The ANBU Shadows

Chapter Seven – Part 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but I do own this fic as well as any original techniques and the like.

""Notice: Further into the chapter, more-so the second part, there is a bit of 'suggestive' interaction but it's very minute, and it's not to be mistaken for a sex scene. There will be no pairing whatsoever in this fic.""

===About Two Months Later===

Obito stirs from a stiff slumber. He opens his sole eye to an unrecognized room, before sitting up, and letting the covers pulled up to his chin fall into his lap. He looks around the room and notices a large amount of ninja gear decorating the allotted space. He looks to his left and spots another bed - the covers crisp, with not a wrinkle to be seen.

He goes to move the covers and spots the white color of bandages wrapped around his left arm. He throws back the covers and sees that he's only in a pair of boxers, as well as his body almost being completely covered in bandages. He then remembers the cave-in, how he sacrificed himself in order to save Kakashi, how he had Rin transplant his Sharingan in place of Kakashi's lost eye as a gift for becoming Jōnin. He reaches to his face and feels the bandages covering the left half of his face.

He turns, throwing his feet off the bed and placing them on the floor; before beginning to unwrap the bandages from his arm and head, letting them drop to the floor between his feet. He slowly pushes himself to his feet the waits, allowing his atrophied body a chance to adapt to his diminished strength. He then slowly begins to wobbly walk, forcing the slow moving blood in his limbs to circulate.

He crosses the room and comes to a darkened doorway and peers inside, noticing it's a bathroom. He moves to the toilet after turning on the light and sits on it, reaching down to undo the bandages from his left leg followed by his torso and waist, before moving to stand in front of the sink and looking into the mirror. Half is face is covered by thick folding scars and his left eye is closed. He runs his hand over the scarring and notices it has a slightly rough texture, before exiting the bathroom, hobbling across the room.

He enters another room and notices that it's a kitchen. He looks around it and spots a glass near the sink and moves to it before picking it up, checking if it's clean, then filling it from the tap. As he raises the glass to drink, a poof of smoke appears in the room, and when it clears, Obito spots a man that seems vaguely familiar. He then remembers Yuu from the mission.

Yuu looks to the now empty bed that Obito was on, before turning and noticing that the bathroom light is on. He spots movement from the corner of his eye, and turns towards it, seeing Obito in the kitchen. "So the dead man final rises. How are you feeling?"

Obito stares at Yuu, then lowers the glass still raised towards his mouth. "Yuu-sama?" His voice craks from underuse. "Where am I?"

"Drink your water –– as for where you are, you're in the room that my son and I share. My son isn't in the village at the moment, so you've been occupying his bed in the meantime while you're recovering." He says as Obito lifts the glass and drinks. "What do you remember?"

Obito swallows before speaking, "I remember the mission and how we split up. I remember getting in an argument with Kakashi, finding our target and Rin, as well as how Kakashi and I bested our target. I remember the cave-in and how I sacrificed my own safety in order to protect Kakashi from a falling boulder that would've crushed him. I remember failing to get Kakashi a gift for his becoming a Jōnin, so I had Rin take and transfer my Sharingan in place of Kakashi's damaged eye. Then… nothing. I don't remember anything after that." He says hoarsely before taking another drink of water.

Yuu nods before moving to sit on his bed. "You were in bad shape when I rescued you. Half your body was crushed from the weight of the boulders on top of you. It's a miracle that the other half of your body was only bruised and scraped. You were pretty much dead when. I gotta ask –– though I doubt you'll know –– do you know have an estimate of what today's date is?"

Obito cocks his head, thinking, before shaking his head.

"That's not too surprising... but, this isn't exactly the same Konoha that you know. It's actually Konoha nineteen years in the future."

Obito stares at Yuu. "What do you mean, it's nineteen years in the future? I don't feel nineteen years older, nor do you or I look it."

"Actually, I technically wasn't supposed to be there for you mission to destroy the Kannabi Bridge." Yuu says. "At the time of that mission, I was only about fourteen. I was about two years older than Kakashi was then, and one year older than you are now. The room we're in... it's been my room for the last twenty-five years since my parents died. The only reason I was there for that mission was because of a mission that I took from this time period, which ended up sending me into the past via some sort of time anomaly.

