Kyubed:Shinobi's Revenge on Naruto

by ContraBardus

A young Naruto meets two strange men in the woods, with an even stranger story. After agreeing to special training, he finds the path of the true shinobi a bit different than he, or anyone else in the village expected.

36. Chapter 36

Kyubed: Shinobi's revenge on Naruto

Part 36

The festival of shadows.

OooOOooOO

Naruto was sitting in his office looking Ino up and down with mild surprise. "Huh? What do you mean?" It was early afternoon and she was still a bit dirty from running around the woods and training.

The girl flushed. "I can't train with you. I've got to tutor the two idiots I got stuck with in the Chunin exam. I already promised Yugao sensei I would. We started this morning, and I've got a lot of work to do with them."

The hooded boy gave a small sigh. "Well, I'll talk with her about it. I want to make sure you don't screw up. The Hyuuga are still trying to kill you. I had a little talk with Hiashi. I'm not sure how that panned out yet, but there's no reason to think they've changed their minds yet. I want to make sure you're ready to deal with them both."

The blond kunoichi growled. "Well, I'm still technically Yugao sensei's until the exams are over. So, I can't just dump those two off."

The Jounin looked at her and stood up. "All right. Fine. Look, meet me here in a couple of hours. I'm gonna make other arrangements. Neji is the biggest problem you'll face most likely. He's not an idiot, and he's fought me before. That Ayume chick is going to be after your head too."

Ino growled a little. "I can't believe those jerks. We're in the same village. Killing someone from your own village on purpose? It's murder! The Hokage..."

Naruto put his hands on his desk. "She knows about it. Look, I've already talked with everyone I need too. I'm pretty sure that bounty is taken care of, but..."

The Yamanaka girl blinked. "Huh? But?"

"They're still going to try and take you out in the exams." The boy sat back down and shook his head. "No one is going to stop them or say anything about it either. You'll be on your own, and there's nothing we can do to help you aside from stepping up your training again." He paused for a moment. "Oh. You're not allowed to kill them either."

Ino's eye twitched. "Why do I get the feeling...?"

The boy nodded. "You'd be right. I didn't ask them to back down. You're an ANBU, if you can't handle two genin, Hyuuga or not, you're not going to last long."

Her expression became rather blank. Then she became angry, and finally, her features fell. "I guess I get you. I'm gonna remember this though, you jerk."

Naruto seemed pleased. "Just don't take it personal. I wouldn't have bothered with you to begin with if I wasn't sure you could handle it. I don't expect you to lose, and I'm gonna make sure with what time we've got left until the exams finish." He stood up and walked around the desk towards the door. "I'm gonna go see Yugao. I'm pretty sure I can work something out with her. Don't worry."

The blond girl looked like her mood had been soured a bit, but nodded. "Yeah. I get it."

OooOOooOO

Genji and Ryoji frowned at each other and looked at the younger boy standing in front of them with his arms crossed and a frown on his face.

"Huh. I guess I've got to get you two losers into shape then?" He was hidden in the shade of the branches of a near by tree out of sight and looking down at them from the shadows.

The long haired brunette boy narrowed his eyes. "Hey. Who the heck are you? Where's Ino?"

His larger dark haired companion nodded. "Right. We're supposed to be meeting up with her. We don't have time..."

The shadowy figure jumped down. Uchiha Sasuke stared them both down and didn't look impressed. "She's gone off to train. Those Hyuuga are trying to kill her after all. I'm taking over and making sure you two are prepared for the finals."

Genji gave a snort. "I'm not so sure Yugao sensei is gonna like that." He didn't seem too worried.

Sasuke put his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "We spoke with her about it. It's not something you should be worried about. You've got your hands full as it is."

Ryoji scratched his head. "You're that Uchiha kid. Huh. She mentioned you. What are you, her boyfriend or something?"

Sasuke gave him a cool stare. "I'm on her team. She's the weakest member, and I've only got a little more than two weeks to whip you two losers into shape."

The brunette tightened the bandages on his wrists. "She's the weakest?"

Ryoji frowned at him and tugged on the handle to his weapon. He looked a bit pensive. "So what do we do?"

Sasuke gave him a smirk. "Well, considering I don't know you. We'll start out by finding out how strong you are." He put up his fists and stepped back. "Come on, attack me."

The smaller of the pair rushed up first and punched out with his fists. He was quickly disposed of after throwing one missed punch. Sasuke planted his knee into his belly, elbowed his back, and back flipped into a kick in his chin that laid him out.

The larger boy swung his mace down and created a three foot crater in the ground. Sasuke was nothing but a bur of motion that appeared behind him with his elbow extended in a rib shot that sent him head first into a tree. The bark cracked, but the boy wasn't out. He turned and swiped with the mace, only to see the Uchiha boy over his swing with his legs tucked up. The last thing he noticed was the bottom of the smaller rave haired boy's foot as his skull hit the tree again.

Their tutor dusted off his hands and gave a snort. "Man. That was pretty pathetic. Well, I guess we'll get started then."

Both of them were staggering to their feet and looking dazed.

Sasuke noticed they had their wits about them after a moment and spoke up again. He glanced over his shoulder towards the gates of Konohagakure. "Take a last look. We won't be going back to the village until you have to leave for the exams."

Ryoji frowned at that. "We don't have any supplies."

The young Chunin shrugged. "You'll live. Come on. Keep up." He hopped into the branches and started jumping away.

The pair moved to follow into the woods.

OooOOooOO

Naruto was leaning back against a tree looking up at the clouds. "This seems like a good spot."

Ino looked around. They were in an open field with a long cliff in the near distance with a small spring and waterfall nearby. "So, what are we doing?"

The boy sat up and looked at her. "We?"

She got a little frustrated. "You're supposed to be training me right?"

The hooded nin chuckled. "Not really. You're going to come up with something on your own."

That caught her off guard. "Huh? Like what?"

Naruto gave a shrug. "I dunno. Use what you've learned to come up with something of your own."

The blond girl glared at him. "Just come up with something? What kind of training is that?"

Her 'teacher' put his hands on the grass behind his rear and seemed pleased. "The best kind. How do you think new techniques are developed? Someone had to think up all that stuff you've been taught you know."

