Naruto felt that he was not himself. His name was Kurama. He had long silver hair, and a floofy silver tail, and tall silver ears. He had just stealing a great treasure, and that was when he saw her.
She couldn't have been more than ten. Her eyes were a startling blue, and her hair was long and bright ice blue as the sky, woven with the feathers of sparrows. She had tattoos of her own, a crescent moon on her forehead, and swirling tattoos down her arms and back.
She wielded a sword and though she was a child she had matchless strength. Her tears were treasure beyond belief. Her chakra was astounding and powerful. She bore the power of one of the great Dragons.
She could kill him.
He wanted her.
His mate, his Kurai.
And he would never harm another human being.
xxx
Naruto was looking forward to a date with Kuri. He wanted to talk to her about his weird dream, the girl with the tattoos looked just like Kuri, and he was a demon . He knocked on her door, but Sasuke answered.
"Where have you been?" Sasuke asked. "It's Kuri. Reiko too. And they have a message."
Laying on the bed was both Kuri and Reiko, beaten beyond recognition. "I've been healing them."
"Naru...to…" Kuri said. "It was Gaara. He's from Sunagakure. He said we were to fight in the Chunin Exams."
"I don't care about that ttebayo!" Naruto yelled. "I'll kill him for this! Where was he—"
"That would not be wise," Sasuke said. "The Suna Team represents Sunagakure. To kill him would be to start a war."
"Sa...su...ke…" Reiko said.
"Do not speak!" Sasuke yelled. "You are much too weak!"
"Don't go to the Exams…Gaara will…" Reiko mumbled. "Please…"
"You are being forced to go," Sasuke said. "I will be by your side."
xxx
Naruto headed out to blow off some steam when a huge chunk of a building was blown up. He goes out to see what all the commotion was, when a man came up to him on a motorcycle... it was Gaara.
"It's you!" Naruto yelled. "You bastard what have you done!"
"As for you and your friends, you have been invited to fight under Konoha's banner at the Chunin Tournament." Gaara said. "Refuse…and your girlfriend and sister will die next time I meet them."
"I won't be forced into this ttebayo," Naruto said.
"You've been having dreams," Gaara said. "Jiraiya is more similar to you than you think. He has offered to train you and alleviate those dreams."
"I don't care!" Naruto yelled. "I won't drag everyone into the Chunin Tournament just because of my problems ttebayo!"
"I barely used my power to destroy those two kunoichi." Gaara said as sand swirled around him, and caught Naruto in its grip.
"F-fine…" Naruto muttered. "You win. We'll be there."
xxx
"You said WHAT?" Kuri yelled at him for the third time.
The two were in the clearing by the Goshinboku. Naruto was leaning against the tree, and Kuri was sitting in the branches, scarred from Gaara's attack, but healed.
"He maimed me," she said, shaking. "The evil prick violated me and you said yes?!"
"He threatened everything," Naruto said. "And he can back it up. You didn't see and feel—"
"I saw and felt when he assaulted me!" Kuri shouted. "We can't go to the Chunin Exams! If we do then—"
"I thought you loved me no matter what? Even though I'm Jinchuriki?" Naruto countered.
"It's different!" tears streamed from her eyes now as Kuri jumped down and got right in his face. "You have a choice! You can just stay with me and be a human man! Or you can choose to use the demon's power and be constantly at war with yourself!"
"Why is this such a big deal to you?" Naruto yelled.
"Cuz I have the dreams too!" she screamed, then lowered her voice to a whisper. "And in them, I'm a miko mated to a demon with a young child. Until one day he loses control and murders my child and I seal him with my own two hands into my necklace! I-I…"
Naruto grabbed her and tried to hug her, but she winced and jumped away.
"Don't…fuckin…touch me!" she yelled. "I'm dumping you!"
Kuri ran from the grove, infuriated.
xxx
Naruto headed into Ichiraku's feeling hungry and frustrated. How was he supposed to know that Kuri was having night terrors? He was mostly mad at himself. Why couldn't he be the man that she needed, defeat Gaara for her?
That's why he was so angry. She was hurt, scarred, and he couldn't stop it. It all played round in his head.
Reiko appeared at his table. "Hey brother. I'll go get our new waitress. She got this job because she wanted to be near her boyfriend can you believe that?"
"Yo lazybums!" Reiko shouted off in the kitchen. "Our best customer and champion wants his usual."
