A/N: Well, here it is folks! The long-anticipated update for A Fox among the Hounds. Sorry it took me so long; with schoolwork, my thesis, and writer's block, delays are bound to happen. But anyway, I managed and it's here, so enjoy!

A Fox among the Hounds

Shocking Revelations

Naruto woke up to something wet running over his cheek. He instinctively raised a hand and swatted the offending thing away only to hear a surprised yelp. "Aomaru? What are you doing here, boy? I thought you were with Hana." Pulling himself up to a sitting position, he suddenly felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. "Ugh. Where am I?" he groaned.

"Nice too see you too, Sleeping Beauty," drawled a lazy-sounding voice.

Naruto squinted to see his lazy teammate leaning against the wall. He frowned a bit. "You're one to talk. What happened?"

"Tch. You're so troublesome," Shikamaru grumbled. "You won against Kiba; and then Hinata fought that sand kid, got crushed, and then you started to cause a scene until Kakashi-sensei went up and knocked you out."

The mention of Hinata sent a flood of memories back to Naruto. The Hyuuga heiress lying on the ground, her arm and both her legs crushed, screaming and fighting to stay conscious.

Naruto bolted out bed, startling Aomaru. "Hinata-hime! Is she okay? Where is she?"

The lazy Nara tried to calm him down. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, easy there, Tiger. She's in the ICU right now, but she'll be moved to a regular ward later. That Sabaku kid really did a number on her." He gave a low whistle. "The only people who are able to visit her right now are her immediate family and Kakashi-sensei."

The blond did not say anything, but simply nodded solemnly.

"Anyway," Shikamaru continued. "We drew lots for the final match-ups for the Chuunin Exam finals next month. Chouji got TenTen, Shino got the cat-boy, and I'll be going against the girl with the giant fan."

"Who did I get?" Naruto asked, trying his best not to betray his emotions.

Shikamaru looked up at the blond. "You'll be going against Uchiha," he replied. Noticing Naruto's hard expression, he could only guess what the blond was thinking about. "That Sabaku no Gaara character will be fighting the winner of the fourth match, which of course, is your match."

At the mention of Gaara's name, Aomaru growled and Naruto's eyes steeled with resolve. "He's going down. This one's for Hinata-hime," he whispered.

"Good luck with that, considering the current sitch," Shikamaru snorted. "Kakashi-sensei will be working with Uchiha."

Naruto could not believe his ears. "WHAT!?" he all but shouted.

"Those troublesome old fogeys at the Council suggested that he should be training Uchiha because of the Sharingan and all," Shikamaru explained. "Sensei wasn't very happy, but I suppose he didn't really have a choice."

"Great," Naruto grumbled. "Now we don't even have a sensei to train with." Suddenly, he cheered a little. "No big. I can still take care of Uchiha-teme. I beat him before, and I'll beat him again. Then that Gaara kid'll be nothing more than kitty litter."

"It won't be so easy this time," said Shikamaru. "You may be good at taijutsu and kenjutsu, and your ninjutsu isn't that bad, but if I may recall, last time you fought against Uchiha, his Sharingan hadn't activated yet. And with Kakashi-sensei training him, your fight won't be as smooth."

Naruto's ego deflated by a margin, but pride decided to step in. "What about that Gaara kid? True, his defense is harsh, but if I wear out his chakra, I could just flatten him with the Gatsuuga."

Shikamaru shook his head. "Your clan's techniques were built for speed and strength, and Hinata already tried the taijutsu approach. I know you don't have the control for genjutsu, so the only way for you to beat him is through ninjutsu, which would be Kakashi-sensei's forte. But-"

"-he's training the Uchiha-teme," Naruto finished, flopping back on the bed. Aomaru yipped at the sudden movement. "Peachy. Just peachy. Where the heck will I find a ninjutsu powerhouse willing to train me in such short notice?"

"This the kid?" asked a large, white-haired man dressed in traditional clothes and a horned forehead protector that bore the kanji for oil.

"Yes, that's him, Jiraiya," replied Sarutobi, standing beside his ex-student.

The two men were currently in Sasuke Uchiha's hospital room, checking on his condition.

Jiraiya strode over to the sedated Uchiha and inspected the Cursed Seal. He hmmed and hawed for a bit before arriving to his conclusion. "Yep, this is Oro-teme's work alright. This one's going to be a doozy to nullify, but I think I have something that might do the trick- the Shinseijunsei Fuuin (trans: Holy Purification Seal). Unfortunately, the sealing process requires five people to perform it to ensure total nullification. Unless you have some people on hand, I can't nullify the seal."

Sarutobi thoughtfully tugged at his beard. "I'll see who I can find."

"Well, I'll be off then," Jiraiya cheerfully announced. "My research awaits!"

"Wait," said Sarutobi. "There's one more seal I'd like you to check. Do you remember the Shiki Fuuin?"

"Yes. Why?"