The girl tossed her hair. "I'm not some master you know. What am I supposed to do?"

Naruto shook his head. "I dunno. You should be able to think of something. Look, Sakura thought up a variation on the Rasengan on her own. You've already learned quite a few techniques, you know an advanced form of chakra manipulation, you've had advanced physical training, and you've been trained in suppression, stealth, and tactics. Not to mention your ANBU training. What are you saying, she's smarter than you? You can't think of something on your own like she can? I guess she is better then."

That got the girl riled up. "I...she's not better than me! All right fine! I'll think of something then!" She stomped off in a huff into the field, sat down with her legs and arms crossed and closed her eyes looking annoyed.

Naruto relaxed again. "Maybe I should bring a book next time?" Kakashi always had one with him, and he was starting to see why. He put his hands behind his head and looked up at the clouds as he lay in the shade.

OooOOooOO

It was a peaceful early evening at the Uzumaki home. Naruto had been staying up for the past week. Most of his time with Ino was relaxing, and he caught a nice nap while she was working. Things had been quiet in Konohagakure as the Genin trained for the finals. Sasuke hadn't returned with the two others, and was off in the woods running them into the ground. The foxes had kept him informed of what was going on with them.

Sasuke had taught them to make clones and was running them into the ground on a daily basis, beating them both up, and forcing them to read Naruto's book. He wasn't training them in stealth or suppression, but was focusing on sharpening their talents. It was going well, and the two unfortunate, or fortunate depending on the point of view, Genin were learning what muscle failure was in a rather intimate fashion.

His son was sleeping in a crib nearby, with his three live in Kitsune out of sight and quiet. It was unusual, but they hadn't bothered him in a week in the evenings. While he didn't mind it when they did, it was kind of nice to have a little break. A knock at the door pulled him away from a half finished bowl of instant ramen.

Ken and Ryu were standing outside Naruto's door looking pleased. The boy scratched his head and smiled at them as he opened it and greeted them. "Hey. What's up? What are you two doing here?"

Ken blinked in what looked like surprise. "Huh? We're here to watch Kitsuma for you."

Ryu seemed pleased and nodded. "Yeah."

The boy's face fell. "Huh? Watch him?" He turned and jolted. Masara, Koruma, and Kira were all right behind him dressed in their yukata with grins on their faces. "I don't need anyone to..."

Kira's grin got a little wider. "Yeah you do."

The boy narrowed his eyes at the trio. "Why? What are you three up too?"

Masara crossed her arms and smirked. "You've forgotten?"

Koruma agreed and looked much the same. "Yeah. We told you already."

The young Jounin hung his head and sighed. "So I have. Remind me."

Koruma grabbed his arm and pulled him out the door. "It's a very important night."

The green haired Kitsune grabbed his arm. "Yeah. It's your duty to come along!"

The violet haired Kitsune giggled. "Yeah. I've got a title to defend!"

Naruto pulled himself free. "Hold on. I can't just run off. I've got to help Ino train. I promised."

Ken slapped him on the back. "We'll take care of it until you get back."

Ryu crossed his arms and nodded. "No problem. Don't worry. She's in good hands."

The boy got wide eyed. "What? Where are we going? Just tell me!" He looked at the trio of 'girls'.

The redhead shrugged and smiled at him. "It's time for the festival."

"Yeah, the full moon is tonight!" agreed the green haired girl.

Kira pulled on his hand. "I expect you to be a fair judge! No favoritism!"

The boy furrowed his brown. "Judge? Judge what?" He went rigid and became very white as something clicked into place.

Masara chuckled and tossed her green shoulder length hair. "Yeah. Those clones sure will help with that."

Koruma agreed. "Right. The Boss is the perfect judge!"

Naruto was dragged off leaving two lines in the dirt as the trio pulled him towards the gates.

Both the adult ninja looked on with their chests puffed out in pride.

Ken gave a sigh. "They grow up so fast."

Ryu nodded. "I'm proud of him as well. He's been a wonderful student."

OooOOooOO

Naruto found himself standing in front of a large gnarled looking tree. The roots opened up to an almost door sized opening that lead under it between the roots. "Hey, what is this? Where the heck are we going anyway?" He was annoyed, but seemed to accept that they were going to drag him to wherever.

Masara had a serious look on her face. "This is an entrance."

Koruma nodded in a slow deliberate manner. "Yes. It leads to home."

The boy noticed that all of the Kitsune seemed quite serious, but not unhappy. Kira put her hand above the door. "You must change. Use Henge and become like us. Turn into a fox." A moment later there were three foxes surrounding him. "Don't worry."

Naruto took a step back and looked down at the trio. He glanced around and noticed there were several other foxes moving out of the woods towards the place. Within a minute there were twenty to thirty of them looking on. He gave a small sigh and changed into a fox in a puff of smoke. "All right. Now what?"

The trio cocked their heads. He was still rather large. Naruto looked down at his chest. "What?" His hair was gold and not as light as his human hair. "This works, doesn't it?"

Kira nodded. "Yeah. That's fine. You're pretty big still though."

Masara glanced at her. "I don't think it matters."

Naruto frowned. "I'm not sure if I can make myself any smaller. I tried to look normal, but this is how it came out."

Koruma let his tongue hang out. "He's fine. Come on."

The newly transformed Naruto looked at the tree. "It's an entrance? Looks kind of small though. How are we supposed to fit all of us in this?" The space under the tree wasn't very large at all, he didn't think even the four of them could fit.

Kira cocked her head. "No, Boss. This is just the doorway."

The nin was confused. "To where?"

Masara looked up at him. "The shadow realm. A full moon here, is a new moon there. It's an important day. Come on, Boss." He hopped up on his hind legs and put his paw on the center of the top of the doorway.

Naruto looked on with wide eyes as a swirling dark energy formed inside the small cavern under the tree. "Whoa!"

Masara moved into it first, followed by Koruma. Kira nudged at his side with her nose. "Go on, Boss. You've got nothing to be afraid of."

The golden haired fox swallowed and looked down at her with wide eyes as his ears went back. "Are you sure? I mean, I've never been anyplace like that." He lifted his paw and pointed at the energy.

