Tales Beyond the Woods
By: Selim
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
Rating: M-18
Summary: Drabbles about Kyuubi and Arashi. Love isn't only destined between two humans, but a human and a demon that can defy anything for each other.
Pairing: KyuuAra, Suggestive SasuNaru, KakaIru, ect. Depending on chapter.

"I feel like shit."

Kyuubi glanced up from his reading material and almost dropped the book when he saw the pasty complexion his mate was sporting. If his words alone didn't state how he felt, he certainly looked it. His blond hair was wet from sweat and one of his eyes was matted shut along with that his nose was red and his lips were chap. Kyuubi had no plans on licking his mate's nose just to test if it was cold - not with that green snot dripping from it. "Go back to bed, Arashi. You're unfit for work."

"I was just about to," the Yondaime murmured with a raspy voice, "but I wanted to ask a favor from you."

Grabbing his love's hands, Kyuubi guided the blond back towards their bed in the backroom. Dipping his lover into the mattress, Kyuubi tended the sick patient by tucking the blankets around Arashi. "I'll have them hold your papers at work. I'm sure they won't go insane without you there."

A throaty chuckle followed. "That wasn't what I was going to ask. I actually wanted to know if you'll take Naruto for the day. I don't want him getting sick with what I have – he's already a walking germ collection. Take him on your rounds today or whatever it is you do when I'm at work."

Kyuubi growled. "You know I can't do that. Naruto will...make things much more difficult." Especially since the four-year-old was a bundle of energy that had to be into everything. In fact, the two parents couldn't recall the last time they had a fitful night of sleep in each other's arms without a child jumping on their bed for something or cuddled between them in a restless sleep.

"I've done it before, Kyuu..." Arashi panted, covering his eyes. "Just...take a bag of toys with you and entertain him by making him count something, I don't know... trees. Tell him to count all the trees that stand higher than you, ever since he learned how to count to one-hundred he's easily distracted by counting."

Again, the fox growled. "Fine, but you better sleep. No paperwork. No documents. No ANBU members coming in our room at odd hours of the day expecting orders or turning in those reports you consider interesting. I want you better by tomorrow." Grabbing the door handle, the fox was gone before Arashi could reply. Kyuubi marched into his son's bedroom.

On a small bed talking to a stuffed toy was his son. Four-year-old Naruto smiled up at his daddy before holding up the small fox toy for a kiss of greeting. Reluctantly, Kyuubi followed through with the act of affection before lifting his son in his arms. "You want to come with me to work?"

"No." The child said, bringing his toy to his face. "Naruto wantta stay with mommy."

"Mommy's not feeling very good." Kyuubi placed his son on his hips to go through the boy's dresser for some clothes. Not all that picky on what the child wore, he took out a pair of sweatpants and an orange shirt before sitting his son on the ground. "Can you get dressed by yourself?" Usually it was Arashi that did this kind of things. Parenting and the demon just never got along like it did for Arashi. Besides, he did his fair share like changing a diaper or two when his son wore them.

Naruto looked skeptically at the outfit before rushing to his dresser, dragging out some more preferable clothes (along with half the articles in the drawer). "Naruto want to wear this." He held up the bright orange colors.

Though probably not a good choice to wear in the middle of fox hunting season, Kyuubi wasn't going to fight his son. So, he helped the child dress, put the boy's socks on, and then carried his son out the door. They would hunt for breakfast, the demon decided. Naruto was getting too old not to catch his own food. So, with a child on his back, the most feared demon walked in the woods with a good feeling that today was going to be an all right day.

After having to fish for Naruto, Kyuubi finally was able to sit at the meeting of Upper Demons located on the Edge of the Valley of Spirits (where most demons dwelled). It was not more than a fifty minute run (in complete demon form) from Konoha. So, with Naruto on his lap, Kyuubi sat at his rightful place before the eight other demon lords of the lands. His son hummed as he wrapped a fury paw around the dead fish and tried holding it up to Kyuubi. With all eyes on the demon Shukaku and not on him, Kyuubi took the time to play with his son by making nibbling noises at his son's half eaten dinner. With a squeal, his son pulled his fish away and continued eating, but was soon prompted to bring it towards Kyuubi again.