The Hokage suddenly looked very tired. "Meet me in my office at the Kage Tower. I'll relay the entire story."

Tsume stood proudly over her two sons. Both Kiba and Naruto had just been released from the hospital, and were currently with their mother in the Inuzukas' sitting room.

"I heard what happened today, and I'd like to say, I'm very proud of you pups. You bravely faced each other in the heat of battle and used your abilities to the fullest. For that, I am honored to be your mother."

In a rare show of respect, both Kiba and Naruto bowed down to their mother, but such a rarity can only last so long, and Kiba, being Kiba reverted back to his brash personality.

"Does it mean we're off the hook from being grounded?" he asked with a hopeful grin. Naruto facepalmed.

Tsume grinned back at her eldest son. "Not a chance." Kiba groaned. "But," she added. "You get to train in the advanced Inuzuka clan techniques under me."

The Inuzuka brothers were ecstatic. "For real? You think we're ready?" Tsume nodded and was swamped by a hug from both her boys. "Thanks Mom!"

"Now, now, enough of this mushy-gushy stuff, you boys better get some rest. We have a long day of training ahead."

As the boys turned to leave, there was a knock on the door.

Tsume was surprised. "Company?" She went to answer the door. Opening it, she found the Sandaime and a large white-haired man behind him.

The Inuzuka matriarch was dumbfounded. "S-sandaime-sama? L-lord Jiraiya? What brings you here? I'm afraid the house isn't in order-"

"We're here on business, Tsume," replied the Sandaime. "We have some very important matters to discuss."

"O-of course, Lord Hokage," stammered Tsume. "Please come in." She turned to her sons. "Boys, go upstairs and rest."

"Actually, this concerns Naruto and the entire family as well," said Jiraiya.

"O-of course," Tsume nodded. She turned towards the kitchen, where her daughter was storing the leftovers. "Hana, come in here! Family meeting with the Hokage and Lord Jiraiya!"

Moments later, the entire Inuzuka Main House family along with Sarutobi and Jiraiya were gathered in the sitting room.

"Now," started the Sandaime. "During the last match of the Chuunin Exam, I have received sighting reports of red chakra flares; in fact, I saw it myself."

At the words "red chakra" Tsume and Kiba immediately knew what the Sandaime was referring to; but Hana, who had been left in the dark, was curious. "Beg pardon, Lord Hokage, but what does this have to do with us Inuzukas?"

"Ah yes, I was just getting to that," Sarutobi said. "You see, the red chakra that had been sighted was emanating from one Naruto Inuzuka."

The puzzled look remained on Hana's face. "I still fail to see where this leads."

Sarutobi turned a wizened gaze at the young veterinarian. "You do remember the Kyuubi attack more than twelve years ago, right?" Hana nodded. "Contrary to what you've been led to believe, the Kyuubi is in fact still alive."

To say Hana was shocked would have been the understatement of the year. She was so stunned; she just sat there, mouth agape. As for Naruto, his expression simply mirrored that of his sister's.

Jiraiya, who had been sitting quietly, decided to explain things for a bit. "The Kyuubi, like all other Bijuu is actually a chakra entity, thus rendering it immortal. The only way to completely defeat a Bijuu is to make it mortal by sealing it away into a human sacrifice, a Jinchuuriki, if you will. The Bijuu will be tied to the Jinchuuriki and when the Jinchuuriki dies, the Bijuu will die with it."

"There are several types of seals used in sealing away a Bijuu," the Toad Sage continued. "But the most effective one is the Shiki Fuuin, which requires a newborn child as a Jinchuuriki. Unfortunately, this jutsu is a double-edged sword; while it will seal away the Bijuu into its Jinchuuriki, it will also kill the seal user."

After listening to the entire story, Naruto had enough and decided to voice his opinion. "I thought this entire business was about the red chakra that I supposedly released. I don't see how that ol' furball is roped into this."

The Sandaime gave the blond a solemn look. "All right Naruto, I'll humor you. Apparently, the red chakra flares up when you get very angry. When was the last time when you got that mad?"

Naruto looked pensive for a while. "Well-l, according to Shikamaru, I got really mad yesterday when I saw that Gaara kid crush Hinata-hime, and he said he hadn't seen me get that mad since that incident at Nami when I thought Hinata-hime had died."

"So seeing your friend Hinata get hurt makes you angry," Jiraiya noted. "Tell me Naruto, what do you see when you get angry?"

"I-I'm not sure. Once, I did see the Kyuubi's form, but I though it was a ghost. Come to think of it, I see it in my nightmares too. But I'm not the fox! I swear, I'm not!"

"Calm down, Naruto," said Sarutobi. "No one said you were the fox, and take my word for it, you are not the fox. You are its jailer. You are what keeps it from doing any more harm. You are a hero."

