Hey, it is I! Thank you for the reviews! You are all an inspiration to me! And now, some responses...
SephyNarutoCloud: I do not know whether your review was a flame, or something else.
TimeShifter: I only made them a bit OOC in that chapter. It's not like you see someone whom you thought died five years ago again everyday, you know.
darkshaman817: I'm sorry for your phobia.
swt-angel-babi3, wun-liddo-babi: I know that this story seems rushed, but I'll try to keep it slower. The story Kyuubi Personalities (Another story of mine) I made so that I could work on making relationships seem real. And wun-liddo, teme means idiot.
irukapooka: I have watched a few episodes of Inuyasha, but I don't really like it that much. I guess it's okay. However, I did take the Miroku thingy from it. I learned of it from another fic.
Byuu128: I have some tentative plans about the revolutions. But I may not go through all of them. Also, I will write about the relationships of the other pairings, though there will be more NejiTen than the others. And, of course, Naruto and Hinata's relationship will slowly grow.
A/N: About my other fanfic, Kyuubi Personalities. I am going to change the title. I will post the new title here and in the other fic when I post up the next chapters, though it will still have the original title until I post chapter four for it. Just a heads up, you guys.
I do not own Naruto or King of Fighters.
Now read! I command you! Yo mando que tú leas! (That's Spanish for you, folks.)
Chapter Twelve: The Fox Is Out Of The Scroll
"Wait, Naruto, before you begin, we three have a request for you." Sakura said. By three, she meant her, Ino, and Tenten. They still had stars in their eyes.
'Don't do anything stupid...' thought two shinobis.
"Ok, what is it?" Naruto asked.
"MAY WE TOUCH YOUR TAILS AND EARS???" Sakura almost yelled. Naruto lowered his ears to his head once again trying to silence them out.
"Alright, but just this once." He gave in.
'Wrong move.' Neji and Sasuke thought.
"YES!!!" the three kunoichis squealed. They immediately ran towards him and began to pet his tails and ears. It didn't feel as good as when Hinata pet him. Hinata's touch was nice and soft. Their touches were rough and vigorous.
"Wow, its sooo soft!"
"His ears look sooo kawaii!"
"He's like a living pet! You're so lucky, Hinata!" Wrong comment. Naruto positioned his tails so that Hinata was hanging above his arms. Without a second word, he returned to his human form, much to the dismay of the other three kunoichis.
"EEP!" Hinata yelped. As soon as she fell into Naruto's waiting arms, she immediately grabbed onto him. "Try to warn me next time, will you Naruto-kun?" She said in a freaked out manner.
"Sorry Hinata-chan, but I had to get them to stop." He set her on her feet. She immediately felt homesick without the warmth of he Naruto-kun. "Anyway, its time I get down to the explaining." His face turned grim.
"All of you should know the story of the Fourth Hokage defeating the Kyuubi that attacked Konoha. How do you remember it?"
Neji spoke up. "Of course we do. The Fourth Hokage gave up his life to kill the Kyuubi, therefore saving Konoha from total destruction. Why?"
"I see. You've only been told half of the truth. You see, the Fourth was unable kill it. He wasn't powerful enough. So instead, he gave up his life to seal the Kyuubi in a newborn infant. The reason why you've never been told the whole story was because the Fourth Hokage himself made it against the law to do so."
"But who was the child that got the Kyuubi sealed in it?"
"Allow me to channel some chakra." Naruto pulled down the zipper on his jacket and summoned of some chakra. Hinata blushed and diverted her eyes away. "Don't look away, Hinata-chan. It is important that you know." She turned back, now blushing even deeper.
Naruto tapped into the Kyuubi's chakra. Hinata was no longer blushing. Slowly, before everyone's eyes, the seal, which was the kanji for kitsune, began to form on his stomach. Everyone could feel a sudden boost in the chakra that Naruto had. "Neji, use your Byakuugan and tell me what you see."
