The Advent91: :)
The Shukaku smiled upon the weakened Naruto who was petrified in fear as there was nothing he can do to escape. The hit he suffered from the monster did a number on him. In fact it almost felt as if his bones were broken even though they weren't. Naruto was in that much pain. The Shukaku raised his large fist in the air making Naruto's eyes widen that much more.
"I guess this is really it…I'm going to die here…At least I gave it all I had…I'm sorry but I can't stop this monster…I can't stop all of this…I can't stop Orochimaru."
"NOW DIE!"
The large fist came down upon Naruto…
"No one kills you except me…"
Naruto felt his mind being pulled away and suddenly he found himself standing before a pair of large caged barred doors with a familiar fox sitting behind it in patience bearing a smile upon his face.
"Nine Tails…?"
"Naruto, you know what must be done."
"Over my dead body…"
"Soon you will be. Didn't I tell you before that if you die then I die and I have no intention of dying."
"You don't have a choice. It's over. I'm finished. There is no way I can stop something like that no matter how strong I become. That things release upon the village was Orochimaru's guarantee for victory. He's won. There is nothing that can stop the Shukaku…"
The Nine Tails smiled…
"I can."
Naruto narrowed his eyes.
"I can stop Shukaku."
"I am not stupid fox! You think I don't know any better? I know that if I set you free I will die. Sure maybe you can stop Shukaku but who is going to stop you from destroying the Leaf village afterwards? I would rather die and take you with me!"
"You're an idiot…"
"Huh?"
"It's time that learned more about your family history."
"What do you know Nine Tails?" Naruto asked in anger.
"You are part of a clan."
"I'm part of a clan? What clan are you talking about?"
"I am talking about the Uzumaki Clan."
"The Uzumaki Clan?"
"That's right. The Uzumaki Clan was rightfully feared as much as the Uchiha Clan. They were feared in their use of seals and of their large pools of Chakra. That would explain your large Chakra pool that is now Ki instead. Not to mention that your clans lifespan could be compared to that of a cockroach. If you were wondering where your fellow clansmen were all of this time there are only few of you left I am sure."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Your clan was wiped out to near extinction long ago while not as bad as the Uchiha but still on the verge of extinction…"
"So I and Sasuke are similar in more ways than one. Why are telling me all of this now about my clan?"
"You didn't let me finish. You see I know who your parents are."
"Are you going to tell me?"
"Not your father for a hate that man to this very day as I curse his name. Your mother on other hand though. Her name was Kushina Uzumaki. Why is the revelation of your mother so important? Well for one when I was forcefully released on a…particular night…your mother survived."
"Forcefully released by whom?"
"Not important. What is more important is your mother survived."
"You are saying that if I set you free I will not die?"
"You won't I can promise you that."
"Thanks for the information but your freedom is not going to happen."
"You forget what I said Naruto. You have no choice but to release me."
"Oh do enlighten me."
The Nine Tails smiled.
"Because Naruto, I am your village's only hope for survival."
Naruto's hands balled into fists.
"You can't defeat Shukaku. You or that perverted hermit won't summon that giant toad either especially in the village. I am sure that no one but the Hokage himself knows how to seal a Tailed Beast and he is trapped like a rat nowhere to be seen. You know, even though that you hate to admit it, that in this situation as of now that to defeat a Tailed Beast like Shukaku is with another Tailed Beast, and that is ME."
"I…WON'T…LET YOU GO!"
"Then everyone…Your village…Your people…Your closet friends…They will all DIE."
"There has to be another way…"
"There is no other way. You are out of options."
"If I let you go you will just destroy the village afterwards! Not to mention that I know you have Ki I can sense it!"
"I would require a human like body…and I don't have one so it was all for nothing." The Nine Tails LIED.
Naruto was not sure. Although he hated to admit or even think it the Nine Tails was right. He was the village's hope against Shukaku but he didn't trust the Nine Tails.
"Tell you what I will make you a deal."
"What kind of deal?"
"If you set me free then I promise not to bring harm upon your precious village."
"You'd honestly believe I would fall for that?"
"Remember how I told you that I would be the one to kill you?"
"What of it?"
"I meant you first. Then I will move on with your precious village."
"NO!"
"Fine."
"Huh?"
"Don't set me free then."
"Wha-,"
"Just know that you will have failed EVERYONE when you could have saved them…through me."
Naruto held his head low.
"I will not bring harm upon your village…for the time being. You cannot deny that I am the only capable of taking on Shukaku. Once you set me free I will even do you and your village the favor in forcing Shukaku out of the village. From there I will take care of him myself. For your concern for me returning to destroy the village it looks like you are just going to have to get stronger to face me."