Kira wagged her tails. "Yeah. You'll be fine. I promise."

Naruto felt the hackles between his shoulders rise as he crouched low and moved into the energy with his eyes closed. When he opened them again, he gasped.

It was a rather forbidding place, a dark forest with stars in the sky above and no moon. He could see a great lake between the trees in the distance. His eyes adjusted well, and he could see Masara and Koruma nearby. Kira appeared at his side. Beyond the woods were large black mountains with sharp looking peaks.

There were hundreds of Kitsune appearing from similar swirls of dark energy from other trees. Their fur was various colors, white, brown, black, orange, gray. Many were chatting together, and all of them seemed to be in a good mood. That helped his nerves a bit. He sat up and looked about as they moved towards the lake through the trees.

He trotted forward with Masara and Koruma. "Hey. What is this place?"

The redhead seemed quite serious as she looked up at him. "This is your kingdom, Boss."

The large fox blinked. "Huh?"

Kira sat down at his side. "You are the husband of our Queen. This place is our realm and is ruled by what you know as Kyuubi. Welcome to our home, and your land."

Naruto swallowed. "I uh...right."

Naruto noticed that many of the foxes were looking towards him as they moved by. Some with wide eyes, and others sulking in the shadows as if they hoped to not be noticed. None of them approached. "Hey, are you sure this disguise is all right?"

Masara blinked. "What disguise?"

The golden fox looked a little nervous. "I need to look like this right? I mean, I should be a fox while I'm here and all?"

Kira giggled. "Well, no. You just needed to do that to get through the doorway. You're fine, you can look like what you want. It'll be easier to get there if you stay like that."

"He should stay like that for a while." The group turned and blinked. A white fox approached. She was a little larger than the others, and had a very large bushy tail. "It'll be good for him, and the others will want to see him like that."

Naruto blinked and cocked his head at her. "Oh. Hello. I'm..."

The new female nodded. "I know. I was sent to help guide you. I am Tomamo." Her tail wagged behind her and her tongue hung out as she relaxed and sat down in front of the group. "Don't worry. We'll all become human when the party starts. There's Tofu, Abuurage, Azuki Meshi, Sake..." She seemed quite pleased to be recounting it to him. "It's easier to get drunk and eat with hands, and dancing is more fun."

The large gold fox cocked his head. "Got any Ramen?"

Tomamo blinked in surprise and chuckled. "Afraid not. Maybe next time we'll get a bit. You'll live." She noticed his face fell a little.

The young nin stood up. "I can't really get drunk. I'm not old enough."

The white fox laughed with Masara, Koruma, and Kira.

This annoyed the boy and he frowned at them. "What? It's not funny."

The white fox spoke up again. "There are no rules like that here. You'll be fine." She turned and started trotting away. "Come on. It's supposed to start soon, and we'll be late."

Naruto found himself walking through the woods with the group. They were cheerful and seemed excited, and it helped his mood quite a bit. His fear was gone, but he was still a little nervous. He'd seen several white foxes moving by, but they looked different than Tomamo. They were shorter, fuzzier, and had shorter snouts and black socks like markings on their paws. She looked more like the foxes he knew, and he'd never seen a white one before.

They neared the shore of the lake after a few moments. He blinked in surprise as he noticed several rafts. The white fox looked back at them. "Hey. Come on. The festival is on the other side of the lake, and it'd take all night to go around." It was a very large lake, with the stars reflected in it. He noticed that there were already groups of foxes making the trip. Most of them remained foxes, but one of them transformed into a human to pilot the rafts across loaded with kitsune with long poles.

When he turned around Tomamo transformed. She had pale skin, and long dark hair that hung down to her rear. Her eyes were a golden color, and her lips were a deep red. She looked about the same age as the other foxes when they transformed, but was wearing a much more expensive looking white kimono with an orchid pattern woven into it. She took the pole and started moving across. He looked back and noticed that most of the other rafts were filled. "What? We're not taking anyone else?"

Tomamo looked at him and giggled behind her sleeve. "Well, you're special after all. You're an honored guest."

The golden fox seemed a bit miffed, but didn't complain. "Well, I don't mind riding with others."

Kira seemed pleased. "Don't worry, Boss. There's plenty of rafts. No one is going to get left behind."

Masara agreed. "Right. It's kind of nice when there's not much of a crowd. It's quite a view."

Naruto nodded and looked up at the sky. "It is pretty." He glanced down at the water and blinked. He was still as large as he was as a human. "Hey. I am pretty big." He blinked and peered at the reflection a bit closer. It was distorted by the movement of the boat, but he could still make out enough to realize his odd coloration. "I thought I could Henge better than that."

Koruma looked up at him. "Hey. You look great. It's no problem."

The nin hung his head a little. "Yeah. Still. I should be able to look like a regular fox no problem. This is weird." He looked back over his shoulder as he realized that there were several tails wagging behind him. "Hey. I was thinking just one. What the heck is this?" There were nine of them.

Tomamo smiled over her shoulder. "To be honest, we're not that surprised."

Kira nodded and sat down beside him looking up. "Yeah. You really look like you should to be honest."

That caught him off guard. "Like I should? What the heck are you talking about? I'm not gonna fool anyone with this kind of Henge."

Masara laid down on his other side. "Nah. You look like the King of Kitsune."

Koruma did the same next to her partner in crime. "He's right. I wasn't surprised at all. You did great, Boss."

That confused Naruto. "It's still weird. I was trying to look like one of you, and I know I can do better."

Tomamo shook her head. "I doubt it. You'll likely always look like that when you transform. Relax, it's how you're supposed to look. Just let it go."

The golden fox hung his head. "Fine. Still, it bothers me. It's like I'm screwing up at the academy again. It's a little annoying. Why the heck wouldn't I be able to do better anyway?"

Kira gave a sigh. "You can't do better than that. We keep telling you, it's exactly how you should look. Just relax. You're fine."

Naruto looked up. On the shore that was growing very near, little balls of blue light formed and converged together in a small clearing that appeared to be lit by firelight. There were thousands of them, and the number was growing fast. "Wow. That's, something."

