Hidden Leaf Village, Land Of Fire, Elemental Nations.

I was walking down the hallway toward the classroom where I would be introduced to my new squad. My assignment was part of an experiment that I had proposed to Hiruzen and he had agreed that it could be an interesting idea. I reached the classroom door, entered, and saw Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke sitting at their desks looking back at me.

"Tou-chan, you're our sensei?!" Naruto exclaimed in surprise while I waved in greeting.

"Hey, kiddo. Sorry, you had to find out like this, but I wanted it to be a surprise. Another part of the surprise is that I'm not going to be your only sensei," I informed them.

"Sensei, what do you mean?" Sakura asked in confusion.

"I talked to Lord Third and we discussed trying a little experiment with you guys. We want to test how a Genin team will be able to work with two Jonin senseis and see if mission performance can be improved," I explained and added, "Well, now that I'm here, we should take the time to get to know each other since your second sensei is not going to be here for a while."

I noticed Sasuke glaring at me in displeasure, but I ignored it as I began chatting with them.


"Agh, where's our other sensei?! He's late!" Naruto growled in frustration after two hours had passed.

"I warned you that he would be taking a while, so calm down," I said as I finished cleaning my gun and put it back together.

Naruto glared at me for a second, then an evil grin appeared on his face as he went over to the chalkboard and grabbed the eraser. He then went to the door and opened it slightly so that he could balance the eraser between the door and the frame at the very top.

"Naruto, what the hell are you doing?" I inquired with an arched brow as I loaded my gun and chambered a round, then put the safety on and holstered it.

"That's what he gets for being late. Surprise!" Naruto declared while he chuckled mischievously.

"Hmph. Our other teacher's a Jonin; an elite ninja. You'd think he'd fall for that?" Sasuke chimed in, earning my attention.

"He's right, Naruto. Your second sensei is not going to let that hit him unless he wanted to. Look Naruto...I know I let you keep pranking people so that you would stay happy, but you are a ninja now so you need to start taking things seriously," I lectured just as someone approached the classroom, and a gloved hand went to open the door.

The person opened the door and the eraser fell down and hit the man's head as he walked in. The man was Kakashi Hatake, a Jonin with silver spiked up hair. He was wearing a face mask that went from the top of his shirt to the bridge of his nose. The headband he wore was slanted down over his left eye and he was dressed in a green flak jacket and a navy blue jumpsuit with a Kuni holster and boots. Naruto started laughing while I rubbed the back of my neck in embarrassment. Sakura and Sasuke looked surprised that Kakashi had let the eraser hit him.

"Naruto...really not a good way to make a good first impression. Once the actual survival test starts, he will drop that prankster front and he'll show us everything I taught him," I told Kurama.

"I have to say, having him put up the front of an idiot to make people underestimate him is pretty fucking clever," Kurama stated as I grinned subtly.

"Exactly. Whenever he acts like a talentless idiot, people lower their guard and only see him as someone to not take seriously. Because of that, it gives him the advantage to take his enemies by surprise and go in for the kill," I explained inwardly as Kakashi put a hand on his chin and he started to look thoughtful.

"Hmm...how can I put this...my first impression of our squad...you're a bunch of idiots," Kakashi stated blandly, causing the three Genin to scowl at him.

"Well, now that everyone is here, let's get the introductions out of the way. Meet us on the roof in 30 seconds," I instructed as Kakashi and I body flickered up to the roof to wait for our squad.

After waiting for 20 seconds, all three Genin rushed up to the roof and sat down to catch their breath.

"20 seconds...not bad. So you can rest while we do the introductions," I said calmly while crossing my arms.

"Introductions? Well, what are we supposed to say?" Sakura asked a little breathlessly.

"Things you like, things you hate, dreams for the future, hobbies. Things like that," Kakashi replied with a shrug.

"Why don't you and Tou-chan tell us stuff first? I mean, before we talk. Why don't you two tell us about yourselves so that we can see how it's supposed to work?" Naruto suggested and I nodded in agreement.