Naruto's sight snapped back to the Nine Tails upon mentioning the last part.
"Get stronger to face you?"
"I will kill you one on one in the coming days."
"…If I do this then people will shun me even more. Even the respect I managed to gain from the villagers I will lose."
"True that they will or won't but that will just make you that much more of a hero to the village now won't it? Didn't you master say to you once that in the life of a ninja you are going to have to make decisions that you won't like all for the sake of your village? Well then Naruto this is one of them. You are a ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village who is willing to die for his village, country and people. It's all a about what sacrifices are you willing to make. Hurry up and decide otherwise everyone will die."
"He's got me and he's right."
Naruto looked upon the fox with a miserable look.
"You bastard you counted on something like this didn't you?"
"And you find it surprising?"
"Fine…I will release you…Just tell me what I need to do."
"I knew you would understand. It's very simple. Do you see that seal upon this gate?"
"I do…"
"Simply remove it and I will take care of Shukaku."
"I set you free, you defeat Shukaku away from the village and that's the end of it until our fight one day?"
"Yes. A deal is a deal."
"Okay then…"
The Nine Tails waited patiently as Naruto walked forward knowing that he had done it. The Nine Tails would rise again. Naruto came to a stop before the seal reaching up for the seal having a grip on it.
"Now simply remove the seal…"
Naruto began to remove the seal getting halfway but then suddenly he felt a hand grasp his right shoulder and Naruto saw the surprise in the Nine Tails eyes seeing who was standing behind Naruto.
"You…"
"Hey their kiddo I can't have my son doing that."
Naruto removed his hand from the seal making Kurama frown for a moment only for his smile to return. Naruto turned to the voice seeing none other than the Fourth Hokage.
"Minato Namikaze…"
"Fourth Hokage?!"
"Hello, Naruto…"
"What are you doing here?" Naruto asked shocked.
"Naruto remember when I mentioned the man whose name I curse? Well here he is…oh and say hello to daddy."
"You called me son…"
"That's right you are my son. Wow how you've grown."
"So you're my father and the Fourth Hokage…"
"Tha-,"
The Fourth did not finish as he was suddenly punched across the face sending him to the ground.
"How dare you!" Naruto seethed.
"That was some punch." The Fourth complimented as he stood back up to his feet.
"How could you do this to me? How could you give me a life of pain and misery? I was left alone! I fended on the streets! EVERYONE shunned me speaking ill of me. I couldn't make no friends except a few but my life was still HELL! IT WAS ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!"
"Yes…it was not an easy decision for us to make."
"Us…?"
Naruto felt another hand gently place upon his shoulder…
"He means me as well." A gentle feminine voice said.
"So you're here too…"
Naruto eyes began to water as he slowly turned around to be looking into the eyes of a red haired woman who had a similar face to his.
"Are you…?"
"Kushina Uzumaki…"
"Then you're my…"
"Yes, I am your mother."
Minato walked past Naruto joining Kushina's side.
"Just look at our baby boy he has grown so much." Kushina said.
"That he has." Minato said.
"Naruto your father was the one that made the decision all by himself. I too agreed for him to seal the Nine Tails in you."
"But why…? Why me?"
"Your mother asked me the exact same thing. Why our only son? It was hard on us Naruto. We couldn't ask anyone else to take this burden." Minato revealed.
"We know that you were just an innocent child but we believed in you, Naruto. We knew that you would bear through the pain just like I did."
"Just like you did?"
"Yes because I was Kurama's previous container."
"What?!"
"She was and I was sealed within her when she was just a child."
"Within our clan's history we were the ones who decided to carry the burden of the Nine Tails since the era of the Clan Wars. Did you know your great grandmother was the wife to the First Hokage of the Leaf?"
"SHE WAS?!"
"We are also distantly related to the Senju effectively making them our distant cousins."
"No way…"
"Way."
"I hate to disturb your family reunion but I have a Tailed Beast to take care of."
"Yes and returning to that topic. Naruto, why did you try to free the Nine Tails?" Minato asked.
"You were going to free Kurama?" Kushina asked.
"…There is no other way. Orochimaru has organized an attack on the village. He is stronger than he was before and he released Shukaku in the middle of the Hidden Leaf village that no one expected or was prepared for. The Third is trapped and he has no way of countering against the Shukaku. Leaf ninja are giving it their all but Shukaku is too powerful. The Shukaku won't leave the village either and I can't summon the Toad Boss in it as there could still be the risk of villagers being extracted even in the middle of the attack. The only strategy against a Tailed Beast is to counter against him with another Tailed Beast and in this case…the Nine Tails."