Tomamo nodded. "It's usually impressive. Not everyone comes every year, but there's always quite a turnout."

Masara seemed pleased. "Yeah. It's a great party. Relax boss, you'll have a great time."

Kira tried to perk him up as well. "Quit sulking would you? You're gonna get laid, drunk, and stuffed. Can you think of a better time?"

Tomamo smiled and scratched behind his ear. His leg thumped involuntarily and she winked at him. "Yeah. I'm looking forward to it."

The golden fox got very wide eyes and his back became very rigid. "Oh man. What am I getting into?" He looked over his shoulder at Tomamo. She was a total babe, and was looking back at him with a somewhat subdued but wicked expression. It was quite clear that she wasn't referring to the parts about getting drunk and well fed in relation to what 'she was looking forward to'. He swallowed and looked at the water again.

Koruma chuckled. "The best party you've ever been to, that's what. On top of that, you're the guest of honor."

OooOOooOO

Naruto found himself in a large clearing, there were several tree stumps of varying size, some acted like tables, other as small stages. There were several bonfires going, each surrounded by hundreds of kitsune. The larger stumps were loaded with large piles of food, huge barrels of sake were stacked all over, and both human and animal looking kitsune were dancing and jumping about. The air was filled with laughter and music as the party began. The foxes played shamisen, biwa, koto, flutes, pipes, and drums.

He found himself with a large mug of warm sake set in front of him. Kira had taken human form and set a pair down in front of himself and Tomamo. Masara and Koruma were on either side of them with mugs of their own, eating Abuurage and Azuki Meshi. He was still a fox and was just looking on in amazement. Though he did have a pleased look on his muzzle.

Seeming to realize most everyone had taken human form he broke his jutsu and sipped on his mug. It burned his throat and chest a little, but not in a bad way. He picked at the food as well, it wasn't ramen, but it wasn't bad either. It was quite good in fact, and he didn't think he'd have any trouble filling himself up.

Some of the foxes looked like human males, but for every one male, there were three females. All of them attractive and youthful.

A mug and a half of sake later, and he was leaning on Kira and talking with a drunken slur to the trio with him. Tomamo was pleasant and cheerful. The group was enjoying his company.

The new fox girl took the opportunity to get him to dance, and it went rather well until he threw up after being swung around a bit too much. They switched partners and mingled with the crowd. Quite a few others had gotten sick as well, and it was taken with good cheer. They just dug a hole, put it in, covered it with a good bit of dirt, and kept going.

He ended up sitting next to Kira and Tomamo again, but in a much larger group. They were telling stories, and he related a few of his own. Mostly having to do with his friends, pranks he'd played, and a few of the lighter missions he'd taken as a genin. The kitsune conversed and welcomed him in a way he'd never experienced before.

He ended up leaning on Kira again and hanging over her shoulder after he finished the other half of his mug. They'd poured him another, but he ignored it. He was quite loaded. Tomamo shifted him over to lean on her and he draped his arm across her shoulders as they laughed and enjoyed conversation with each other and the others around them.

His hand moved down her chest and he blinked and turned his head. He'd been that way for almost a half hour, and had just realized that she was naked. Not that it mattered much, half the kitsune were at least partially nude by that point. Several were dancing on tables, and the party was still in full swing. He sat upright and moved his hand. "Oh, sorry."

She looked over at him and smirked as she put his hand back. "I don't mind." With that, she moved on top of him and kissed him.

Before long, he realized that there were more than just two hands involved, and that he was pinned down and having his clothes taken off. As he looked around, he seemed to realize that it wasn't just him. Everyone was starting to get into the activity.

Thus, Naruto took part in his first of several orgies. His ability to make clones came in handy.

OooOOooOO

Naruto was sitting up on a tree stump the next evening with another mug of sake in his grip. The party had lasted through the next day. The sun wasn't very bright in Shadow realm, and the land was covered in forest as far as the eye could see. Very little light made it to the ground with the exception of small clearings like the one the festival was taking place in. It was dark again, but it had never gotten brighter than a cloudy day in his own realm. The sky was constantly overcast, but cleared up in the evening so the stars could shine down on them.

It was growing late, but there were still several hours to go in the day. He'd gotten hung over and had a few more drinks to stave it off, passed out, and woken up and the party was still going. He looked quite ragged, was completely nude, and wasn't sure where his clothes were anymore. His face was painted with lines on his forehead and cheeks, and he had several hickeys at various points on his body.

Kira had won the right to keep her trophy again that afternoon. Fortunately for him, there was some rather stiff competition, and several of the Kitsune posing as human males had helped out with the judging. Tomamo hadn't competed, but he knew that she would have beaten Kira if she had from personal experience.

The violet haired kitsune was passed out in a ball at his feet, and wasn't in human form. He looked a bit bleary eyed and took another gulp from his mug. His spirits were high still, and he looked up at the sky. "This is quite a party. I'm glad I got to come."

Masara chuckled. "Yes. Quite a bit in fact."

He glanced at the kitsune and frowned. "Har. Har."

Koruma was chuckling. "Hey. It was funny. Sorry, Boss."

Tomamo gave a small sigh and shook her head. "Yes. It was. The festivities end in the morning."

Naruto took another gulp. "Yeah. It's a shame. I've never been to a party like this before."

Kira lifted her head and yawned. "No human has. You get to come back whenever we have it again. We look forward to it, and most of us come whenever we can."

The redhead beside him nodded. "Yeah. We'll be going back tomorrow morning."

The boy nodded and gave a half grin. "Yeah. I'm looking forward to seeing Kitsuma again. I've got to check up on Ino as well, make sure her training is going well. She's got to pass the finals in the Chunin exam."

Tomamo looked interested. "Ino? A human girl?"

The boy nodded. "Yeah. She's on my team."

The black haired fox girl nodded. "You have a girl you like back home?"

Naruto seemed surprised and thought about it. "Well, not really. I had a crush on a girl when I was younger, but I kind of got over it."

Kira chuckled. "That Sakura girl?"

He frowned at her, but his features softened and he nodded. "Yeah. Her. She likes someone else, and to be honest, I've got other concerns. I'm married for one. No point in starting up a relationship like that. I don't want to string some girl along, and humans are different about that sort of thing than Kitsune. They don't like sharing."