Kuri came out and took one look at Naruto.
"Hey Kuri!" Naruto said, in a voice cheerier than how he felt. "One—"
"I know what you like to eat," Kuri deadpanned and headed back in the kitchen.
In a moment, she headed out with the food, setting it angrily in front of him, then about to head off.
"It would taste better if you sat next to me ttebayo," Naruto said.
"Bite me," Kuri hissed.
"Don't tempt me," Naruto joked.
"That's not funny," Kuri sat down. "So what have you decided?"
Naruto ate his food as he thought, then finished and put his chopsticks down. "Kuri…let's get married."
"Real nice," Kuri hissed. "I dump you and you propose."
He took her hands. "Do have to get down on one freakin knee or what? I'm serious!"
"Right," Kuri tried to pull her hands away. "It's not that easy to get me to forgive you, baka!"
Naruto paused, then looked into her eyes seriously. "Kuri, tomorrow's my birthday. That's when we start the Chunin Tournament. Ten years from that day I want us to return here to Konoha, and get married. Because I'm going to win it. For you."
Kuri sighed. "You didn't honestly expect me to turn down a serious proposal did you?"
"I was worried ttebayo," Naruto laughed.
xxx
Naruto went back to the house to find Kakashi waiting. Reiko and Sasuke were waiting too.
Everyone stopped in place, shocked.
Kuri was wearing a miko's hakama, only the pants were dark blue instead of red. Her black hair had hawk's feathers woven in, and there was an Uchiha crest on her back.
Reiko was wearing a green and gold cheongsam and gold fighting pants, with an Uzumaki on her back.
Sasuke was wearing a black fighting outfit with the Uchiha symbol on the back.
Only Naruto remained unchanged.
Naruto headed up with the others and they met Jiraiya on their way.
"Oh hello there Kurai. You came….and brought me Naruto. He must truly be a useless sort, to not have mated a gem like you yet." Jiraiya said, smiling at her.
"My name was Kuri!" Kuri said indignantly.
"I plan on marrying her ttebayo!" Naruto protested.
Jiraiya grabbed Kuri's wrist and pulled her into a hug. "It is true. You are my dear..." He flung her gently into Naruto. "It's getting hard for you...the desires of the flesh?"
Naruto glared at him, bright red. "What's it to you old man?!" He grabbed Kuri and held her close.
"You misunderstand. Though I hope you can satisfy your woman, I was talking about your own demonic bloodthirstiness. You've been having the dreams already, the desire to fight and kill, but you must only killed her enemies, the evil of the world. Can you do all those things for Kuri? That was what it was to love a miko."
Naruto paused. "Yes I can...I can do all that and still be with her. I wouldn't hurt her ttebayo"
"Then you have already proven yourself. We will train after preliminaries have ended."
Xxx
Reiko headed off and found that there were hundreds of other genin there. Kuri was there too, wearing blue fighting gear and looking dejected.
"What's with you, showing up here and not talking to me first?" Reiko asked her.
"Its…I…." she started. "Well, I went to hug Naruto after we got back, and let out such a blast of silver spirit energy, that he got hurt. I contacted Kakashi myself, and he said that I nearly purified the nine tailed fox. He suggested I learn to control my powers through combat. So here I am."
"I-I'm so sorry," Reiko said, feeling bad for getting pissed at her. "Naruto's worried about you."
Anko pushed open the doors. She was a woman wearing fighting garments with a crescent tattoo like Kuri's surrounded by swirls that seemed to move. Had she too been blessed by Selene? Kaori-sensei, too, possessed the tattoos, though hers were of arrows surrounding her crescent.
"Everyone quiet down," Anko said. "We will start by drawing lots. If the paper has a dash of color red inside then you will qualify for the second round."
Reiko and Kuri looked at their papers, which were red. About fifty others qualified, including Naruto and Sasuke.
"Those with enough chakra made those papers turn to red and advanced," Anko said offhand.
Some fighters were angered by this pathetic type of elimination process and tried to attack Anko, but Anko just looked at them directly and a gush of chakra threw them out and smashed them through the gate.
"She really was awesome," Kuri said. "I know she can help me with my problem."
"And what would that be?" Reiko asked slyly.
"Wouldn't you like to know," Kuri grinned.
"But I would love to have that kind of power." Reiko said.