"Good suggestion Kiddo. How about you go first, Kakashi," I offered and Kakashi shrugged.

"Very well. I'm Kakashi Hatake...Things I like and things I hate...I don't feel like telling you that. My dreams for the future...never really thought about that. As for my hobbies, I have lots of hobbies," Kakashi informed unhelpfully.

"Well, that was...interesting. Anyway, I'll get started. My full name is Alexander Christopher Winston, but my friends call me Alex to make it easier. My likes are reading, hanging out with my son, and trustworthiness. My dislikes are dishonesty, close-mindedness, and criminal behavior. My hobbies are photography, cooking, and physical fitness. As for my dreams for the future...I want to live life with no regrets and prove to the world that the Tailed Beasts are not the monsters that everyone thinks they are," I stated in determination, and everyone looked at me in surprise.

"Huh... a nice introduction, Alex. Alright, you on the right, you're first," Kakashi said as he looked at Naruto.

"Believe it. I'm Naruto Uzumaki. My likes are my Tou-chan, Ichiraku Ramen, and those I see as true friends. My dislikes are those who treat me and my Tou-chan like we're monsters, bigots, and the three minutes it takes to cook instant ramen. My hobbies are taking care of the plants at home, having fun with my Tou-chan, pulling pranks, and training. And my future dream is to be the greatest Hokage! Then the whole village will stop disrespecting me and start treating me like I'm somebody important!" Naruto declared while he fiddled with his headband, and I noticed a wistful expression cross Kakashi's uncovered eye for a second as he looked at Sakura.

"Alright, next," Kakashi said with a bored look.

"I'm Sakura Haruno! What I like, uh...I mean, the person I like is...uh, my hobby is, uh...my dream for the future is..." Sakura stuttered as she looked at Sasuke and blushed heavily, burying her face with her hands and squealing.

"Oh for God's sake...she's one of those kind of people, isn't she?" I thought dryly and Kurama snickered.

"Seems like it. I almost feel sorry for the Uchiha brat...almost," Kurama stated in amusement.

"Alright...and what do you dislike?" I inquired, and Sakura shot a glare at Naruto.

"Naruto!" Sakura declared and Naruto looked crushed.

"Last one," Kakashi said as he looked at Sasuke.

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I hate a lot of things, and I don't particularly 'like' anything. What I have isn't a dream, because I will make it a reality; I'm going to restore my clan...and kill two certain someones," Sasuke stated darkly, and Naruto and Sakura looked uneasy at that statement.

"Okay...we have my son, an obsessive fangirl, and a brooding lone wolf thirsty for revenge...that'll be fun," I thought sarcastically.

"Good! You all are unique and have your own ideas. We'll begin our first mission tomorrow," I said as I clapped my hands together and rubbed my palms.

"Yup! What kind of mission are we going to have?" Naruto asked eagerly while showing a mock salute.

"It's a task that the five of us will do together," Kakashi said as he and I looked at our new students.

"What, what, what, what?!" Naruto asked, leaning forward in excitement.

"Calm down, Naruto. What we're going to be doing is a survival exercise," I explained.

"Huh? Survival exercise?" Naruto wondered in confusion.

"I thought we were supposed to have a real mission, not more practice. We already did this stuff at the Academy. That's how we got here!" Sakura complained.

"This is not like your previous training," Kakashi said cryptically.

"So, uh...so, uh...what kind of training is it, then?" Naruto asked, and he started looking uncertain when Kakashi and I started chuckling together.

"Hey, hold on. That's a normal question. What's so funny, senseis?" Sakura questioned in confusion while we kept chuckling.

"Well, if we told you the answer, you wouldn't like it," I stated with a foxy grin.

"Huh? Tou-chan, what's the big deal? Just tell us already," Naruto said impatiently.