Shukaku noticed. "Are we that boring to you, Kyuubi-sama?" He spoke spitefully. His murderous eyes fell on the heir to Kyuubi's lands.

"Only you, Shukaku," Kyuubi breathed arrogantly.

Tsuki, a raven demon, tapped her sharp talons on the table. "I have to agree, Kyuubi. You seem more preoccupied with your son than the fact that just a week ago a slaughter occurred in the Western Lands. Perhaps Naruto-sama should go play with the other demon children for the duration of the meeting?"

In agreement with Tsuki (but not Shukaku, Kyuubi would never lower himself that much), the demon put his son on the ground. "Why don't you go eat your fish out there, Naruto?"

A little hurt that he was being sent away, the child nodded. "Okay daddy." With a twitch of his long, golden tail, the baby fox rushed out the doors where a guard followed quickly to ensure the royal child wouldn't get lost.

Tsuki smiled. "He's so cute, Kyuubi. Have you thought of an arranged mate for him?"

"Arashi will not allow it," Kyuubi spoke sternly. "Now about that attack..."

He never saw the sinister glint that sparkled in Shukaku's eyes.

"There you are, Naruto-sama!"

The small fox glanced up from the fox underling he was playing ball with at the approaching raccoon leader of the Sand Village. Still too young to know exactly what was important with the Sand Village or what this man's name was, the boy remained attentive for the only reason that he saw the man earlier in the same room with his daddy. His ears perked, expecting his daddy to walk down the hall just after the raccoon.

It was then that he noticed trailing behind the leader was a small child, no older than him. Childish instinct kicked in as he stood up and rushed forward, wanting to get around the first raccoon to the second. "Hi! My name's Na-ru-to!" He pronounced it in Japanese, just like his mommy and everyone in Konoha did.

The boy blinked before turning his head in the other direction. The leader laughed deeply. "This, Naruto-sama, is my son, Gaara. Maybe you could be his friend? I'm sure he'll like that." That said, the leader pushed the little raccoon forward and walked away with a smirk, already feeling the Forest Lands his own.

Running a big toe in the sand shyly, Naruto leaned forward. "Does Gaara want to play with Naruto?"

With his head still turned, the red-haired child nodded.

On the way home that evening, Kyuubi and Naruto talked. He felt that, for the first time, he was close to his son. Usually Naruto kept to Arashi and the two would fight over the older blond's time (Naruto usually won), but now they felt like father and son. Naruto spoke louder than he had that morning about his new friend Gaara and about playing with other fox's, and Kyuubi nodded and put his two cents in.

When he heard that Shukaku had approached his son, the fox demon understood it all. Why suddenly Shukaku brought his son out and into the open. Ever since the boy was born he'd been locked away and kept to his studies. It was obvious that the conniving raccoon wanted a quick promotion through the demon realm via marriage. But Kyuubi could tell already, as Naruto spoke, his actions were in vain.

And he knew this especially well as he walked down the sidewalk of the Uchiha compound. Upon seeing them, Sasuke dropped his training sword and rushed to the fence with a wide smile that the Uchiha would never give. And Naruto, sliding off Kyuubi's shoulders (when in Konoha, Kyuubi was in a humanoid form to avoid confrontation), rushed over and hugged the dark haired boy before Sasuke was ushered off to continue training. Lifting his son up, Kyuubi smiled. "Is Sasuke a good friend of yours?"

Naruto's tail waved quickly. "Sasuke is Naruto's best friend. We're gonna get married just like Mommy and Daddy!"

The long ears on Kyuubi's head fell back as he heard that, but he quickly dismissed it. Naruto was still a child. "Let's just keep that our little secret? No need for mommy to hear that."