Minato and Kushina looked over their shoulders upon the Nine Tails.
"What your son says in true. At this rate your precious village will fall by the end of the day with nothing to stop it. That Orochimaru planned it all out well."
"He will just destroy the village afterwards." Minato said.
"Then your son will just have to try and stop me in the future."
The Nine Tails suddenly saw Kushina walking closer to the bars of his cage coming to a stop just right in front of them.
"Mom please don't get to close!" Naruto warned.
"It's okay Naruto. Kurama won't hurt me…right Kurama?"
The fox turned his head away.
"He won't?" Naruto asked.
"I and Kurama like your grandmother formed a bond with him and that bond was friendship. I treated him with respect and he in return did the same. We became partners. Kurama has a soft spot for me although he does have a temper."
"Oh shut up…"
"Do you think he can be trusted, Kushina? He made his intentions clear. He wants to destroy the Leaf village in the future." Minato asked.
Kushina continued to stare into Kurama's eyes.
"It's all just because of a misunderstanding. Kurama is not some all pure evil fox that you are led to believe. I would know. He has much hatred for human kind and even though he says he is filled of nothing but pure hatred he knows himself that there is a soft side to him. You know some ray of light."
"There isn't."
"Sure you just keep telling yourself that." Kushina replied with a smile on her face.
"…There was also another reason as to why we sealed the Nine Tails in you, Naruto." Minato said.
"What other reason?"
"It's because of an ancient ninja that the world thought to be long dead."
"Who is this ancient ninja?"
"Madara Uchiha."
The Nine Tails gave a growl at the mention of the name.
"Uchiha…?"
"He was a powerful ninja. I would know because I fought him on the night of the attack."
"Are you talking about the Nine Tails Fox Attack?"
"He is." Kushina confirmed joining Minato's side again.
Naruto put two and two together as he looked upon the Nine Tails…
"So that's what you meant by not of your own will. You were forced!"
"While I was giving birth to you that night the seal would be weakened. Madara learned of this somehow and took advantage of it forcefully releasing Kurama freeing him but he was used by Madara against his own will."
"Madara's Sharingan made sure of that. Madara Uchiha was the only one in known history known to control the Nine Tails." Minato said.
"How can he still be alive?" Naruto asked.
"We don't know but he is another reason why we sealed the Nine Tails in you so that if he ever became a threat to the Leaf again that you would be there to stop him with the power of the Nine Tails while securing the village's prosperity as well as any other threats out there."
"That sounds so selfish…"
"It does but we really did it for intention of protecting the village against Madara. Now that's all changed with what is happening with the village right now…" Minato said.
Kushina looked over her shoulder back upon Kurama sensing something different about him.
"Kurama I sense something different about you? It doesn't feel like your normal Chakra."
"I knew you were lying to me." Naruto said narrowing his eyes.
"Well oh darn I guess I couldn't get away with that one."
"So you really do have Ki then."
"Not within me now. I created my own. I still retain my Chakra but I can't use this without a human body."
"I thought I remember seeing you making something the last time I came here…"
Kurama's eyes narrowed.
"You already made one didn't you?!"
"He made his own body but how?" Minato wondered aloud.
"I am not going through the details. It doesn't matter now."
"It matters to me so spill you damn fox! You intend to use that power don't you?"
"Not right away you idiot! I can only use Ki until I transform!"
"Transform and that will just make you stronger."
"It will make me weaker you buffoon!"
"Huh? Wait it minute that doesn't make sense? Why would you do that than if you know it will make you weaker? Your powerful as you are aren't you?"
"Yes it will make me weaker and I am willing to accept that. However I know that I will become that much more powerful this way with this power than I ever dreamed of with time."
"You will substantially be weakened but still a viable threat even to Naruto and the village." Minato said.
The Nine Tails growled.
"It doesn't matter anyway! You are just almost out of time here and you all have no choice in the matter."
"Naruto, are you sure you want to do this?" Minato asked.
"…I really don't but knowing of what will happen and of what he intends it's like he said. I will grow stronger and when he threatens the village I will be there to stand between him and it."
Minato and Kushina looked at each other for a moment before sharing a smile.
"Okay then Naruto."
"You both are okay with this?"
"We know you won't let the village down." Minato said.
"We are confident in your ability to stop Kurama when that day comes." Kushina says.
"As for Orochimaru we know you can stop him Naruto. We have been watching you progress under Kakashi and Master Zen's guidance, and Naruto you can put a stop to Orochimaru, but put a stop to him once and for all." Minato said.
"I will."
Kushina once again turned to Kurama…
"What?"
"Will you help Naruto against Orochimaru?"