"Okay Kiddo, but don't say I didn't warn you. Of the twenty-eight graduates who just came here, only nine will be accepted as Genin. The other eighteen will be weeded out and sent back to the Academy. In other words, this is a make it or break it, pass/fail test, and the chances for each team to fail is at least sixty-six percent," I explained with a deathly serious expression, causing Naruto to gulp, Sakura to look sick, and Sasuke looked pissed.

"See? Didn't Alex tell you all that you wouldn't like it?" Kakashi questioned.

"That's crazy! We worked hard to get here, ya know! What was that graduation test for, anyway?!" Naruto exclaimed in disbelief.

"Oh, that. That was just to select candidates who might become Genin, or not," Kakashi clarified as a hawk flew above us.

"What?! You mean that after everything I went through to finally pass that stupid exam and earn my headband, I could already have it taken away?!" Naruto cried out in horror.

"Exactly. We decide whether you all pass or fail. Meet us at Training Ground 7 in 0500 and bring your ninja gear. You're dismissed," I said as Kakashi and I went to leave, but Kakashi looked back at our new students.

"One more thing, skip breakfast tomorrow; you'll throw it back up if you don't," Kakashi warned as we vanished from their line of sight.


I was at Training Ground 7 as the sun was starting to rise, doing my morning routine of pushups, and situps as Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke approached. As I stood up, I noticed that Naruto looked like he had ignored Kakashi's advice and had breakfast, Sakura was looking dead tired, and Sasuke looked fine.

"You guys are on time. Good work. And Naruto, I see that you ignored Kakashi's advice on skipping breakfast," I pointed out.

"Well, it's like you taught me, Tou-chan. Not everything is as it seems and I must always look past deception. I figured that Kakashi-sensei did that to weaken us and I had breakfast to be prepared just in case," Naruto admitted, causing Sakura to look at him in surprise while I heard her stomach growling.

"And what about you, Sasuke?" I asked when I didn't see any signs of hunger.

"Hn..." Sasuke grunted and I took that as his answer that he did the same thing that Naruto did.

"Well Sakura, seeing as how Naruto and Sasuke decided to ignore Kakashi's advice, you might as well have a pick-me-up so that you would be more awake and energized," I stated as Naruto took out a sealing scroll and activated it, causing a big bowl of ramen to appear.

"Here Sakura, you're gonna need this in order to keep your strength up," Naruto said kindly as he held out the bowl.

"He has a point. Kakashi won't be here for two hours, so that'll be plenty of time for your stomach to settle after you eat," I agreed.

Sakura looked hesitant at first, but she took the bowl and started practically inhaling the ramen, letting out a sigh of relief after she was done.

"Feel better?" I inquired.

"Much better, Sensei," Sakura informed me.

"Good. Now, let's work on your strengths and weaknesses while we wait for Kakashi to show up," I stated as we got started.


"Morning everyone. Are you all ready for your first day?" Kakashi asked as he approached, and I checked my watch to see that it was almost noon.

"Hey, you're late!" Sakura and Naruto shouted while Kakashi waved.

"Well, a black cat crossed my path so I had to take a long way," Kakashi lied as he smiled underneath his mask.

"That has got to be the worst lie I have ever heard of in my immortal life," Kurama remarked.

"It's not really his fault, Kakashi's just caught up in the past," I defended, and Kurama huffed while I saw Sakura and Naruto fuming.

"Well, let's get started," I chimed in, while Kakashi and I walked over to a trio of wooden posts and I placed a timer on the middle one.

"Here we go, it's set for noon," Kakashi said as he started the timer, and we each took out a bell to show the others.

"Your assignment is very simple, you just have to take these bells from us. That's all there is to it. If you can't get them by noon, you go without lunch and you'll be tied to those posts before we eat our lunches in front of you," I stated while I rested my hands on my duty belt.

Kakashi noticed that none of the Genin's stomachs were growling and he said, "I see you three ignored my advice."