"I took a mission that I shouldn't have taken, and interacted with people then more than what was particularly wise. I also did something else I really shouldn't have... I rescued you and you back here, to this time. But, I couldn't just leave an ally behind - a friend - if I knew there was something that I was able to do about it. I believe your words were: 'Those who abandon their mission are scum, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum.'" Yuu says, earning a look of surprise from Obito.

"How do you know that? I only told-" "Kakashi?" Obito starts, but is interrupted by Yuu.

"Yes, I know that saying. Kakashi-san and I are good friends. We've been on many missions together over the years. Heh, the conversation he and I had when I returned to this time was interesting. To be honest, he actually doesn't even know that I had brought you back, or had even rescued you for that matter. I'll let you be the one to do the honors when the time comes."

"You said my body was crushed, and that I was technically dead. If that's true, than how am I even alive?"

"That's a good question. When I brought you back to this time, I met with my family's doctor, and called in a huge favor. My doctor is a master of restoring and rebuilding bodies, only surpassed by Tsunade of the Sannin. She was a bit hesitant at first - dealing with someone who everyone knew was supposed to be dead - but eventually relented and helped save you. You've been slowly recovering over the past two months, with my doctor periodically checking up on you since she took you off of the machines that we technically stole from the hospital. If you ever get the chance to meet her, make sure to thank her for taking the risk that she did in helping save you."

Obito nods, then finished his water, before making his way back to the borrowed bed and sitting. "What are you going to do once your son gets back?"

"I don't think that he'll mind letting you continue to borrow it until you are fully recovered. He should actually be returning soon, so you'll be able to meet him. He actually not my son by blood, since I adopted him. Off that topic though, if you want, you can go and shower or bathe. I'll loan you some of his clothes for when you are done."

Obito nods before making his way to the bathroom. Yuu sighs and rubs his hands down his face before getting up and heading to Naruto's dresser. He grabs a t-shirt, pants and clean boxers, before heading to the bathroom, knocking, entering, placing the clothes on the sink, then exiting. He heads into the back room and heads to the back wall, and grabs a rolled up futon and blanket, before returning to the main room and setting the items against the wall near the heater vent. He then heads into the kitchen to prepare a meal. As he's cooking, a poof of smoke appears in the main room. Yuu turns as it's clearing and grins as he notices who it is.

Naruto looks around the room, glad to be home. He's gained a few inches, and definitely gained a little bulk as well as some color to his skin. He's still lean, but if looked at closely, the signs of strenuous workouts are clearly noticeable. He sniffs the air and smiles, turning to see Yuu in the kitchen. He heads to and leans against the doorway leading into the kitchen. "I'm back nīchan."

"Yes, I can see that Naruto. How was your training? I take it that you're prepared for the upcoming Chūnin exams in a few days?" Yuu asks.

Naruto nods. "Hai. The Kitsunes are real slave drivers. The drove me into the ground day in and day out. Their regiments only got harder as the time progressed."

Yuu finished preparing the food and places it on an unheated burner. "That's good, Naruto. He turns to get a good look at Naruto. He is wearing a black, long-sleeved shirt with the kanji 狐 (Kitsune) on it in crimson on the upper left of his chest. His back has a depiction of a sleeping fox. His baggy black pants have a bold crimson stipe running up the sides of each leg. Around his neck is a crimson fabric hitai-ate. His sandals are black with crimson swirls reminiscent of the Uzumaki crest where the Achilles tendon is located. Atop his head is a dark crimson beanie.

"You look good Naruto, but... what's with the beanie?"

Naruto smirks. "It's not really necessary, but it makes hiding things a bit easier. Not to mention, I kinda like it."

Yuu raises an eyebrow. "What do you mean, 'hiding things'?"

Naruto reaches up and pulls off the beanie, revealing his silver hair. At first Yuu doesn't notice anything, but then sees Naruto's hair twitch and quiver lightly. Yuu moves to Naruto, and upon closer inspection, notices that it's not hair that moved, but small, silver furred ears. He reaches up and gently squeezes one, causing Naruto so shy away, knocking his arm away in the process.

"Don't mess with them, nīchan. They're really sensitive, and I'm still not fully accustomed to them yet. I was surprised when I found out that they were starting to form. The Kitsunes suspect that they're a side-effect due to living at Mt. Enryū, as well as consuming the food that grows there."