"I will be the one who defeats Naruto not him. If it comes to it I will jump in…"
"Good enough. It's sad that you want revenge against Naruto."
"You can blame your precious Leaf village for that using your clan as my captors. You and your grandmother were kind to me but don't think that I liked be sealed away with my freedom taken away to give equal power to the nations of selfish humans. My right to revenge is justified against humans and the village. I was sealed in yet another Uzumaki and it was this one who no doubt hailed of the Leaf. It's revenge against not just your village, not just against the First Hokage who put me in this situation in the first place, not just against the Leaf Village but also against humanity."
"I never knew you had this much hatred inside of you Kurama…"
"What would any of you know about me? You humans know nothing…"
"Then maybe one day I can quell that hatred of yours." Naruto suddenly said.
"What did you say?"
"You heard me."
"Have you gone idiot in the head or something? I will be your enemy after all of this."
"That may be true but it's possible for anyone to change and now I believe even a Tailed Beast like you. Like my mom said you still have a little light in you."
"Shut it!"
Naruto chuckled.
"Well then I guess it's decided." Minato said.
"And right in the nick of time too." Kushina said.
Naruto suddenly saw them beginning to disappear.
"Hey what's going on?"
"Sorry son but we are only able to remain here for a short time. Our Chakra's are running out. It was good to see you Naruto and to watch you grow up to the man you are now." Minato said.
"Thank you…dad."
"Take care Naruto and please be careful. Also make sure you find yourself a suitable girl to your liking."
"Thanks mom…I will."
"We love you son…" They both said as they faded away.
Naruto reached a hand forward as they both disappeared but he felt as if their hands reached out to him.
"We ALWAYS be with you."
Naruto's head hung as drops of his tears fell…
"Mom…dad…"
"They are really gone. I don't sense their Charka's anymore. Now Naruto remove the seal…"
Naruto brought his hand back up to the seal continuing to pull it but stopped at the very last second just a mere pull away from Kurama's release.
"Why are you stopping?"
"I guess I should thank you in a way."
"Thank me for what?"
"If it weren't for me pulling this seal then I would have never met my parents. Now I know that they loved me and didn't abandon me. I thank you…Kurama."
You can see on the fox's face that he did not like Kurama thanking him.
"…Just pull the damn seal."
Naruto removed the seal and the result was instantaneous. The gates flew open and Kurama smiled wide in glee.
"FINALLY!"
Returning to the real world the large fist of the Shukaku closed in!
"DIE!"
Naruto was on his knees until a great demonic Chakra was suddenly felt throughout the village by all. Naruto suddenly howled aloud in agonizing pain as his eyes were lite up a complete red color and flying off of his body and out of his mouth was a red orange Demonic Chakra. The Shukaku sensing this great presence halts in his attack and both Master Zen and Orochimaru in the sky looked on in shock as well knowing full well what this was. Knowing full well what Naruto had just done. All in the village be it civilian or ninja of both sides could feel it!
Both Jiraiya and Hiruzen can not only sense it but see it from where they were as they both fought against the Reanimated First and Second Hokage. The Demonic Chakra shot up into the air taking up shape accompanied by a large explosion of smoke. The Shukaku looked upon the large cloud of dirt that was before him feeling the Demonic Charka of the Nine Tails in it. In fact Shukaku was hoping that this wasn't the Nine Tails at all. However the Shukaku's fears were confirmed as well as everyone in the village as they all saw a number of NINE TAILS emerge above the smoke! Then that is when EVERYONE saw the Nine Tails leaping out of the smoke at Shukaku wearing a smile upon its face.
THE NINE TAILS WAS FREE!
The Nine Tails collided with Shukaku grunting aloud with Shukaku as he managed to flip himself over Shukaku with through the air over the village wall crashing just outside of it with an earth shake following afterwards.
"No he didn't!" Master Zen said aloud.
Orochimaru was seething in rage right now.
"You got to be kidding me! HE RUINED IT ALL AGAIN! He released the Nine Tails to counter against the Shukaku."
Orochimaru looked down to the village below where Naruto was and saw his seemingly unbreathing a nonmoving form. Seeing this made Orochimaru form a smile…
"What a fool. He should have known that it would kill him in the end."
Master Zen looked down at Naruto seeing him not moving or even breathing. In fact he feared that Naruto was dead. However both of them saw Naruto slightly move to starting to take in air…
"That's impossible!" Orochimaru said aloud.
"Naruto's life force is near the edge. Wait he is on the edge of death. That means!"
"I should kill him now before he becomes that much more of an annoyance."
Orochimaru took aim with his left palm to blast a beam to finish off the weakened and near death like Naruto only for Zen to think fast as he called aloud…
"SOLAR FLARE!"
