"Hehe. . . So someone finally sees things my way."
Naruto's eyes open, laying on his back while seeing a brick and piped ceiling. He turns his head one way, seeing a long hallway that leads into darkness.
"That's where to go to leave this place." The deep voice rumbled through the entire area. Naruto, expecting the worst, slowly turns his the other way, seeing a giant cage wall with a seal mark on the center. "Come closer. . ."
Naruto, still laying in the wet floor, slowly gets up. He walks towards the cage, when suddenly giant claws try getting through the bars to him, barely missing. Naruto, however barely flinches.
"Hm? You don't fear me human?" Naruto continues to walk towards the cage.
"If I walk in, will you kill me?" He says emotionless.
"It depends on your worth to me, brat." the voice says in the darkness behind the bars.
"Please do it?" Naruto says, slight hope in his words. The fox is taken aback. "I assume you heard most of what happened outside. The man out there is right. I hate my village. I have nothing to live for. He wants to help me train, but honestly at this point. . . I'd rather die."
The fox seems to ponder this. "Hmmm. I could try to kill you in here, but I don't know if that would do anything outsi-" Naruto causes the fox to pause by walking directly into the cage. He walks in until he sees the outline.
"Go on." Naruto said. "Kill me and do whatever. Attack the village again, I don't care."
The fox once more stops to think. "Hmmm. . . Before I decide on that. . . Let me tell you a story." Naruto looked up to pay attention.
"Just kill me you stupid fox!" He said with some anger.
The fox just looked down at him. "If there is anything I hate most about humankind. . . it is fear." Naruto's head tilts confused. "From the dawn of time, they have feared what they didn't understand. With fear comes anger. With anger comes hate. With hate comes suffering."
Naruto still didn't understand what he was getting at, but kept listening as the fox continued. "Man feared us, the nine tailed beasts. They feared our power and our potential. Rather than follow the plan of the original sage of six paths, they sought one thing. . . control. Each beast, slowly, was captured, one by one. Being overwhelmed by armies of men, or monstrously powerful people such as Madara Uchiha or Hashirama Senju."
Naruto blinked, slightly recognizing the first Hokage's name, but not the other. The last name made Sasuke's image appear in his head.
"Madara was the first to control me. He used his cursed power to control my mind for his own purposes. Since it was so easy for him to control me, that made people fear me even more. I could be a weapon for any brat with a Sharingan."
Naruto once more didn't know what he meant. The Sharingan?
"And so Hashirama sealed me away. I have been stuck inside a member of your damned village for decades upon decades. Trapped in here, feared and hated by all, because of something outside of my control. I never did anything to them intentionally, but they still felt the need to deny me any hope of freedom."
Naruto interrupted. "But the attack on the village-"
"Was me under the control of a damned Uchiha!" He then released a powerful piercing roar that pushed Naruto back. "When I'm free, I'll find the Masked one eyed freak!" His anger steams away as he looks back to Naruto. "That is what I hate of man. That fear that even carries over to our hosts."
Naruto looks up, surprised by that admission.
"The only humans that can ever hope to understand a tailed beasts hatred is the very hosts they live inside. You in particular have been harassed your whole life because of it. You understand the hatred I have. As such. . ."
The fox locked eyes with Naruto. "I offer you the chance at revenge."
(TWO HOURS LATER)
The door opens, letting both Orochimaru and Kabuto into the darkened room. They look to the boy sitting against the wall who looks up at them with burning red fox eyes. Kabuto hesitates a moment, being surprised, but Orochimaru continues forward.
"Four conditions." Naruto states. Before anyone asks. "Four conditions for me to work with you."
Orochimaru smirks. "Go ahead.
"Number 1. You're not my master. You help me to get stronger, but as you said, it's for you too. You don't own me."
Orochimaru found that one cute, but nevertheless. "Agreed."
"Number 2. No tampering what so ever with the Nine Tails seal. Anything happens at all, I'll release it. It's first target will be you, because it doesn't trust you anymore than I do."
Smart. Orochimaru had to give him that. "Agreed."
"Number 3. You make me as strong as you possibly can." He chakra flares a bit. "So I can crush that entire god damned village."
Orochimaru smiled wickedly. "I was going to attack it in the future anyway, so helping you to do it would make things a lot easier for both of us. Agreed."
"Finally, Number 4. As soon as the village is gone, I'm gone. We part ways, and I continue for my next goal."
Orochimaru pauses for a while, but still. "Agreed." He smiled as he held his hand out. "Welcome to my world, Naruto."
(ELSEWHERE)
"Please!" She pleaded.
"Why?" an unamused voice replied.
Hinata fidgeted with her fingers. "Well, I already asked Kurenai sensei, but she never dealt with Naruto. It took forever to get Shikamaru to talk to Asuma, but he wouldn't give anything away either. Your sensei is the only one left to ask."
Sasuke didn't hardly reply for a moment. "How about that weird green suited guy that keeps bothering Kakashi?"
Hinata seemed to shrink into her jacket. "My cousin is on his team, and he would never help. Plus, that sensei and his prize student creep me out a little. . ." (Note: Lee and Guy are two of my favorite characters, so I'm not character bashing :p)
Sasuke rubbed his temple. "I'll ask him."
"Ask me what?" Both Sasuke and Hinata jolt as they turn to find Kakashi. "Hinata, is it? I've been told by my colleagues you wished to speak with me?"
"Saves me the trouble." Sasuke mumbled as he sat down on the ground. They were in the training ground from his genin test.
Kakashi chuckled. "What did you wish to ask me?"
Hinata fiddled with herself. "Um- I. . . well-"
Sasuke needed to help the poor girl. "Why does the village hate Naruto?"
That question threw Kakashi off, but he recovered. "Well, I would assume it's because he pranks everyone and causes such a commotion."
"It was before that." Sasuke states, pausing both Kakashi and Hinata. "He's been hated since before the academy. It's not exactly something we haven't noticed."
Hinata nodded. "I-I went to visit Mizuki. . ." Kakashi's eye narrowed at that. "He didn't say what, but he stated that our generation doesn't know something. I think that something is what made Naruto leave."
Sasuke finishes. "If you find out why Naruto left, that might help find out where he may have gone or at least help us out with our questions."
Kakashi let out a heavy sigh. "I hate being put in a spot." He looked at the two in front of him. "I'm not able to help you out."
"You must know something." Hinata pleaded.
Kakashi held his hands up defensively. "I can't help you out because I'm not allowed to. It isn't my place to tell, and while you are on to something, know that the ANBU are already on that. We already have it covered." He smiled behind his mask. "We'll find him. You don't have to worry."
"Who can we go to to find out this 'something'?" Sasuke asked.
Kakashi sighed again. He just looked between them. Sasuke who seemed angry at information being kept from him. Hinata looking like a sad kitten with concern in her expression. He caved. "The only way you can find out is with the permission of either Naruto himself or the Hokage." Time for his go to move. He poofed away. Peace out.
The to left were thinking about that. Hinata turned to walk away. "T-thank you for the help, Sasuke. I'll let you know anything I find out." She rushed off, leaving him as he nodded and left.