Neji quickly activated his Byakuugan and took a look at Naruto. He trembled as he spoke. "I see what looks like a fox's face staring back. What is it and why is it inside of you?"
"Simple. That is because the Kyuubi is sealed inside of me. This is also the reason why I look and dress this way. When I was fifteen, the Kyuubi wanted out and fought for control. I lost my body and it changed to this one, but my mindset was still the same. I am still the same Naruto." Naruto once again transformed into his demon state. He took a good look at everyone and a smile was tempted to crawl onto his face. 'Their looks are priceless right now.' But another thought pushed the temptation to smile away. Pushing back the feelings of emotional pain, he continued his story.
"This was the reason as to why so many people hated me. When I lived at the orphanage, no one would adopt me, no one would even come near me. Hell, even the staff at the orphanage wouldn't let the kids play with me. And, even though the Fourth Hokage ordered that I was to be seen as a hero, I was hated and despised instead. They saw not me, but the demon I carried. And in the end, the hatred from the parents had passed onto the children." A silent tear had managed to escape. He quickly brushed it away.
Naruto decided to let the entire information soak in before he started talking again. His lip was trembling a little. "Well, now that you know who I am, I won't blame you for not wanting to be friends with me anymore." His head slowly began to tilt itself towards the ground. To his surprise, an elegant cream-colored hand was lifting his head up to stare into a pair of pale lavender orbs.
"Naruto-kun, we will always be your friends, no matter what. And nothing will take that fact away from us." Everyone, after regaining their bearings, nodded and murmured in agreement. "Among our group we have a dog lover, a bug fanatic, a woman who has anger problems, a lazy bum, another man with eating problems, a girl who likes to throw things, a man who looks too much like someone else, Mr. Coldhearted, a girl with no special abilities, and two people with strange eyes." She zipped up his jacket for him, but only up to a little more than halfway; they way he wore it. "In a strange way, you complete the circus, Naruto-kun." She gave him a kiss on the cheek. In a strange way, it made Naruto feel better.
"Well," Tsunade spoke up, finishing up a few papers. "Now that you have told everyone, I have something for you, Naruto."
"What is it?"
"Here." She handed him a scroll. "It would be better if you read it than if I tell you." Naruto took a look at it. Written on it said 'From the Fourth Hokage to Uzumaki Naruto.' He opened it up, still in his fox form.
Dear Naruto
I know that it is strange for me to say this. I know that it sounds highly improbable, especially after twenty years of living in the dark, but please, just read on.
You are my son.
I have told the people to treat you like a hero. You have taken on a burden, which no one should ever have to carry. But knowing how shallow-minded they can be, they probably have despised you for a long time. I'm sorry if they have caused you pain.
I gave you your mother's name so that you wouldn't grow up into a spoiled brat. Your mother's whereabouts are currently unknown. I'm sorry that I cannot tell you more than that.
I do not expect you to stay after reading this. If you want, you may leave this village. I, the Fourth Hokage, will allow it. That is, unless you are able to find a reason to stay.
I love you, my son. Never forget that.
The Fourth Hokage
Kazara Yume
Naruto was so shocked that he immediately reverted back to his human state. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"
"Again, it was the Fourth's last wish that the current Hokage would tell you that you were the Fourth's son when you become twenty." There were some short conversations and murmurs coming from the younger generation. "Now, have you found a reason to stay in this village?"
"I've always had a reason to stay in this village; to become the Hokage. But now," He looked at Hinata, who holding on to his arm. "I have another reason to stay." Naruto gave her a soft kiss on the lips, causing her face to flush red. "I never had any intention to leave this place. And I never will." A smile grew on his face. "Now that that's out of the way, who's up for some food? My treat." A grumble from his audience's stomach and murmurs of agreement were his answer. "Then let's go!"
'I guess I'll just tell him after lunch,' Tsunade thought.
They made their grand exodus, being the proud and able shinobis they were and simply doing it for the kicks, out of the window, surprising the civilians around them. Naruto started walking off.