"I figured that you would get us to skip breakfast in an attempt to weaken us, so I ate and the rest of us had something to eat in preparation," Naruto explained, and I nodded in agreement.

"Nice work in preparing for the worst, but that still doesn't change the fact that neither of you will pass if you can't take these bells from us," I reminded as I jingled the bell in my left hand.

"Wait a minute! There's three of us; how come there are only two bells?" Sakura questioned in confusion.

"Well that way, at least one of you will still be tied up to a post and ultimately disqualified for failing to complete the mission. That one goes back to the Academy. Then again, all three of you could flunk out too. You can use any weapons, including shuriken. If you're not prepared to kill us, you won't be able to take the bells," Kakashi stated as he jerked his bell up by its string and closed his hand around it.

"Those weapons are too dangerous, Sensei!" Sakura pointed out in concern.

"Especially since you couldn't even dodge that eraser!" Naruto said after laughing.

"Class clowns are usually the weakest links, you can safely ignore them. Lowest scores; losers," Kakashi insulted lazily, causing Naruto to shoot him a hard glare for his remark.

"When we say start, you can begin," I said, and I saw Naruto gritting his teeth angrily.

Naruto suddenly took out a Kuni and went to attack Kakashi, only for Kakashi to move behind Naruto in a second to grab his head in one hand and forced the Kuni to aim at the back at Naruto's head.

"Don't be in such a hurry, Kiddo. We didn't say start yet," I commented nonchalantly.

Sasuke and Sakura took a few steps back from the man as he let go of Naruto, causing the kid to stumble forward and he quickly turned around to take a Taijutsu stance.

"But, you came at me with the full intention of eviscerating me, so...how can I say this? I'm actually starting to like you guys," Kakashi stated while he smiled under his mask.

"Alright...get ready, aaaand...start!" I instructed, causing all three Genin to jump up and disappear into the forest.

"All we need to do is wait and hope that they will figure out the true purpose of this test," I thought to Kurama.

"From what you taught the Kit over the years, he'll be able to figure it out," Kurama assured.

After waiting for a while, Kakashi and I felt danger behind us, causing the two of us to quickly turn around and deflect five shurikens with Kuni as Naruto leapt out of the bushes and glared at us in determination.

"Very good Naruto, ambushing us from behind like that. If we weren't so well trained, Kakashi and I would be dead," I complimented, and Naruto tisked at the failed ambush.

"Taijutsu," Kakashi said suddenly as he reached into his weapon pouch, making Naruto jump back to gain some extra distance and get ready for what Kakashi was planning. I deadpanned when Kakashi pulled out a Make-Out Paradise book and calmly started reading.

"Jesus Kakashi, be professional for God's sake," I thought while I sweat-dropped, and I noticed Naruto was twitching from seeing the adult novel.

"Um, Kakashi-sensei, why are you reading that book?" Naruto questioned in disbelief.

"Why? To find out what happens in the story, of course. Don't let it bother you; with your weak attacks, it doesn't really matter if I'm reading or whatever," Kakashi goaded.

Naruto gritted his teeth at that, but he didn't charge at us. Instead, he studied us for any weaknesses. Then, Naruto shot at Kakashi faster than before and jumped to perform a roundhouse kick at his head, prompting Kakashi to smoothly duck and take a step back to avoid the follow-up kick. Naruto turned his attention to me and began unleashing a barrage of punches at my face, and I reacted by quickly deflecting and blocking, then grabbing Naruto by his right wrist and throwing him away.

Naruto landed on his feet with a grin and watched us, whistling. My eyes widened when I saw eight more Narutos burst out of the treetops, and descend to attack us. Kakashi and I were separated while we were fighting off the clones, and I was being pushed back towards the lake during the fight. Three more Narutos came bursting out of the lake and charged at me from behind.

"Shit! When the hell did Naruto manage to hide three shadow clones in the lake?! Fuck it!" I thought, feeling impressed that I had been lured into an ambush.