The black haired fox girl nodded. "I see. That's interesting. Selfish then?"

Naruto looked at her. "Well, I wouldn't put it like that. Humans are kind of expected to pick one mate and stick with them. Doesn't always work out that way, but it's just sort of how they do it."

Koruma nodded. "That's why we had so much trouble with him. He had to be trained out of it."

Kira giggled. "Wasn't too hard."

Naruto flushed and looked away. "Well, I wasn't exactly attached either."

Tomamo nodded. "Well, things are winding down. You'll be heading home soon."

The boy looked at her. "Thanks for showing me around and helping me out. I was a bit nervous to be honest. You've been really nice. I'm glad to have met you. Will I see you again anytime soon?"

The kitsune smiled at him and giggled behind her hand as she rubbed on the back of his head. "I'm sure of it."

He smiled at her. "That's good. I like you."

She stood up and moved behind him. "Do me a favor and use that henge again. Don't worry, just look like you did before." He looked on in confusion as she put her hands on his shoulders and looked out over the crowd.

The other kitsune all turned to face the group and the boy realized she had their attention. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. He took a moment because he was still a bit drunk. Not as hammered as he had been, but enough to make the seal take a bit of effort.

He felt something land on his head that weighed it down a little. It wasn't a massive weight and felt a bit like a forehead protector. "Huh?"

"I crown you king of Shadow Realm, Ruler of Kitsune, and Lord of Darkness."

Naruto froze and got wide eyed. He looked around and realized that there was no one around him. Only long white tails waving about. Very large white tails, nine of them. "What the?" He dropped his mug and it spilled on the ground. He'd not noticed before, but where he'd been sitting with his three companions and Tomamo was a bit higher up than the rest of the party, and overlooked the whole of it.

All of the kitsune were bowing low before him.

He looked back and found a fox's head with a muzzle as large as he was move up on his right side. The eyes were different than he'd ever seen them before. There was something in them he didn't recognize. They were peaceful, the lips weren't snarling, and the massive cheek rubbed against his side. "I am pleased you enjoyed my company. I look forward to seeing you again as well, my husband."

His eyes rolled up and he slumped to the ground out cold.

OooOOooOO

"Hey, Highness is awake!"

Naruto snapped upright and pushed himself back with wide eyes as he gasped. "What? How? Who?"

Masara, Koruma, and Kira were all looking at him in human form with grins on their faces.

"That went great!" Kira gushed.

The boy put his hand up to his forehead. There was nothing there but a forehead protector. He was dressed in his clothes. "Huh? Some kind of dream?" He was confused as he looked around.

Koruma blinked. "Dream?"

Masara shook her head. "No. Highness, um, that really happened. We're back now though, you passed out and we had to carry you back when the festival ended. You didn't miss much. Things were winding down anyway."

The boy looked at him with wide eyes. "Tomamo?"

Kira grinned. "Yeah. You call her Kyuubi, but her name is Tomamo."

The redhead bounced in excitement. "That was great, Highness! She was so pleased! I'm glad you got along so well!"

The green haired kitsune nodded. "Yes. You've really impressed her. She told us she was looking forward to seeing you again. She still isn't strong enough to come to this realm yet. She was very happy you were thinking about the Prince, that you thought of the other Kitsune at the docks, and she was especially pleased when you used those five clones at once to..."

The boy stood up and held his forehead. "Yeah. I get it." He was very wide eyed and staggered a bit. His head was aching, but it wasn't too bad. His legs were still a bit out of it as well and he ended up leaning against a tree. Tomamo was the nine tailed fox, and he never had a clue. "That...that was my wife?"

Kira nodded. "Sure was Highness."

The boy seemed to think on it for a moment. "R-really? I mean, that was...the Kyuubi?"

Masara shrugged. "Yeah. Pretty much."

Naruto leaned against Koruma as the kitsune helped him stand straight. She was hot. Really hot. A mega babe. He was a bit disturbed by it. The fact that she was an evil demon made it even worse. Evil was sexy, it wasn't something that he'd ever considered before. "That was...my wife?" He was still very confused. The look she'd given him was startling as well. He remembered her eyes from before, but they were very different there. Not kind, but not angry or resentful, welcoming and inviting in an odd way.

Koruma gave a sigh. "Yeah, that was your wife, Highness."

Naruto gave a nod. "Right."

Kira gave a small sigh. "Well, another year, another festival. It just ended, and I already can't wait until next year!"

The boy nodded and staggered towards Konohagakure between Masara and Koruma. After that, so was he. "I'm an awful mess."

The green haired girl chuckled. "Yeah. We're a bit hung over too, we're just more used to it. You'll be all right after a good nights sleep and a pot of black decaf."

The redhead agreed. "Right. I always feel off for a day or two after, but it's always worth it."

Kira was looking quite bright and sunny. "Don't worry, Highness. You'll be fine, and the memories last a lifetime. Well, the parts you were sober enough to remember anyway."

The boy nodded. He remembered most of it. "What's with this Highness stuff? What happened to 'Boss'?"

The trio all looked at him.

Koruma spoke up and looked at Masara. "Do you think he was too drunk to remember?"

The green haired girl shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe the third or fourth orgy. He wasn't that bad off by then though. Didn't seem it anyway."

Naruto looked between them. "Remember what?"

Kira giggled. "You were crowned King, remember? So, now you're Highness."

The boy was stable enough to move on his own legs and shuffled ahead of them. "I thought you said I was king before?"

Koruma nodded. "You were, but it was sort of unoffical."

Masara shook his shoulder. "Yeah. Now you've been officially crowned. Isn't it great?"

The young Shinobi bent over some nearby bushes and threw up. He stood up and wiped his chin with his sleeve. "I'm going home to pass out. I'll think about that later, ask me then." He shuffled back towards the village.

His three companions seemed amused at that, but followed behind him.

OooOOooOO

Tsunade smirked as Naruto stood in front of her desk. He had his arms behind his back and looked very attentive. "Welcome back."

"Thank you, Ma'am." He seemed quite serious, but was still a little bleary eyed. He'd returned the day before and taken a day of recovery.