"Not again!"
Once again Orochimaru was blinded by the Solar Flare as Master Zen took off with all speed down to Naruto.
"You damned coward!" Orochimaru yelled aloud as he grabbed his eyes in pain.
Zen Sarutobi came to a landing besides Naruto seeing the condition he was in and heard him say something in a low voice…
"I'm sorry…I had no choice…"
"I have just one but I got to take him away from here to a safe house for him to recover. Somewhere Orochimaru will not find him outside the village. There is one nearby but it's far. Thank goodness for flight it should take me about twenty minutes to get there. Hang on Naruto."
Zen's Ki flared around his body before he takes off to the sky flying over the village and the mountainside of the Hokage Faces heading for a safe house. As he was flying away from the village he knew that once he had dropped Naruto off to give him what he needed to recover faster he would have to return with all speed to face off against Orochimaru.
"There is no telling how powerful a Saiyan becomes recovering from near death but the experience that Naruto has just had will give him quite the power boost. He may even become stronger than me. To be young again…"
Orochimaru began to open his eyes as his vision slowly began to return…
"Finally I can see again…"
He then angrily looked about in the air for Zen but did not see him in sight nor did he see Naruto below.
"So he took Naruto and retreated but to where?"
A loud roar was heard to his right and looking to the source he saw the Nine Tails delivering an uppercut to Shukaku sending the One Tails back flipping before crashing back down on earth.
"This was never supposed to happen. I didn't think that damn would go through with something like that! Damn it all. The Nine Tails even deliberately took the battle outside the village as well. As powerful as I am now there is no way I can take down two Tailed Beasts?"
There was only one thing that Orochimaru can do now.
"I can start looking for Sasuke but where is he?" Orochimaru asked aloud as he looked upon the village below him.
Orochimaru knows that it was going to be difficult because with all honesty his senses were not as good as someone like Zen's.
"Let's see from here I can sense that the Reanimations are still holding up well but they don't have much time left. No matter both Jiraiya and Sarutobi sensei will be so exhausted to a point that even I will be able to finish them off. Searching this large village is going to take time."
Orochimaru blasted down through the air coming to a landing upon a random building within the village.
"No matter I will just send out a search party."
Orochimaru's Sound Four appeared behind him?!
"Lord Orochimaru, command us as you will." Sakkon said.
"Ah the beauty of Shadow Clones and I bet not even Sarutobi sensei or that idiot Jiraiya realize it." Orochimaru said.
"Your plan is going smoothly my lord." Tayuya said.
"No it is not! That Nine Tails brat released the Nine Tails to repel the Shukaku away from the village! Does that sound like it's going according to plan to you?"
"F-Forgive me, Lord Orochimaru."
"Bah it doesn't matter for now. I will destroy this entire village myself if I have too brick by brick. Right now I need your assistance. You see Sasuke has gone under the radar and I am tasking the five of you to track him down."
"Isn't Kabuto most likely with him? Why doesn't he just send in a summon?" Sakkon asked.
"I informed Kabuto to remain in cover. He can't risk sending me a summon he would be detected if he did. Also…if any of you see Naruto Uzumaki…KILL HIM. He has become a throne in my side long enough already!"
"Yes!" They all responded.
"Now scatter!" Orochimaru commanded with a wave of his arm.
The Sound Four did just that going their separate ways leaving Orochimaru to himself as he was about to begin his own search for Sasuke but he suddenly sensed someone nearby. Could it be Sasuke? He took flight and when coming to the source he found a teenage girl who looked a lot like Anko.
"That's Anko's little half-sister, Konai."
He was aware that Konai was a part of Kabuto's squad and that she was teamed with Naruto on that squad. He then had a sinister idea. Konai came to a stop taking in some air as Orochimaru came to a soft landing right behind her.
"You look familiar…"
Konai froze in fear at the sound of that voice accompanied by that chuckle. She slowly turned around and her fears were confirmed as she was looking into the eyes of Orochimaru himself.
"You are dear sweet Anko's little sister."
"Y-You're Orochimaru!"
"That I am…"
"You are the bastard that placed that cursed mark upon her neck!"
"She should be honored to have a taste of my power."
"You son of a bitch you defiled her with that damn thing."
"Do you hate me?"
"What kind of a question is that? Of course I hate you."
"And what are you going to do about it then?"
He noticed how she slowly reached for a kunai…
"Oh do you want to kill me? I wish you the best of luck then…just as I did to Naruto."
"What!"
Orochimaru chuckled…
"What did you do to him?"
"He's dead." Orochimaru lied.
"You liar!"