I formed all nine of my tails and grabbed many clones with them, slamming them to the ground and sending the rest away with a few swipes of my tails. The clones disappeared in puffs of smoke as I managed to spot Sasuke coming at me from out of nowhere to get the bell that was tied to my duty belt. I quickly grabbed his wrists and tossed him away to get a little breathing room, but I was suddenly forced to dodge a kick that was aimed at me and I kept backing up to block many hits that were aimed at me.

I was backed up to a tree and Sasuke jumped up, performing hand signs in my direction.

"What the fuck?! How the hell did he learn such a high ranking technique?!" I thought in shock.

"Fire style; Great Fireball Jutsu!" Sasuke declared as he shot a giant fireball at me.

Thinking fast, I replaced myself with a log to get out of danger and appeared on a tree branch to take a breather just as Naruto and Sasuke teamed up to take on Kakashi, who suddenly vanished. The two rivals looked around frantically for their target as I took out my baton and got ready. Kakashi appeared behind Naruto with a handsign, as I rushed at Sasuke and Kakashi went to attack Naruto.

"Leaf Village Secret Finger Jutsu: A Thousand Years Of Death!" Kakashi cried out as he jammed his fingers up Naruto's ass and sent him flying through the air in pain.

While Naruto was flying through the air, I started swinging my baton at Sasuke to incapacitate him and he quickly leaned back to prevent getting knocked out just in time for a pair of hands to come out of the ground and yank Sasuke underground, leaving only his head poking out of the ground. The Kakashi that was in view poofed out of existence as the real Kakashi came out of the ground and kneeled in front of Sasuke.

"Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu. Well, we have to compliment your teamwork with Naruto and you two nearly got the bells, but it wasn't good enough. I think we'll go look for Sakura now," Kakashi stated as he walked away humming.

"Sasuke, once this test is over, we need to talk," I simply said as I looked away from him and also walked away.

Kakashi and I hid nearby and watched Sakura come out of the forest, and she dug Sasuke out as Naruto stumbled over to them. I felt proud when I saw them conversing about working together, and we left them to plan alone.


Kakashi and I waited next to the three pillars, the two of us preparing for what would happen next. I suddenly heard a roaring sound and we instantly leaped out of the way to avoid getting hit by a giant fireball, then quickly moved to block a kick and a punch that came from two Naruto clones. We threw them away just as we heard a battle cry. Kakashi and I quickly turned to see Sakura going for the bells. I grabbed her, wrapping an arm around her neck and taking out my gun so that I could place it against her head. Sakura screamed in terror just as Naruto and Sasuke jumped out of the bushes to scowl at me.

"Well boys, I have your teammate held hostage so what are you two going to do about it?" I inquired with a foxy grin.

Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other and nodded, Sauske jumped up and my eyes widened in shock when he started to form hand signs.

"He's not planning to...is he crazy?!" I thought in horror, but I noticed that Sakura wasn't struggling or fighting back and my eyes widened in realization when I discovered that her clothes felt wrong.

"Those clever bastards! They used a shadow clone disguised as Sakura so that it would lower our guard...I taught you well, Naruto," I thought with a smile as a giant fireball came flying at me and Kakashi.

I shoved the clone away and formed bubbling red chakra all over me with long ears and a tail just as the fireball crashed down upon me, but the 1 Tailed cloak protected me from the intense heat as I moved on all fours to make it look like I had been vaporized. I extended my chakra tail to grapple the nearby tree branch and pulled myself up as Kakashi landed a safe distance away.

I quickly leaped down in front of Naruto and Sasuke, crouching like an animal and grinning ferally at the feeling of my blood running hot from the thrill of letting loose a little.

"I'm impressed. This is the first time that I've been pushed into using this form against someone...I taught you well, Kiddo," I complimented Naruto, who grinned with a laugh and he scratched the back of his head bashfully.