Naruto's ears twitch, and he turns to look at the bathroom. "Nīchan, is there someone else here? Is it Kakashi-san?" He then sniffs the air. "No... it's someone else, and from the strength of the scent, they've apparently been here for awhile." He sniffs again. "I'd say maybe a month or two at the most."

Yuu raises an eyebrow. "Impressive. Yes, there is another person here. He's been here for about two months recovering from a serious injury. Our doctor helped him immensely, but that was only after calling in a huge favor."

Naruto nods and sniffs the air once more. "Hai, I can still smell her scent, though it's nowhere near as potent, meaning she's probably been coming once a week or so."

The bathroom door opens and Obito steps out, fully dressed in Naruto's borrowed clothes. He spots movement from the corner of his eye, and sees Yuu standing in the kitchen with another person, talking quietly. He heads to the kitchen and stands behind the newcomer.

Naruto smells the scent of soap, and turns around, staring eye-to-eye with Obito. He steps back to inspect Obito, eyeing the visible scars.

"Naruto-kun, this is Obito. Obito, meet my adoptive son, Naruto." Yuu says.

Obito and Naruto stare at eachother. Obito, because he notices that Naruto resembles his ex-sensei Minato, albeit with silver hair; and Naruto, because of the fact that Obito's scars are pretty gruesome, as well as the fact that he's missing an eye. A few silent, awkward moments pass before Naruto extends his hand.

Obito looks to the offered hand, before reaching out and tentatively grasping it, easily feeling the strength behind Naruto's grip.

Naruto feels the feebleness behind Obito's grip, but understands that he's weakened due to his recovering from his injuries. He releases his grasp, and turns back to Yuu. "So nīchan, when can we eat? I'm starving." He says, his stomach rumbling in agreement.

Yuu rolls his eyes. "Of course you are, Naruto... You're a real piece of work sometimes, you know that?" He asks before turning to begin scooping food into bowls.

Naruto grins and chuckles. "I know, but you know that you love me, nīchan."

"Nīchan? But I thought that Yuu-sama was your adoptive father?" Obito asks.

"I am... but we consider eachother more as brothers, than as father and son. Naruto-kun has never once called me his father, even if I may, on very rare occasion, call his son." Yuu replies, handing Naruto and Obito a bowl. The two go and sit down, followed soon after by Yuu himself.

"Naruto-kun's parents died when he was born, so he grew up as an orphan. The civilian council wouldn't allow anyone to adopt him, so I had originally take him in as an apprentice of sorts. Eventually the Hokage allowed me to adopt him - after the council had finally relented. They didn't like the fact that he was being adopted, but given his position to me, they eventually ceased their relentfulness."

"Nīchan has always been there for me since we met. When he took me in as his apprentice, I was a scared and harassed child. I trusted very few adults when we first met. However, I gradually opened up to him, and that's when my training began. After he adopted me, I started making friends, I made Genin on the first try, I helped a Jōnin test his new Genin team, I've even gone on A-ranked missions, including one with the aforementioned team." Naruto says.

Obito listens as the two brothers talk, eating quietly, and overall being polite.

Naruto and Yuu purposely leave out the fact of both of them being ANBU. Yuu had actually moved both his and Naruto's armors out of the main room. They wouldn't tell Obito unless they were given permission by the Hokage that they were allowed to.

"Nīchan and I have gone on many missions together since he is also technically my team sensei. I know almost every trick that he knows. I also have a dōjutsu that is similar to both the Sharingan and the Byakugan, since it can actually utilize both dōjutsus." Naruto says.

Obito stares a Naruto when he hears that he can utilize the Sharingan, the kekkei genkai of the Uchiha clan... his clan. "Can I see it?" He asks.

Naruto nods and closed his eyes. When he reopens them, they are triple ringed - blue, sandwiched between two rings of crimson. A faint, thin blue ring can be seen around the pupil. "It's called the Akumagan. It's fairly chakra intensive, and it can sometimes burn; but to me, as long as it burns, I know that it is active, and that I still have chakra to use."

"You said that it's like the Sharingan and the Byakugan. Does that mean that you can use genjutsu or copy techniques like the Uchiha, or see the chakra system or use Hyūga techniques like the Jyūken?"