"But the Kyuubi, it killed so many people, including Dad…" Naruto's eyes welled with tears. "Mom, Kiba, Hana, I'm so sorry…"

The Dad comment struck Tsume, Sarutobi, and Jiraiya. They knew that the boy was referring to the ephemeral Hasegawa couple, and maybe Shippo Inuzuka, but they could not help but think of Naruto's biological father, the Yondaime. Losing both men to the Kyuubi, the poor child had never met any of his fathers.

Kiba was the first to comfort Naruto. "Hey Bro, don't sweat it. It wasn't your fault. It's that old furball, and karma already bit him in the butt and he can't do squat about it, so haha to him."

"Yeah Twerp," Hana teasingly interjected. "You've been doing a fine job so far. Fox or not, you're still our good old Naruto, and we wouldn't trade you for the world."

"Runt," Tsume spoke. "You've been living with us for so long and you still don't know our code? We would never abandon a pack member, and that includes you, Naruto. You're part of our pack, our family. We would love and protect you, no matter what."

The blond sniffed and hiccuped a little. "But what if I get mad and lose control again. What if the fox gets out?"

This time, Jiraiya broke the blond out of his tirade. "Naruto. Raise your shirt," he commanded.

"Are you some sort of pedo?" Kiba asked. Jiraiya, Tsume, and Hana whacked his head.

Gingerly, the blond raised his shirt and the seal on his navel came to view. "See this mark?" said Jiraiya, placing his hand on Naruto's stomach. "It's good and solid. The old fuzzbag will never get out. Although… …it's a bit worn around the edges, but I can fix that. Fuuin!"

A few extra marks appeared on the seal, glowing red for a moment, before blending in with the rest of the seal. "There!" Jiraiya proudly remarked. "Now, you don't have to worry about that fox."

Naruto was slightly doubtful. "Are you sure?"

The Toad Sage frowned. "Do you doubt me, Jiraiya of the Sannin? The greatest ninjutsu master within the Five Elemental Nations?"

Naruto lightened up. "You're a ninjutsu master? Lord Jiraiya can you train me in ninjutsu for the Chuunin Exam finals? Please?"

"NARUTO!" Tsume barked.

"But MOM!" Naruto protested, his voice escalating into a near-whine. "Shikamaru said that the only way I could beat this Sabaku no Gaara kid is if I used ninjutsu. Besides, he hurt Hinata-hime. I'm winning this one for her rather than for me."

"You're doing this for a girl?" Jiraiya asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

Naruto was slightly apprehensive after seeing the Sannin wiggle his brows, but he decided to answer anyway. "Yes."

Jiraiya clapped a heavy hand on the blond's back. "Hehe! I like you kid! Alright, I'll train you." He turned to Tsume. "If it's okay with you, that is."

Tsume looked at Naruto, who was looking back at her with his trademark puppy dog eyes. Exhaling loudly, the Inuzuka matriarch agreed. "Oh, what the heck. Go ahead."

Naruto enveloped his mother in a hug. "Thanks Mom! You're the best."

"I think we can train in the afternoons," said the Sannin. "If your schedule allows it."

"I believe it will," said Tsume. "I'll be training you boys in the morning anyway. Now, get some rest you pups, we have a big day tomorrow."

"Okay, goodnight Mom, Lord Hokage, Lord Jiraiya!" A few seconds later Naruto had disappeared upstairs.

Kiba followed his brother upstairs. "See you tomorrow Mom! Lord Hokage, Lord Jiraiya!"

Hana stood up and headed towards the back door. "I'm going out to check on the dogs. I'll be right back, Mom. Goodbye Lord Hokage, Lord Jiraiya."

Tsume stood up as well and bowed before the Hokage and Jiraiya. "Thank you for gracing us with your presence, Lord Hokage, Lord Jiraiya."

"Actually Tsume," chuckled the Sandaime. "We should be thanking you. You've raised a fine family, you have. And Hana, Kiba, and Naruto have come a long way too."

Tusme blushed a bit. "Oh, it's nothing a little firm parenting wouldn't do."

Just then, Jiraiya decided to interrupt. "Sensei, Tsume, I hate to spoil this courtesy call, but we have more serious matters on hand. Orochimaru has marked Sasuke Uchiha."

Tusme's expression hardened. "So I've heard. But what does it have to do with me?"

"A lot of things actually," replied the Toad Sage. "I want you to help us seal it off, first thing tomorrow morning."

A/N: And there it is folks! A fresh, new chapter. Please read and review. Also, please feel free to read and review my other story, All's Fair-haired in Love and War, which is now online. Thanks so much!

While writing A Fox among the Hounds, I just realized that I have made a striking parallelism between Naruto and Gaara's lives in this universe. They're Jinchiuuriki, the sons of kages, and they both live with a widowed parent (Tsume and the Fourth Kazekage), an older sister (Hana and Temari), and a slightly obnoxious brother of the same age whose name starts with the letter "K" (Kiba and Kankuro). The only difference is that Naruto's childhood is happier.