself,"
Naruto listened as his rivers of tears turned to short sobs and eventually quieted down. He stared up at the creature, a glare in his own eyes as he did his best to appear intimidating-not an easy feat for any seven year old child, much less for one that suffered from malnutrition as the boy did.
"How can I believe a word you say? How do I know you aren't just trying to trick me? You tried to destroy Konohagakure no Sato! How can I possibly trust anything you say?" Naruto yelled, as he did not understand what to make of the situation. He silently wished that he had someone there to guide him, just as he had wished for a family for as long as he could remember.
"Do NOT think you have any right to question my Pride-or accuse me of lying, you pathetic Mortal, especially to someone so insignificant as a human child such as yourself! I may have a bit of respect for you, but that respect can just as easily be taken away. I have killed stronger Mortals than you for far less than what you have just done!" The voice bellowed, a hint of offense in its tone. "What reason do I have to lie to you, to escape from this 'Prison'? If I could have escaped, I would have done it in the moments following the 'Seal'. To influence you, mentally or physically? I can just as easily do that now. You have suffered enough by the hands of your own kind for far too long, I have no need to add to it. As I already stated-you earned an infinitesimal portion of my respect for the suffering you have endured. Respect is something almost never given to any Mortal from a Demon, and most definitely not by the Lord of all Demon. I have no proof to offer so that you may trust me, nor do I feel any particular need to supply such proof if it existed. It is ultimately up to whether you believe anything that I have said-and wish to harness my Power," The Kyūbi no Yōko finished, with no room for an argument left.
Naruto stared at the vast creature just on the other side of the broad wooden pillars, as he tried to discern, with him rather limited skill, whether he had been lied to or not by the Demon. He did not want to believe it because of all the stories he had heard whispered about the vast Demon Fox-but a small part of him did believe the Kyūbi no Yōko as it sounded as genuine as The Hokage did. If the creature had told the truth; it could just as easily escaped already, or even changed who he was physically or mentally without the young child any the wiser. The young boy took a deep breath, while his thoughts swam through his head. He wasn't sure IF he should believe the enormous beast, but what did he have to ultimately lose by doing so for now? It hadn't seemed to do anything to harm him, nor trick him in any obvious way so far.
"I will trust it, for now. What other choice do I have?" The boy concluded rationally.
"I understand," Naruto spoke up, letting his childlike wonder shine through as he smiled before he bowed low in a sign of respect to the Kyūbi no Yōko, Lord of the Nine Circles and Ruler over all Demon. This action surprised the monumental Demon Fox and for a moment, caught it off guard. "Thank you, Kyūbi-sensei. I believe you what you have told me is the truth. Thank you for allowing me the honor of being taught by you. I will do my best to show that the respect I have earned from you, no matter how small, is not unfounded. Although, if it is alright-I would like to ask a few more things," He questioned submissively, and received a nod from the gargantuan beast in front of him to continue. "You do not exactly seem to be the Bloodthirsty Demon everyone describes you as; so if it is alright to ask-what made you attack Konohagakure no Sato? The second question is just about what it is you will be teaching me exactly? Will I become some super powerful Kami Shinobi?"
"I have allowed you to know what it is I am, you do not have any right to know the answer to your first question, until I say so otherwise. I will teach you everything a Mortal such as yourself will need to know as a Shinobi. As I am a Demon with more than a millennia of knowledge and nearly limitless experience of Jutsu that you Mortals use, your training will be different. You will not only learn the very basic of what it means to be a Shinobi, but also long lost Jutsu that have not been witnessed for more than five centuries. Aside from that, I will also teach you how to use your weapon to the fullest of its extent, far more than you ever dreamed of-and if I deem you worthy of the knowledge I can impart upon you? Perhaps some of my own personal Onipou as well. When I am finished with you, you will only become as powerful as you have the potential to become, nothing more and nothing less." The Kyūbi no Yōko explained as its maw curled up into what could only be described as a crooked smile.
Naruto's eyes were wide at everything he had just been told, and ideas raced around his head more than a mile a minute. He never would have guessed that the reason he had suffered throughout his childhood, could actually become a blessing in disguise. Though after a few minutes, the boy's smile mirrored the immense Demon Fox at the implications of what the Kyūbi no Yōko had said.
"Very well-then the first thing you must do as my student is to wake up. Do not be afraid as the moment you entered into this place, a connection was born between us that allow us to communicate. One last thing before you depart my home, albeit temporarily; for what it is worth? I am apologetic for what has befallen you and what you will continue to endure throughout your life,"
Naruto did not think his eyes could get any wider. Not only was someone other than The Hokage apologizing to him, but here was the Kyūbi no Yōko, Lord of the Nine Circles and Ruler over all Demon; apologizing to a young child such as himself when it certainly had no reason to do so.
"Hai, Kyūbi-sensei, and thank you-but it is everyone else that should say they are sorry. Sorry for abandoning me and leaving me to grow up without a family; sorry for hurting me and being so mean to me. As you said-you and I are not the same, I am just a Mortal and you are the Kyūbi no Yōko, Lord of the Nine Circles and Ruler of all Demon," The small boy answered before he bowed once more, the hint of hatred and pain in his voice as he thought about everyone who had ever hurt him.
As the boy went back to his original thought about this place being some sort of dream, he concentrated as hard as he could, reciting a mantra repeatedly before he vanished from view from within his own mind.
Jutsu List:
[1] Demon Art: Sound Silencing Barrier Technique
[2] Fire Release: Fire Dragon Bullet Technique
A/N: Wow! Just wow! In three days time not only do I have more Faves and Follows on this story than on Leaf, but at half almost half the word-count-you all blew the Views and Visits out of the water when I posted Chapter 2 and 3. More than a thousand each! I am absolutely astounded and I would like to thank each and everyone of you as those views compel me to just keep writing.
If you are a fan of some of the great Fanfiction on this site in the Naruto Category, then you probably recognize what inspired this entire chapter. Ascension of the Kitsune by Wandering Maverick. It is among my top five favorites to read and reread throughout the last decade. I tried my best to make it as original as I could without subtracting away from source material that inspired the various scenes. I will admit that I spent a lot of time going over the action and fight scene between Naruto and the Mysterious Shinobi. I probably went back a dozen times and tried to change it around but ultimately-I am not sure if I can improve on it.
That being said-Next chapter will officially begin Naruto's "Training" under the Kyūbi no Yōko and span a couple different chapters as certain points begin to connect. Now I am not going to make Naruto into some SUPER OP BADASS, as I am still writing this story based on Crimson Wind Red Dream by Tsukune08. Yes, he will eventually become powerful, or as powerful as he has the potential to be-but I do not want to subtract away from scenes in Cannon or Fanfiction in which he is a Genin and a part of the Rookie Nine, so you will all have to wait to see how I manage to make it all work.
That being said; Read and Review!