"I can copy jutsu, but I cannot do genjutsu due to the amount of chakra that I have within myself, not to mention, I don't really have the patience or desire to learn them. And as for Hyūga techniques... I'm just going to say yes, and leave it at that."

Obito nods at that. He knows that the Hyūga clan is notorious - similar to the Uchiha - when it comes to keep their techniques a secret. Whoever taught Naruto those techniques, Naruto would be betraying by even discussing anything close to them. The Sharingan however, he has the right to know about. "How much about the Sharingan do you know?"

"Enough for it to be decently effective. Why do you ask?"

Obito focuses his chakra to his sole eye, causing it to change to a blood-red with a single tomoe. "Because I want you to teach me on how to properly utilize it more than I already know how to."

Naruto looks to Yuu - who shrugs - before turning back to Obito. "Now I know why your name sounds so familiar. You're Obito Uchiha, Kakashi-san's old childhood teammate. You were part of my father's team with Rin Nohara as the fourth member."

Obito stares at Naruto. "Your father is Minato-sensei? But... why do you have silver hair?"

Naruto smirks. "Because I changed it to disappear from the villagers' radar. Henge." He says, a cloud of smoke appearing. As it fades, Naruto's hair has changed to blonde and his old whisker marks show on his cheeks. "This is probably what I would look like if I hadn't changed my appearance.

Obitos looks at Naruto's henge'd appearance. "You look almost exactly like Minato-sensei, although much younger."

Naruto nods and drops the henge. "My parents died protecting the village on the day I was born. They protectted it from what they..." He hesitates, not sure if he wants to tell Obito of his burden. He sighs, then continues, "...what they sealed within me. Before I was born, my mother was the Jinchūriki of the Kyūbi no Yokō. On the day I was born, he was released, then put under a genjutsu by an Uchiha to attack the village. A Bijū cannot be killed by conventional means, it can only be sealed; so minutes after my birth, my father, the Yondaime Hokage, sealed the Kyūbi within me. The Kyūbi is the reason why the council wouldn't allow anyone to adopt me, and why the villagers always attacked and harassed me." He finishes, unconsciously placing a hand over his gut.

Obito lets this sink in. Naruto - his sensei's son - is the Kyūbi? No... he's just the vessel used to put a lock on it. He said that an Uchiha had placed the Kyūbi under a genjutsu so it would attack Konoha... but who? And why? "I know that you're not the Kyūbi, Naruto. Anyone foolish enough to confuse the scroll with the kunai within needs to have their head examined."

Naruto looks to Obito, his ears twitching lightly. "Even so, people still do it. It's why I adopted Naruto in the first place." Yuu says. "I wanted people to forget about Naruto Uzumaki, and for a new person, Naruto Tataki, to arise from the shadows. And that is exactly what happened. The villagers are clueless that the boy that they used to hunt and attack, is the same boy that now walks amongst them under a slightly different name and appearance."

"Uzumaki...?" Obito asks, thinking. His eyes then widen. "As in the clan of fūinjutsu masters?"

Naruto nods. "My mother was an Uzumaki. Her name was Kushina Uzumaki. She was also know as The Crimson Death, as well as The Red Hot Habanero."

"I also noticed that Yuu-sama called you Tataki, but you are by both Uzumaki and Namikaze by blood. So... what exactly do you go by?"

"I carry all three names. My birth name, followed by my father's name, then followed by nīchan's name out of respect. My full name is Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze Tataki, but while growing up, it was Naruto Uzumaki, so as to protect myself from any enemies my father had made. Now, most know me as Naruto Tataki; no affiliation at all with the 'Demon' of Konoha." Naruto replies, rubbing his arm unconsciously.

Yuu notices this, but keeps quiet. He remembers that Naruo's arm was deeply gouged by a villager during the last of their 'Demon Hunts.' If you look closely, you can still see a faint scar when the wound had been. Contrary to belief, a Bijū doesn't fully heal wounds. Naruto's body is actually covered in very faint scars all over due to the attacks from the villagers. The only scars - which weren't truly scars - that were completely gone, were his birthmark whiskers.

The trio sits in silence, finishing their meal. After eating, Naruto begins doing a series of calisthenics, which Obito watches as Yuu clears off the table. "So... is this the kind of stuff that you did while you were away?"