The woman chuckled at his appearance. "Well, did you enjoy your trip?"

The boy cocked his head a little. "It was...very interesting."

Tsunade nodded. "I imagine so. I'm to understand it was some sort of festival. No human has ever attended."

He scratched the back of his head. "Well, it was quite a party."

The Fifth chuckled at that. "Was it now? What was it like? You're the first of our kind to see something like that."

The boy flushed. "Well, I met my wife."

Tsuande arched her eyebrow. "Did you now? It went well?"

The Jounin nodded. "I guess so. We got along well, and she crowned me King."

The Hokage's face fell a little. "Did she now?"

That caught Naruto off guard. "Is something wrong?"

"You've just become a dignitary." The woman sat back in her seat and folded her hands in front of her face. "You're an important link and an ambassador."

The boy nodded and looked uncomfortable. "I suppose so."

"I can't use you as an ANBU."

He froze and looked at her with wide eyes. "What?"

She leaned forward and looked quite serious. "Naruto, you're a King. Not a ninja. Trained well, but...you're too important to risk. Especially considering our past history with the Kitsune, and their relations with us now."

He was shocked. "But...What? What about my team? What? I can't just stop now. I've..."

She shook her head. "You've got more important concerns. I don't intend to cut you out of the loop, but you need to understand that I can't use you. Not as an ANBU, not as a field man. You're too important, it's beneath your station."

He glared at her. "I've trained. I can handle it. What about my team?"

She closed her eyes. "They will remain your team. I've no intention of cutting you off. I understand how important..."

"I'm going after Orochimaru." He growled it. "I can't ignore it. Itachi as well. They're a threat to me and Konoha."

She smiled from behind her hands. "I see. I understand your concern. However, sending you out after them directly is not an option. As I said, I'm not taking away your team. They are still ANBU."

He seemed to calm. "What do you mean?"

She leaned back in her chair again. "Naruto. You don't seem to realize your position. I serve Fire Country, and I don't answer to you. However, for all intents and purposes, you outrank me. I am Hokage, and you...rule a force as powerful as a Nation. Though your country has no borders, you are the Kitsune's Daimyo."

The boy took a step back as he went rather pale. "I...I..." He hung his head and looked at the ground.

The Fifth sat forward again. "I also know you are loyal to Konoha. I am hopeful that our relations can go well. You are welcome here, and you're not losing your rank. For all intents and purposes, you are an ANBU Captain. I just can't use you as one."

He didn't look pleased, but was still calm. "Why not? I'm willing, and able."

She shook her head. "What would the Kitsune think if I sent their King off to die in a mission. Over nothing more than a contract? A business deal?" She stood up and leaned over her desk on her palms. "Your son will always be safe here, he will be protected. However, I'd rather he had his father to keep him safe."

The boy looked up at her with his fist shaking. "I..see."

She sat back down and sighed. "You want Orochimaru and Itachi. I understand that. I'll not be giving you orders, and you won't be receiving missions. I might ask you to perform a light duty here and there, but...you will not be receiving any S or A class missions from me."

"What about Team Seven?" He calmed and his voice was shaking. "They worked hard for this."

"Their mission is you. I'm giving them to you, on a limited scale. They can't work against our interests, they are Konohagakure Ninja. However, you will not be able to deal with your enemies alone. The Kitsune are powerful, but against a Kage level ninja, such as Orochimaru, or Itachi, they will be of limited use." She looked him in the eyes. "Consider it a treaty between Konohagakure and the Kitsune. I'd like you and your subjects to remain our allies. I'm aware of what this village owes them. The Third seems to think that many lives, including his own, were saved with their assistance."

The young King nodded. "This is my home."

The Hokage bowed her head. "I am very pleased that you think of Konohagakure that way." She stood up and motioned with her hand. "Come with me."

He nodded and found himself walking down a hall with her. She spoke as they walked. "Sasuke has been helping with training Ino's two teammates from the exams. I admit I'm a bit surprised with her attitude. She may end up facing them, and it might work against her interests. I am to understand they are doing well."

The young hooded ninja looked at her. "Yes. They're much stronger. I hope they pass, but I know enough to realize they won't stand much of a chance against her."

She gave him a sidelong glance. "Been keeping an eye on that as well have we? I suspected as much. Do you know how Ino has been progressing?"

He nodded. "She's doing well. Ken and Ryu said one of them would help her out. I've heard she's made good use of her time. I don't expect her to fail."

The Fifth nodded. "I see. The contract on your head?"

Naruto glanced at her. "Gone. I've heard about that as well. Hiashi seems to have backed off, but Neji and Ayume are both still training hard. It does not appear their orders have changed."

The woman seemed to think on that for a moment. "Well, that's good to hear. I received word yesterday that the bounty had been lifted. What of Orochimaru and Sound?"

The boy growled a little at the subject. "The snake is difficult to track. I know the location of three bases within Fire Country, and at least two more that I know of but haven't pinpointed yet."

She sighed and put her hands behind her back. "We should eliminate them."

"I can't stop you, but..." The boy glanced at her. "I'd rather wait until we've located them all and strike all of them at once if possible. We've got a better chance of finding more useful intelligence if they don't know we're coming, and we may manage to catch Orochimaru himself with his guard down."

She frowned and shook her head. "I doubt that. If he's present at one of these places, I expect we will lose a team before we capture or kill him."

The Jounin seemed to think on it. "I'm more interested in taking out the bases and gathering intelligence than finding him right now. I'd like to more know about Sound, and find out what I can about it's operations and locations in Rice Country. I also want to get them out of Fire Country. Capturing or killing him would be nice, but it's not my goal yet. I don't know him well enough and I need to learn more before I start focusing my efforts on him."

The Hokage paused. "Do you begin to see your value, Uzumaki?"

He looked up at her and seemed confused. "Pardon?"

She gave him a wry looking smirk. "Do you think I don't know where you're getting all this information? I'm sure you've learned from several sources, but the bulk of your intelligence is not supplied by you, your team, or anyone in Konohagakure directly. Do you really think I don't understand the true purpose of your little bar?"