"Do you know what he was? He held the Nine Tailed Demon Fox prisoner and he set it free. Do you know what happens when a Human Sacrifice sets his Tailed Beast free? He or she dies."
"YOU BASTARD HE WAS MY FRIEND!"
Konai rushed Orochimaru but she was backhanded away across the dirt. Orochimaru chuckled as Konai picked herself up from the dirt glaring at him with murder in her eyes.
"I can see the murder in your eyes. Just like your sister."
"You monster…"
Konai charged Orochimaru once again with watery eyes but once again she was easily tossed aside as Orochimaru suddenly appeared before her during her sprint impacting his fist in her gut. The powerful punch knocked the breath out of her body launching back through the air hitting the wall of a building.
"Pathetic…but you may be of use to me." Orochimaru said as he stalked toward Konai.
"Incredible! He takes me down in one hit…I really screwed up running out here alone."
Orochimaru reached down grasping her neck lifting her up in the air choking her to the verge of forcing her to pass out. Konai was passing out slowly but as she did she saw how Orochimaru inched his teeth closer to her neck…
"No…"
Just outside of the village within its forests the two beasts continued to battle it out with the Nine Tails keeping to his word. The Nine Tails was kicking the Shukaku's ass! Shukaku howled aloud as he spun his form swinging its long tail only for the Nine Tails to easily duck over as he reached a hand up catching the tail having a good grasp on it. The fox quickly grasp with his other hand and threw the Shukaku across the forest shaking the earth beneath them.
"What's wrong, Shukaku? What happened to all of that tough talk earlier?" Kurama asked and taunted.
"Damn you Kurama! I'll make you pay for this!"
"Hearing that coming from you a ONE TAILS is hilarious."
"Kurama how dare you mock me?!"
Shukaku took in a deep breath firing powerful bullets of air as he called out…
"Wind Style: Air Bullets!"
The Nine Tails fired cannon balls of his Demonic Chakra colliding with the air bullets canceling them out but the multiple bullets of Charka still fired effectively hitting Shukaku who grunted aloud with every hit, and with every hit smoke formed eventually covering his entire being before the Nine Tails halts his fire.
"Shukaku you know there is no way you can hope to defeat me. You were always the weakest amongst us."
Shukaku roared aloud clearing away the smoke…
"I HATE YOU!"
"If you hate me so badly then come over here and do something about it."
Shukaku did something that the Nine Tails had honestly never seen Shukaku do before and that was breaking down into sand blowing away with the wind. The Nine Tails was confused while that very sand formed behind him and the Nine Tails was suddenly grabbed from behind the head forcefully slammed into the forest floor below as Shukaku laughed aloud. The laughing did not last long as the Nine Tails elbow hit straight into Shukaku's face forcing him to release the Nine Tails. Nine Tails in anger quickly turned around grasping Shukaku's neck having a grasp on Shukaku as the fox then continuously punched Shukaku in the face. Every punch he delivered to Shukaku's face echoed aloud and Shukaku yelping aloud with each punch to his face. The Nine Tails then reared his large fist back growling aloud before delivering one final punch that was so strong that Kurama's punch forced Shukaku off his feet into the forest floor.
The Nine Tails was not done as he then quickly stood upon his two back legs and proceeding to stomp his right foot repeatedly on Shukaku.
"YOU! ARE! SO! WEAK!"
The Nine Tails then reached down with both hands throwing Shukaku through the air once again crashing across the forest floor.
"Just accept your defeat already."
Nine Tails galloped toward Shukaku who suddenly opened wide and formed a black mass of Chakra. It was a Tailed Beast Bomb! The Nine Tails stopped in his tracks seeing what Shukaku was doing.
"Getting desperate I see."
"This is where you will die Kurama!" Shukaku proclaimed aloud as he continued to form his Tailed Beast Bomb.
"Do you really think that is going to make a difference against me, Shukaku? You are a ONE TAILS against a nine. The end result is predictable…"
"SILENCE!"
Shukaku fired his Tailed Beast Bomb toward the Nine Tails who stood his ground with the village behind him. It would make one believe that he was protecting it but he was not doing that in the least. The Nine Tails smirked…
"And this is where you realize you never stood a chance."
Kurama roared aloud as he reared his right fist back channeling his power and literally PUNCHING Shukaku's Tailed Beast Bomb RIGHT BACK AT SHUKAKU!
"IMPOSSIBLE!"
The Tailed Beast Bomb was repelled right back to its source leaving Shukaku to howl aloud as his own Tailed Beast Bomb collides with him causing a powerful explosion. The Nine Tails just stood there with a small smile upon his face enjoying what he just did to Shukaku.