"Yea, the Kitsunes were tough, but they had good intentions." Naruto replies while doing crunches. He finishes and begins the next set of exercises.

"So what's it like housing the Kyūbi? Does it ever try to take you over?"

"Nah, he's actually a big softie. He may be rude at times, but he's not as bad as most make the Bijū out to be."

"Do you ever talk to it... erm, him, at all?"

"On occasion. There's not really much to talk about with an umpteen century old fox. I would actually allow him to do a partial possession, but he doesn't seem to like you very much for some reason."

'I don't trust this kid at all, kit. That one eye of his... it's bringing up some bad memories. It reminds me too much of the night that I was manipulated into attacking the village and killing your parents.' Kurama says.

Naruto looks to Obito and one of his eyes change to crimson, the pupil slitted like a cat's. The eye then stares deep into Obito's now Sharingan-less eye, and seems to delve deep into Obito's being, straight into his subconsciousness.

Obito can only stare back at the crimson eye gazing at him. 'It's like my body is chained in place. I can breathe fine, but can't seem to move a single muscle.' He thinks. He focuses on his breathing and keeping calm as the creepy crimson orb seems to look straight into his soul.

Kurama's eye continues prying into Obito's subconsciousness and mind for a full two minutes, before eventually receding and returning to their normal cerulean.

'Was that really necessary, Kurama?' Naruto asks. 'I think you freaked Obito out.'

'That's not the point, kit. There's something about this kid that makes me uncomfortable. I wanted to view his mind and subconsciousness to see if he was hiding anything. He's clean... I just don't trust him. He makes my skin crawl for some reason.' Kurama replies.

Yuu watches as the two silently dispute. He knows when Kurama and Naruto are talking. His old habit of lip-speaking is long gone, but he can tell by the faint glazing and minute jerking of his eyes, the subtle jaw movements, and now, the slight twitching of his ears. He looks at Obito, who stares at Naruto, fidgeting uncomfortably.

Obito continues staring at Naruto, even though the crimson eye has faded. He notices that Naruto's gaze seems unfocused, as though his mind is somewhere else. Obito fidgets with his hands, not wanting the creepy eye to reappear

'I still don't understand why Obito unnerves you though. I'm your Jinchūriki, shouldn't I be able to pick up on stuff like this?' Naruto asks.

'Doubtful. The reason happened before I was sealed in you, kit. It's a feeling only I would know, since you and I weren't connected then. You may be able to pick up on feelings that I've had wile we've been connected, but not when we weren't.' Kurama replies.

'If you say so, Kurama.' Naruto says, leaving the mindscape. His ears twitch, and he feels two pairs of eyes on him. He looks to Obito, then to Yuu. "What?" Yuu returns to cleaning and Obito just looks away.

"I apologize if Kurama made you feel uncomfortable, Obito. Kurama likes to 'scan' those that I meet, to make sure that they aren't a threat to me… or him. He does it to everyone if I ever end up in a lengthy conversation or around them for an extended period of time, so don't be too offended. From what nīchan told me, it's an unpleasant feeling, like something sliding down your spine or making you cringe uncomfortably. I couldn't tell you for certain though, since I've never had it done, myself. Kurama has tried through a mirror, but it doesn't work on me. Maybe another Bijū could do it, just not Kurama." He then heads to the bathroom to shower.

He then strips and unseals a scroll from one of the may hidden – when clothed – seals on his body. He opens the scroll and unseals a set of clean clothes and places them on the sink with the scroll. He traces his fingers gently over the seals, wincing slightly. He turns on the water before stepping in and quickly washing then rinsing. He then sits and lets the water run over his body as he unseals two small bottles, one with a light-green liquid, and the other with a purplish liquid.

He pours some of the green liquid onto his hands, rubs them together and reaches up to gently massage the liquid onto his fox ears, before rinsing his head and hands. He then pours some of the purple liquid, and rubs it onto the seals, his nose wrinkling from the smell. Once coating the seals, he stands, rinses, seals the two bottles away, and exits the shower turning it off as he does before drying off.