Naruto knew that she was smart enough to figure it out and wasn't surprised that she was aware. "I assumed you were smart enough to figure it out, yes." He also realized while she was walking with him and was pretty much beside him, she was also hanging back just a bit and was moving slightly behind him to his right.

If he was the Daimyo of Fire Country she would be back a bit further, but she was acting as if he was a visiting dignitary and it was a show of respect for his position. It was also a little annoying, but he didn't speak up. "I get your point."

She smiled at him. "Very good. Come, there's someone I would like you to meet."

OooOOooOO

A few moments later they were standing outside the door of a large suite for visiting dignitaries. Tsunade turned and put her hand on his shoulder. "Do not kneel and bow no lower than your chest. Refer to him by his title without honorifics. Remember, you are not to show submission, you are not a subject. You are a King, and you must learn to act like one." She dusted off his shoulders and took off his forehead protector. "You should not wear this any longer. You have earned it, and I shall return it, but it is just a keepsake now. I do not expect to see you wearing it in the future."

"What's going on? Who?" The woman put her finger over his lips and opened the door. Inside was another set of doors with two armed guards on either side of it. Each of them was holding a spear and dressed as a soldier in fancy uniforms.

They passed with no resistance. Inside the rather lavish room a tall thin man was sitting at a small table with tea set out before him. He had a black hood that didn't hide his face and a fan with flames on it in his right hand. Tsuande bowed to her waist. "Daimyo sama. May I present Uzumaki Naruto, King of Kitsune, and ruler of the Realm of Shadows."

The boy arched his eyebrow at that and removed his hood as he walked into the room. "Hello. A pleasure."

He bowed his chest a little and the man returned the gesture. "Ah. I see." He smiled in a cordial manner. "It is an honor to meet you."

Tsunade bowed again. "Well, I have duties to see too. I shall leave you two." She turned and left the room.

The boy nodded. "Yes. I am also honored." He had to fight back the urge to bow deeply.

The man offered a seat next to him and poured tea as he joined the boy. "I am to understand we owe you and your people a great deal. I recently spoke to the former Third speaks highly of you."

Naruto accepted the tea. "I've always respected him. He's a great man." He glanced over his shoulder towards where Tsunade had gone. He seemed to realize that someone had mentioned what had happened at the festival to her, probably one of the Kitsune. The situation was a little to convenient for her to have just found out about it. She was putting him on the spot and he imagined, rightly so, that she was having a good chuckle over it.

The Daimyo seemed pleased. "Yes. He was a credit to his position."

The thin man was not extremely old, but his face was wrinkled and thin. He seemed frail, but stern. "I hope our people will continue to foster our relationship."

The boy sipped at his tea. "Yes. I'm much easier to get along with than my wife it seems."

The man faltered a little. "Wife?"

The young blond nodded. "Yes. You call her Kyuubi, the Nine Tails."

The man was looking at him with rather wide eyes. He looked a bit pale. Naruto looked at him. "Are you all right?"

The Daimyo shifted in his seat and seemed to realize what he looked like. "I'm fine. Perhaps my tea is a bit cold." He set it down and poured more into his cup. "What is it you want with Konohagakure?"

The boy shrugged. "I was born here. I've lived in Konoha my whole life. I'm hoping we can get along well. I can be very useful to Fire Country."

The man nodded and seemed intrigued. "Yes. There are those who might worry."

Naruto sipped at his tea and blinked. "Worry? About what?"

The Daimyo looked at him out of the corner of his eyes. "With something like the...Biiju, a man could become quite powerful. Ambition can be dangerous. I admit, my position can be quite attractive."

The boy nodded. "You're worried I might be interested in conquering Fire Country?" He chuckled a little at that and shook his head. He wasn't familiar with the term Biiju, but assumed he was referring to Tomamo.

The man didn't seem amused or offended. "Might you be?"

The young King shook his head. "What for? We're talking about kitsune. They don't need villages or cities. They live in the wild. What would they do with the place once they had it?"

That seemed to calm the man. "What is it you want?"

Naruto shrugged. "Nothing really. I like Konoha, and I've lived in Fire Country all my life. I can be pretty useful if I like you."

The man sat back and put the tips of his fingers together. "And if you do not?"

The boy shrugged again. "I dunno. I'm not worried or anything, seems I've got my own realm and all." He looked a bit spaced out for a moment.

A new voice spoke up from his side. Both humans looked down to see Masara bowing his head low and speaking to the Daimyo. "If we leave, and you start getting overrun with rats and other pests that we hunt for food, you'll be in quite a position. It would disturb the natural balance. A much larger problem than you might think." He was in his fox form and right beside Naruto's feet. The boy was glad that he'd shown up and rescued him from floundering about in the dark. He had no idea what to do and was doing his best to wing it.

The Daimyo put his fan up over his face. "Oh my. A friend of yours?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. This is Masara. He's a good friend of mine."

The animal kept his head low and turned towards Naruto. "Highness is too kind." He put his paws on the arm of the chair the boy was sitting in and spoke into his ear.

Naruto seemed to think for a moment and nodded. "Hey. Since we're starting relations and all, and I've already done a lot to help you out. I could use a small favor. The Kitsune defended Konoha against an attack by Sound and Sand. I'm hopeful we can be useful to each other in the future. However, I want something in return. A small show of friendship between us." Masara had mentioned to make it sound like a small thing. He wasn't sure why, but it seemed to have the desired effect.

The old man narrowed his eyes. "What might that be?"

The boy leaned towards him. "The fur trade. If we're allies of Fire Country, then it should be against the law to hunt foxes."

The man sat back and put his fan up again. "That could prove difficult."

The boy smirked. "Difficult? For you? You wouldn't hunt your other allies for their skins would you?"

The Daimyo glanced away. "I see. I shall see what I can do."

Naruto nodded. "The more useful you are, the more useful I can be. We don't need much, make Fire Country a safe place for the kitsune, and I can help make it much safer for you."

Masara lowered his head and spoke to the old man again. "He speaks the truth. Highness is the crowned King of Kitsune. Every fox on this world is his subject, not just those in Fire Country." The animal looked up at him. "...and all of us have better eyes, and ears than any human. Each of us is blessed with a mouth as well, if you catch my meaning."