I quit grinning and started growling in anticipation for what else Naruto and Sasuke had in mind, but I heard a cutting noise and looked back to see Sakura with the bells and a Kuni. I was shocked at the fact that I had been distracted so that Sakura could sneak up behind me to get my bell, and I looked at Kakashi to see that he was also in disbelief while he frantically patted himself down. I changed back and stood up fully, looking at Sakura with an arched brow.

"Okay Sakura, what are you going to do with those bells now that you managed to get them from us?" Kakashi inquired smoothly.

Sakura didn't say anything but went over to Naruto and Sasuke, handing them the bells and looking back at us.

"Huh, and why did you do that Sakura?" I asked curiously.

"Well, in terms of safety, the bells would be best kept with these two since they are the strongest out of all three of us. And...well...they're stronger than me. So, if anyone should pass, it should be them," Sakura admitted while looking down.

"Do you two agree with this?" Kakashi asked as he looked at Naruto and Sasuke.

"Yes, but only on the first part. She may not be the strongest out of the three of us, but I don't think she should fail in order for us to pass. Without her help, we wouldn't have acquired the bells as fast or as efficiently as we just did," Sasuke explained logically, sounding completely neutral.

"What about you, Naruto. Do you agree with him?" I asked in anticipation.

"Yep! She isn't a half bad teammate once you get past the short temper and fangirl tendencies, like coming up with the plan to trick you with using one of my shadow clones to disguise it as Sakura to lower your guard," Naruto praised, and it proved that Sakura was really smart once I looked past the fangirl tendencies.

I had never been more proud of Naruto, who had managed to figure out the true meaning of this test and convinced Sakura and Sasuke to work with him to get the bells. At this point, Team Seven has passed our little test and was now officially a team.

"Now to train them hard on becoming a force to be reckoned with," I thought with a smile as I thought about putting these kids through the wringer.

"You've been hanging around me and that snake woman a little too much," Kurama remarked with a sinister chuckle as I pictured putting them through my own brand of special training.

"Anyways, before we go any further, we would like you three to look over there," Kakashi instructed as he pointed to a large black polished Kuni shaped stone nearby, and my good mood disappeared as we went to approach the stone.

"Tell us, do you all know what this is?" I asked while I looked back at the three Genin, who shook their heads while I felt sorrow. Then I added, "This stone has all the names of shinobi who fought bravely for the village, but don't be fooled. This stone isn't here for the purpose of just naming heros...it's here as a memorial to all these shinobi, because they died in combat. It's especially for those who are unable to be recovered to receive a proper burial."

While I explained, I felt remorse and guilt when I looked back and saw Minato and Kushina's names on the stone, and I lowered my head in respect for those who had died over the years.

"I'm sorry...I wasn't fast enough to save you two..." I thought guiltily as the image of Minato and Kushina appeared in my mind. Even though I knew it wasn't my fault, I still hated myself for not being fast enough to save Minato and Kushina, and for Naruto living a life of hell.

"Shortly after I became a Jonin, a friend told me something that has stayed with me to this very day, a code if you want to see it that way. He said to me 'those who abandon the mission are trash', but he also said 'those who abandon their friends are worse than trash'," Kakashi stated while he gazed up at the sky.

"In the Military, we had a saying...leave no man behind. No matter what, we always go back for our fellow soldiers and bring them home...even if they don't make it in the end," I said quietly as I thought about Corporal Jamie Smith and how he died on that table while holding my hand.

Before I knew it, horrific memories of Mogadishu came back and I recalled how terrified I was that day, telling Sergeant Eversmann that I didn't want to die while we and the rest of Chalk 4 were held up in that house throughout the entire night. I quickly shook it off and looked back at our new students, seeing them looking solemn. I put on a smile to cover up my remorse and guilt.

"Kakashi-sensei, this friend sounds like he was a pretty cool guy," Naruto commented with a grin.

"Yeah, he was..." Kakashi trailed off and his eye misted over in reminiscence.

"Okay, I'm proud to say that we are now officially Team Seven!" I declared with a thumbs up, causing Sakura and Naruto to cheer and Sasuke smirked.