He then unseals two more bottles, one with an opaque-white liquid and the other with a yellow liquid. He pours some of the white liquid onto his hands, rubbing them together, before gritting his teeth and rubbing the liquid vigorously onto the seals. He rinses his hands in the sink before applying the yellow liquid to his ears, making sure to get the completely, inside and out and from tip to base.

He hates doing this, but knows that it's necessary. The massage in the shower utilizes the steam and oil to open the pores of his ears. After drying, the uses the second oil to – more-or-less – stunt the growth of the ears. He likes the ears, but knows they could eventually cause problems if they continue growing. The process with the seals is to make sure that they set onto his skin properly, as hada-fūinjutsu (skin-sealing technique) is one of the more delicate and risky forms of fūinjutsu, and that if done incorrectly can cause issues in the long run.

He rinses his hands once more and dries them, before dressing, grimacing as the fabric of his shirt brushes against the now irritated and sensitive seals. Once dressed, he grabs his old clothes and scroll and exits. His outfits is a simple black t-shirt and shorts.

Obito looks at Naruto as he emerges from the bathroom. As the young silverette passes, he smells a strange scent emanating from him. "Hey Naruto… what's that scent that is coming from you. I smelt it as you passed and it smells oddly familiar."

Naruto places the dirty clothes in a hamper and turns to face Obito. "It's likely the firepine oil that I use on my ears. It's a stunting mineral that I use to prevent them from growing any larger than they already are."

Obito raises an eyebrow. "Prevent your ears from growing?" He asks slowly. "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh right, you haven't seen them yet." Naruto says, moving to kneel in front of Obito. He bends his head and parts his head around his left ear, then twitches it for emphasis. He releases his hair and it quickly settles back into place. "They're fox ears, though they're obviously not fully grown. The Kitsunes think that they're a mutation from being in their home zone and consuming their food. They said that if I stayed long enough, I would likely have started growing other foxlike appendages, until I turned into a full Kitsune. But they weren't fully certain, as I was the first human to ever have been to Mt. Enryū.

"I think that the ears match whatever color the hair is when they initially appear, which is why they're silver. I have much better hearing thanks to them as well." Naruto moves to sit on Yuu's bed. "My sense of smell is heightened, I can see better – both in the light and the dark – and my taste perception has dramatically changed. I can taste a wider variety of flavors and smell better than even the Inuzukas, and they're very advanced in those areas due to being as canine-like as they are.

"The foods when I first went to Mt. Enryū were completely devoid of any flavors. However, over time, the food started gaining taste, little by little. I can also taste toxins in food, and if they're potent enough, I can smell them as well. My body has built up an immunity to a wide variety of poisons with living at Mt. Enryū. I've even learned a little bit about naosu (cure), the Kitsune way of healing. If you want, I could help speed up your recovery a decent amount. I could – more-or-less – remove those ugly scars." Naruto continues.

"You've learned healing chakra, Naruto-kun?" Yuu asks, having overheard the conversation.

Naruto shrugs. "Kinda. It's not so much as healing, like with medical ninjutsu, as it is more akin to a Jinchūriki's natural regeneration. It's very similar to what Kurama does to me whenever I get injured. It can heal, but it isn't meant for healing."

Yuu nods. "Can you show me?"

Naruto stands and moves to Yuu. 'Kurama, can you not use the technique? I want to do it.'

'Sure, kit. You could always use more practice. Especially if you're going to help that boy.' Kurama replies.

Yuu passes Naruto a kunai, and watches as he cuts a fairly deep cut along his palm before setting the kunai down. Instead of steaming like it normally does, it just continues to bleed.

Naruto then begins to gently knead his thumb around the cut, gently channeling his chakra around it, causing the wound to finally begin steaming. He continues sliding his thumb around the cut, smearing the blood as he does so. His thumb eventually glows crimson as he continues kneading and massaging the cut. He continues for about a minute before finally licking the blood off of his palm and wiping his hand on his shorts. He examines it before showing it to Yuu.

Yuu looks at the palm, a bit surprised. Amidst the natural creases, a very faint, barely discernable scar is visible. Even a cut normally healing leaves a visible scar, but you actually have to be looking for one to even really see it. "Impressive, but… could you do that on a much larger scale, say… half a body?" He asks, obviously asking about the fact that he's offering to help with Obito's scars.