The old man hid his face with his fan again and narrowed his eyes. "Yes. I do."

The door opened again. Hyuuga Hiashi walked in and bowed. "Ah, Daimyo sama. I had just heard of your arrival." He froze as his eyes found Naruto. "Uzumaki."

The young boy nodded. "Hyuuga. I trust you are well?" He had a smirk on his face and put his hand between Masara's ears to scratch his head. The animal thumped his tail on the floor a few times in response. He wasn't a pet, but knew the boy was doing it to call Hiashi's attention to him and jog his memory about recent events. Even though it wasn't something he needed to do. They both knew the man remembered quite well.

The head of the Hyuuga clan did not miss a beat. "I apologize if I interrupted. Your attendants mentioned that you were with someone."

The Daimyo nodded and seemed pleased. "No. I was just meeting the young Kitsune King for the first time. I do hope our future meetings go as well."

Hiashi glanced at Naruto. "King?"

The boy nodded his head with his hands behind his back as a knowing smirk leveled at the man. "Yes. I've met Hiashi before. Quite an interesting man."

The Daimyo seemed pleased. "Oh. Well then. I am hopeful that relations between our two peoples can remain friendly. It seems to our mutual advantage. I do hope we can become strong allies. The world is a cold and dangerous place."

The boy nodded. "Yes. It can be." He glanced at the Hyuuga clan's head. "It's nice seeing you again."

The man glared at him. "Uzumaki. I was not aware that you were..."

Masara looked up at him. "We told you he was. Did you not believe us?"

Naruto looked down at him. "Behave." He looked at Hiashi and bowed his head. "I do hope our future relations are pleasant."

The man lowered his eyes and nodded. "As do I." His fist balled up.

The Daimyo hid his face behind his fan again. "Is there a problem? I suspect that there is history here."

Naruto smiled at him. "No. I've got no problems with the Hyuuga clan. I was born in Konohagakure, and it is my home. I hope that the village remains strong, and that all it's clans do well."

Masara glared at Hiashi, but trotted up to Naruto's side.

The blond boy looked around. "This place is a bit stuffy isn't it?"

The Daimyo seemed pleased with the implied suggestion. "I suppose I could stretch my legs out a little."

The young Jounin smiled at him. "Fancy a drink? I know a great place where we can relax. There's a really great massage parlor there too."

The Daimyo arched his eyebrow. "I wouldn't mind that. I'm afraid my personal masseuse does not travel with me." It was obvious he was aware of the other implication of 'massage parlor'.

The pair walked towards the door. "It's a great place, very pretty girls."

The old man nodded. "I wasn't aware Konohagakure had such a place."

The young King nodded. "Just opened up this month. Bring your friends along. It's on the house."

The Daimyo seemed quite pleased. "Really now. Hiashi? Will you be joining us?"

The white eyed man bowed his head. "Sadly, I have other business. I only came to greet you. If you need anything, feel free to ask the Hyuuga clan. We are at your service as always."

"Speaking of service, this place is top notch..." Naruto chuckled as he led the way. The Daimyo's two door guards moved after them as they moved down the hall and into the village.

Hiashi frowned and turned to leave after them and turned away along a different path.

OooOOooOO

Naruto was quite pleased with himself as he sat behind his desk with his hands behind his head. The Daimyo had left to return to the capitol drunk and happy. The 'girls' had taken very good care of him. The man had opened up like a book and had a wonderful time once he'd arrived.

He'd gotten along well with the old man. He wasn't the best of people, but he couldn't see any problem in getting along with him. He seemed easy to please, and was now on very good terms with the boy. Naruto was also aware that he didn't have much leverage. He'd have to prove his value before anything got done in his favor. If he wanted to rid the foxes of hunters in Fire Country, he needed to prove they were useful. His plans already in motion would do well to that end, and he was confident it would work out in his favor. Once he handed over five hidden Sound bases, the old man would be glad to add a new law to the books. After all, Fox fur wasn't all that profitable. It was a nice business that made money, but hardly essential. Most fur traders and hunters trapped or hunted several kinds of animal. Very few, if any relied on one kind of fur. Laws against hunting foxes wouldn't effect many of them much at all.

Most of the Kitsune who fell to such a fate weren't old enough to have more than one tail. Those who survived long enough to grow a second tended to be smart enough, and powerful enough to elude hunters and trappers. It was rare for hunters and trappers to catch a two tailed fox.

Sasuke was sitting in front of his desk with his legs propped up on top of it and he seemed to be resting his eyes.

Ino was sitting beside him. She looked relaxed and was looking the raven haired boy up and down in a lustful manner. "Well, I leave for Kumo in the morning."

Sakura was at home and getting ready to make the trip to Kumo with Tsunade as her apprentice.

Sasuke nodded without opening his eyes. "Good. Those two jerks are about as ready as they're going to be. I pretty much worked them to muscle failure every day and slapped them around. It was pretty boring, they stopped complaining after I punched them a few times for it. They should do all right. No promises on them passing though."

The blond girl frowned. "Yeah. Well, I'm not worried about them anymore. I've got my own matches to worry about."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, well. I expect you'll do well. We'll be rooting for you."

Sasuke grunted. "Speaking of which, we've all got to leave in the morning." He pulled his feet off the desk. "I'm going to get some sleep."

Ino blinked. "Where are you going?"

The Jounin chuckled. "We're going along. The Hokage is attending, and the rest of your team is going along as her guard."

The blond girl seemed surprised. "Really? That's good. You'll cheer for me, right Sasuke?"

He scratched his head from the doorway. "Well, I'm not going to cheer for the Hyuuga to kill you." He left and strolled out into the hall.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. We'll all be there. You'd better get some sleep. We'll be traveling all day tomorrow."

The blond girl shrugged. "Sure. I guess I should go too." She stood up and left.

As soon as she left, Naruto made an odd face and sat back. "Ahhh. I suppose I should go home and get some sleep myself." He stood up and shoved his shirt into his pants.

Kira crawled out from under the desk and wiped her sleeve across her mouth. "Sure thing, Highness."

He popped his shoulder and started towards the door with the Kitsune following behind him.

OooOOooOO

TBC...

Next Time: The Finals!