Alternate Hosting

By TwinEnigma

Warnings: none for this chapter


Tail Nine:

Kyuubi laughed, the sound reverberating off the cavernous walls of his prison. Eight balls of pale, ghostly fire circled around him, flickering images of other worlds on their surface.

Naruto stared, only his eyes showing his unease and horror.

"All of these are what could have been," the Kyuubi said, caressing one of the images affectionately. "Your beloved teammates, your precious classmates... they all would have succumbed to me in the end, just as you will."

Naruto clenched his hands into fists, his knuckles turning white. "I will not."

"We shall see," the Kyuubi smiled.

Naruto woke, the memory of his friends and their faces twisted by the Kyuubi's chakra still lingering in his eyes.

"I will not give in," he vowed, "Ever."


AN: Kyuubi was showing him glimpses of those other universes - probably the worst bits, too - in order to mess with Naruto.