"Theoretically, yes; although all in one sitting, not a chance. After the wound starts steaming, I start utilizing Kurama's chakra to speed the regeneration along. If the wound is large enough, it will eventually start taking both of us. I used to 'inject' a small amount of Kurama's chakra into an injury, but that is a lot more dangerous. Faster, yes; but also a lot more likely to be dangerous due to the toxicity of a Bijū's chakra. I've had Kurama's chakra in me my whole life, so I'm a lot more acclimated to it. Others aren't which I only used it on small wounds, and never in large amounts. Scars however, are actually pretty simple, they just take a while compared to actual cuts. Open cuts regenerate much faster, but are also much more chakra intensive."

Yuu nods. "That makes sense. I've had you heal a few of my wounds in the past, and Kurama's chakra is not the most pleasant feeling, but there is no denying that it gets the job done."

Naruto turns to face Obito. "If you want, we can do this, but I'll leave that up to you. If you heal normally, those ugly folds will likely remain. If we do it my way, they'll still be there, but much more diminished. Also know that if we do this, the healing may somewhat get close to a… uh… personal area. I can also not heal around there since it'll almost always be covered up, but it's entirely up to you."

Obito nods. "I think I'd rather look normal again, rather than chance having this massive blemish all over half of my body. If it means having you need to touch around there to remove these scars, then so be it. I just want to look normal once again."

"This won't be a fast process. It will take some time, even possibly a couple of days. When I'm not clearing your skin of the scars, you should work on reacquiring your physique – especially if you wish to return to being a ninja. I'm sure nīchan would be happy to help you with your exercises, until you're back up to par." Naruto says, earning a nod from Yuu.

He then motions for Obito to move to the bed and remove his shirt so he can at least get an idea of what he is going to be working with. When he sees the scarring, he sighs, knowing that he's going to be in for a lot of work. "We'll focus more on the areas that will be more visible on a daily basis, even with your clothes on, namely your face, neck, arm and leg."

Obito nods and lies down on the bed, and Naruto begins by reaching towards Obito's face and begins firmly, but gently kneading his thumbs around the rough, damaged skin. After about a minute, the skin begins to lightly steam, and he then begins to channel Kurama's chakra. He begins pressing on the scar folds, flattening and smoothing them out, then rinses and repeats for a period of time until the skin looks almost normal. If closely examined, the scar-creases are still there, but very faint.

Naruto then moves to the next bit of scarring, rinsing and repeating for the next couple hours or so, and when he's done, Obito's face looks more-or-less, normal. All the scarring on his face has been reduced to almost normal, healthy looking skin. Naruto looks at his hands, flexing them, minor chakra burns stinging, before he moves to Obito's hand.

He continues the process of regenerating Obito's skin cells properly, pausing periodically to examine his handiwork. The process of healing visible scars is a bit different than healing open wounds or sores. To properly heal scars, he utilizes his chakra to 'bake' the original cells, killing them off, which is why they steam. He then uses Kurama's chakra to eat at the remaining folds of dead skin and then seal it tightly together; followed by his own chakra to smooth out the skin, followed once more by Kurama's to rebuild the natural skin tone. (A/N: I'm literally pulling this out of my ass, and I have no doubt that this is all a load of bs, but I wrote this a while back and was trying to make it fit... somewhat... meh...) All-in-all, it's a fairly chakra heavy process, as well as one that can't be rushed.

By the time Naruto reaches Obito's elbow, another hour and a half has passed. Naruto picks up Obito's arm ad inspects it, lightly twisting it in different directions. Satisfied, he drops the limb and steps back before examining his hands. They are a bright red from chakra burns, and due to using Kurama's potent chakra, they will take longer to heal than if they were just chakra burns from his own chakra.

He flexes his hands - wincing a bit - before heading to the bathroom to apply some burn relief salve. He then exits and looks around. Yuu and Obito fell asleep about forty minutes ago. Naruto goes and covers Obito, before turning away and spots the futon that Yuu had gotten for him and heads to it. He unrolls it, lays it out on the floor near the heating vent, then sits on it and closes his eyes, thinking for a minute.

He opens his eyes and grabs the nearby blanket, unfolds it and lies down, draping it over his body. He lies awake for about an hour, thinking about the Kitsunes and Mt. Enryū. Eventually, exhaustion washes over him, lulling him into a dreamless sleep.