"How pathetic to be killed by your own attack…"
Smoke replaced the light show but the Nine Tails was surprised seeing the still standing but damaged Shukaku still standing as the smoke parted away revealing Shukaku was inside a crater.
"Kurama you damned fox! Look at what you have done to me!"
"You did this to yourself. You should have known that your attack would be child's play to a nine Tailed Beast such as I. You shouldn't have tried to kill Naruto thus trying to kill me and you shouldn't have taunted me. How will this end for you I wonder?"
"You can't kill me and you know it."
"You're right I can't but then again unlike you I am no longer imprisoned but you still are linked with your container who just so happens to be exposed upon your head. I am shocked that you managed to keep him safe from your own attack. Oh I wonder what would happen if I crushed him instead?"
Kurama can see the fear in Shukaku's eyes as Shukaku backed up bringing one of his hands to cover Gaara.
"Even if you did that I would still come back!"
"True but at least I will have the satisfaction of wiping you out. So prepare yourself!"
Within the quiet shelters Anko was walking about looking for her little sister.
"Ibiki, have you seen Konai?"
"No."
"Oh shit!"
Meanwhile within a clear open field of grass surrounded by trees Zen Sarutobi came to a landing with Naruto in his arms. This was far enough as he was now half way from Tea Country at this point and from the village. He walked over to a boulder within center and forming a hand sign Zen said aloud…
"Release!"
The illusion was dispelled revealing a pair of stairs heading underground. He descended the steps eventually reaching the bottom now within the safe house that was quite small but this was one of the safe houses of the Fourth Hokage. How Zen knew this was because he saw a familiar kunai belonging to the man hanging not too far away from a bed across from a set of clothing and armor that belonged to Zen in his younger days. It was mainly when he was around Naruto's age. Zen would use this safe house at times for a place to rest but now it was for Naruto to stay safe and recover. He gently placed Naruto down upon the bed and reached into his sash pulling out what looked to be a bean?
"It may not be like the Senzu Bean we wanted but it's close to one. I just hope it works this will be the first time actually using it."
This was their prototype version of a Senzu Bean. The original Senzu they tried to recreate but did not know how. However this one was said to at least do half the work the originals did long ago. This would restore Naruto back to full capacity but with time. At least it beats a visit to hospitals. That is when Zen noticed Naruto's wounds were SLOWLY healing him?
"His wounds are healing but how? He released the Nine Tails therefore he shouldn't have a healing factor anymore. What is going on?"
That was a mystery he would have to solve later.
"Once Naruto is fully recovered from this bean he will become that much stronger and be of greater help against stopping Orochimaru…"
That is when he noticed a second thing odd from the corner of his eyes from Naruto mainly near his left hip.
"What's that?"
There was something under Naruto? It looked brown and…furry! Zen's eyes suddenly widen as he knew what it could be. He gently lifted Naruto up and his mouth went agape at what he was seeing twitching underneath Naruto having sprouted.
"He's grown a tail!"
Yes ladies and gentleman. Naruto Uzumaki has now grown a tail and a Saiyan one.
"But how and when did he? Wait a minute! A Saiyan's tail is said to grow when in extreme danger. It must have been when he was facing certain death against the Shukaku. It could have grown on so many different occasions but it does now? Hold on this makes things even better. Yes! Since Naruto has finally grown his tail then he is that much stronger and when he fully recovers from this bean he will be even more so. Could Naruto defeat Orochimaru?"
"Where…am I?" Naruto wheezed.
"You're safe."
"W-Where is Orochimaru?"
"He is back in the village. Right now you are in a safe house to recover."
"Master…I had no choice but to release Kurama."
"Kurama?"
"That's the fox's name. Kurama was the only force capable of stopping that beast. I did it for everyone…"
"…We will worry about him later. Right now Naruto I need you to eat this."
Naruto saw the bean Zen offered.
"A bean?"
"This bean beats a hospital visit. It may not heal you to full capacity right away but give it time. Once it does you feel as good as new."
Take into account that Naruto still somehow has a healing factor but was much slower than before when the Nine Tails was sealed within him. Naruto will recover that much faster. Naruto opened his mouth as Zen slid it in his mouth and Naruto began to chew. It was crazy but Naruto began to feel its effects although slow.
"I can feel it. It's slow but my strength is slowly coming back to me…"
"I am going to go back to the village."
"You're going to face Orochimaru aren't you?"
"I have too. I may be the only one that can stop him at the moment."
"What if you can't?"
"Then I will die trying. Naruto please do not try returning to the battlefield until you know you are fully recovered."
"But…"
"Please do not argue. If you were to return back in your current condition you would only be a hindrance in the battlefield and you know that."