"Now, you can all have the rest of the day off, but meet us here tomorrow at 7:00 AM and we will get started on training and missions, okay?" Kakashi inquired, earning nods and "yes Senseis" from our students.

"Good, you're all dismissed," I stated and everyone started to leave.

I placed my hand on Naruto's shoulder and we started heading home.

"So...how did I do, Tou-chan?" Naruto asked in anticipation.

"You did excellent work Kiddo, and I couldn't be any more proud of you. Listen Naruto, once we get back home, there is someone I want you to meet," I informed, causing Naruto to look at me in confusion.

"Really? Who is this person?" Naruto asked, and I hoped that he would be up to meeting Kurama.

I didn't say anything, but just pointed at his stomach, making a symbol of a seal with a handsign and Naruto's eyes widened in realization.

"You want me to meet the Nine-Tailed Fox? Tou-chan...I don't know about this," Naruto said hesitantly, and I nodded in understanding.

"It's okay if you don't want to meet him, Naruto. I figured that since you know about him being sealed inside you, you would want to meet him so that you two could come to an understanding. If you don't want to meet him, then I'll understand," I said while I nodded reassuringly, the two of us almost home.


"So I just...meditate?" Naruto asked with a furrowed brow while we sat in front of each other on my large bed.

"Well, I see meditation as a way to help ease the process of going into your mindscape. Also, make sure that we bump fists together. That way, I'll be able to link into your mindscape and be there for support," I instructed as I raised my fist.

Naruto looked dubious at first, but an encouraging grin from me gave him enough courage to put his fist against mine and I started the process of mediating. I closed my eyes and took deep calming breaths, feeling myself slipping away and hearing the noises of the village change into the sounds of water dripping. I opened my eyes to see that I was in a familiar sewer with the giant cage doors, Naruto standing next to me and looking around with an awe-struck expression.

"Whoa! What is this place?!" Naruto exclaimed in shock while he was looking around with wide eyes.

"Welcome to your mindscape Kiddo, though I wasn't expecting it to look like this," I commented while I examined the place with a thoughtful frown.

"So, my jailer finally meets me at last," Kurama chimed in sarcastically.

Naruto paled at the demonic and guttural voice, turning around to see Kurama's enormous red eyes staring down at him from behind the cage doors.

"This...this is...?" Naruto stuttered nervously, and he started looking green when Kurama rose to his full size and showed a toothy grin at him.

"Kurama, quit scaring Naruto...anyways. Naruto, this is Kurama, otherwise known as the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox. Kurama, this is Naruto, my son and your "Jailer" as you called him," I introduced calmly, and Kurama huffed while Naruto shot me a look of disbelief.

"But...but...why are you...why are you so friendly with him, Tou-chan? Isn't he...isn't it?" Naruto rambled in shock and I bopped him lightly in the back of the head to snap him out of it.

"First of all, don't call him an it. Kurama's not a mindless animal, he's a person like you and me. Secondly, don't judge him before you get to know him. Kurama's not a bad person, he's had a very rough life and was unlucky because of it," I lectured and Kurama snorted, making me add, "And it also made him very grouchy in the process."

"I don't...I don't know," Naruto said hesitantly and I placed a hand on his head to ruffle his hair.

"Hey, it's fine. I just...wanted you to meet him. I consider Kurama a colleague and I would like it if you two came to an understanding. I'm not going to force anything on you or him, but I just wanted you to consider it at least. I don't want to keep any secrets from you, which is why I'll eventually tell you about your parents," I admitted.

"That's right! You told me that you adopted me after my parents died, so who were they?" Naruto asked eagerly and I hoped he understood that I couldn't tell him yet.