Naruto knows he was right.
"I will see you soon…Naruto."
Master Zen left Naruto behind running out of the safe house to above ground and taking off full speed back to the Hidden Leaf village.
"Damn…I feel so useless right now."
Returning back to the village or rather just outside of it the Nine Tails prepared himself to rush Shukaku having full intentions of killing Gaara.
"Here I come!"
Shukaku watched as the Nine Tails galloped his way and he knew that he would die if he lost Gaara. He could resort to sacrificing his freedom by forcefully waking Gaara back up. He did not want to be defeated so he had no choice and forced Gaara to awake and upon Gaara opening his eyes the Shukaku broke down into sand. The Nine Tails came to a halt seeing what Shukaku had done as he watched Gaara fall toward earth only to caught by two Sand ninja being Kankuro and Temari that immediately began to flee away from the Nine Tails, and away from the Leaf Village.
"That coward forced Gaara to awaken so he wouldn't fall to me. Why am I not surprised? I guess it doesn't matter anymore seeing as Shukaku now knows his place. With all that out of the way…"
The Nine Tails smiled.
"It's time."
What he was about to do was going to hurt him. The reason why is because he was no longer going to be this powerful as he was now but he would have access to his created Ki. He would be SEVERLY weaker but still a threat. With honing of his new powers he would become that much more powerful than he ever was in time. The Nine Tails let out a breath as he closed his eyes sitting motionless. A few second had passed until his eyes snapped back open revealing them to be a complete bright red light. He began to roar aloud that did not go unnoticed by anyone's ears. The Nine Tails clenched his teeth looking to be in pain and then that is when his entire being light up a red orange casting a great light throughout the village. He continued to roar into the sky as his feet lifted off the ground looking to be floating and then slowly he began to shrink! As he began to change his power began to decrease.
It took a near minute but his size shrinks down to the size of a human. His body even began to reform looking humanoid with his signature long fox ears. His full appearance cannot be seen as he was still a bright orange red color still changing. His growling of pain began to lessen as he clenched his now formed hands into fists. Soon the light show died down and all that can be seen floating in the sky above the leaf's forest was the still light up fox humanoid figure looking calm and relaxed looking to be a height to that of someone like Kakashi.
Kankuro and Temari were not out of the area yet with their brother as they watched the entire thing now looking upon the floating lite up figure in the sky.
"Temari, what the hell is going on?"
"I-I don't know?"
That is when he was FINALLY revealed. He had red orange fur with his retained fox snout and coloring around his eyes stretching up to his ears. He looked to have an average build as he wagged his now single tail behind his form protruding out of the back of his black baggy pants he formed. Around and over parts of his torso he looked to be wearing crimson colored pieces of cloth mainly being a total of eight that all seemed to flow behind him like a perfect cape. It almost looked as if he really did still retain his nine tails only those were not tails. Lastly comes the Piccolo like shoes he wore upon his feet and the crimson bracelets.
"Could that be the Nine Tails?" Temari asked.
The newly reformed Nine Tails finally opened his eyes revealing they were red but they did not retain his demonic eyes but they looked similar to Naruto's eyes instead. The newly reformed Nine Tails looked upon his hands with his white fingernails still retained and he was satisfied with the results. Even more so as Kurama can now sense his Ki flowing through him and not a spec of Chakra detected.
"I am now reborn…" Kurama said no longer sounding demonic, loud or intimidating.
Kurama then proceeded to perform punches and kicks about testing his new body coming to a halt in his actions to then flaring his white Ki around his form wearing an evil like grin.
"I am most pleased with these results. Finally I have full access to my Ki. I may be substantially weaker than I was before but I will grow much more powerful with this power. Oh the possibilities…"
Kankuro and Temari continued to stare until slowly Kurama looked over his shoulder down at them flashing them a smile.
"I can sense you!" Kurama said aloud.
Kankuro and Temari freaked and fled with their brother and surprisingly Kurama let them get away.
"I could have killed them along with Shukaku but I don't feel like wasting my energy on them."
Kurama then expands his senses to the village.
"I can sense that Orochimaru fellows Ki. Should I go after him myself? No I want to see how things play out. Where is Uzumaki though? I don't sense him in or near the village? He is most likely recovering somewhere most likely away from the village but where is Zen?"
He detected him coming from Kurama's north over the mountainside of the Hokage faces.
"There he is and he is closing in and it looks like he is heading for Orochimaru. Yeah I will just watch how this all goes. Hell maybe he will wipe out Orochimaru for me or at least die trying or maybe they will kill each other. Anyway it's still one less threat to me."
Kurama took off heading off to a different location to watch.
"…Now I'm free."