"I...I'm truly sorry Kiddo, but I can't tell you that yet. Before you say anything, I will tell you once you become a Chunin but it's too dangerous right now. Your parents were amazing shinobi that played a big part in the Third Great Shinobi War and they made very powerful enemies in the process. If I told you and someone heard me reveal it, they could have ill-intentions and leak it to those enemies. If that happens, they could actually start the Fourth Great Shinobi War to get to you, and a lot of innocent people could get caught in the crossfire. Do you understand?" I asked after I knelt down and put my hands on his shoulders.

"Well...I'm not happy that you can't tell me, but I understand why you are doing it. You don't want to take the risk in case someone hears it and people get hurt because of that. Okay, I'll wait until I become Chunin, but you better tell me about them when I do, believe it!" Naruto declared with a grin and I nodded.

Naruto turned to look at Kurama, seemingly hesitant until his eyes hardened and his tone evened out, "You listen here! My Tou-chan is very important to me so if you hurt him, I'll hurt you! If my Tou-chan tells me that you are not a bad person, then I'll give you the benefit of the doubt for now. My Tou-chan always tells me that I should judge a person after I get to know them, so that's what I'm going to do."

"Hmph. How quaint, you seemed to have deluded yourself into thinking that I actually care about your opinion," Kurama snickered and Naruto frowned at the rude comment.

"Don't take it too personally Naruto, that's just Kurama's way of agreeing with you. He's a very prideful and distrustful person, so don't expect him to open up to you the second he meets you," I explained, and Kurama scowled at me.

"I didn't agree to anything, baka. If that brat wants to gain my trust and respect, then he needs to earn it by proving himself to me. Which is why he needs to grow strong enough to fight me once the time comes," Kurama sniffed as he laid down, and I saw Naruto blanching at the thought of facing Kurama in combat and quite possibly getting killed.

I knew that was all Kurama was going to say and I took Naruto out of his mindscape. The two of us came out of meditation and I shifted into my dog-sized fox form so that I could stretch my body like a cat and I yawned tiredly. One thing about my fox form is that when I change into it, I become really flexible so that I'm fast and nimble. I also do many exercises like yoga to increase my flexibility so that I could become much more proficient in dodging many attacks at once.

"He can't be serious, Tou-chan! Me?! Fighting against him?! That's insane!" Naruto exclaimed in panic.

"Naruto! Calm down and take a few deep breaths," I instructed and Naruto followed my instructions.

"Okay, I'm calm but what do I do? How could I ever fight against the Fox? History taught me that he nearly destroyed the village twelve years ago, so how do I fight against someone that strong?" Naruto questioned while I went over to lay down next to him.

"We train and prepare until you are strong enough to face him, but always remember that Kurama is no pushover. It's like you said, he nearly wiped out the village twelve years ago by raw power alone, so be extremely careful when you do face him," I said and Naruto nodded in agreement.

I stood up and went to get off the bed, but Naruto gently grabbed one of my tails and I looked back in confusion.

"What is it, Naruto? Is something wrong?" I asked in concern.

"Ugh...it's stupid Tou-chan, but could you stay here tonight? I don't feel comfortable sleeping alone right now," Naruto admitted in embarrassment, and I nodded in understanding.

I went over to Naruto and curled up next to him after he went under the covers. Naruto put a hand on one of my tails and ran it through the fur. I shivered at the nice contact and closed my eyes.

"Your tails feel so soft..." Naruto trailed off quietly as he drifted off to sleep.

I made a noise of agreement and smiled softly as I fell asleep, enjoying the hand running through my fur as I purred.

"So, this is what it feels like for a dog or a cat when they are being pampered. It's...nice," I thought groggily and drifted away.


A/N And done. So, how did you all like the chapter? I bet you all were pretty surprised that Naruto was able to figure out the true purpose of the bell test and able to take on two Jonin with Sakura and Sasuke's help. One more thing, I'm planning on Alex to get into a relationship with someone but I haven't been able to figure out who he should be with. The person should be around his age, female, single, and have the same interests he does. Hell, I might think outside the box and pair him up with someone who's not human. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions, let me know. Stay tuned.