"Um... Naruto-kun, the Ichiraku is that way," Hinata pointed in the other direction.
"Nope, not today Hinata-chan. Today, we're going someplace a little bit fancier than the Ichiraku." Hinata simply blushed like a light bulb. She still had trouble adjusting to the fact that Naruto started add the –chan suffix to her name.
The group of shinobis, all together having comprised of Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, Neji, Tenten, Lee, Hinata, Kiba, Shino, Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji, Kakashi, Iruka, Jiraiya, and Tsunade, ended up outside of a nice sit-down restaurant.
During lunch, Naruto was able to catch up on some of the many things that have happened since he fell. Sound invasions, Konohamaru and his friends becoming chuunin, their relationships, etc were all discussed. He was quite amazed that Hinata had made Jounin before everyone else. Tsunade, however, was quite amazed at something else.
"I never knew you had that much money, Naruto. How did you get it all?" Tsunade said. Being the most loud, talkative, number one surprising shinobi out of Konoha, Naruto had managed to surprise Tsunade when he had more money than she had ever lost gambling. In fact, he beat Jiraiya's bank account by many, many zeros. When Hinata saw it, she could have sworn that he had more money than the entire Hyuuga clan.
"Well, when you help out as the head of multiple revolutions, many people will somehow find a lot of ways to sneak in money into your bank account as a thank you. I was surprised when I discovered I had this much. And forget it, Tsunade-obachan. I'm not going to lend you any money to go gambling. Besides, until I take over, don't you have a job to do?" Naruto shot back.
'Kuso, I was hoping I could weed off some money.' Tsunade scowled.
"So what are you going to do now, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked.
"I'm going to go house-searching. Seeing as how my old apartment was probably given away, I've got no place to stay as of right now." Tsunade, however, had other intentions than just to find a way to weed off some money.
"Actually, you won't be having any time to do so. Not until a few days later at least." Naruto simply stared at her.
"Is there something going on that I don't know?"
"Do you still have your Leaf forehead protector?"
Naruto lifted up his gloved hand to show Tsunade the Leaf emblem on it. "Does this count?"
"I guess that's close enough. I won't be needing to give you another forehead protector to enter then."
"What are you talking about, obachan?"
Tsunade simply balled her fists under the table in order to deal with the anger of being called obachan. "I'm talking about the Jounin exams."
"I can pass that easily. Why should I go through it?"
"Sure, you may be a very prominent shinobi, but you still have to take the exam for the people to accept you and to publicly announce that you're actually alive and not dead. I'll instate you as a chuunin for now, but you need to take the exam to see whether you're worthy or not for the title of jounin."
"I see. Count me in then, obachan."
"I already did. Be at the testing stadium by eight a.m. tomorrow."
"TOMORROW?!? EIGHT A.M.?!? What the hell, obachan! You could have told me earlier!"
"I couldn't, that's the thing!"
"But I still need to-,"
"Shut up and stop complaining!" There was no reason to argue. It would have been fruitless to argue against an enraged Tsunade. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some paperwork to do." Tsunade quickly disappeared from the crowd with a poof.
"Whatever." 'Stupid obachan! Signing me up for the jounin exams. And I couldn't even tell her about what happened with Orochimaru! ...Speaking of that snake...' "Sasuke, can you turn around for a moment? I need to see the back of your neck." Sasuke turned, showing Naruto that the cursed seal had indeed lifted itself from him. "Ok, you can turn back now."
"So... why did you want me to do that?" Sasuke asked.
"I'm just glad that the cursed seal is gone now. Come on, Hinata-chan, let's go." He got up and left the table.
"Hai, Naruto-kun." She stood up and quickly followed after.
Naruto took out his fox wallet and paid the lunch bill. 'I wonder what it'll be like if I get students...' He then thought of his students bugging him to teach them jutsus upon jutsus upon jutsus. 'Yup, they'd be just like me.' He then left for his old Team Seven's training area with his Hinata-chan.
The Jounin Exam? How will that go? Will Naruto pass, being the oaf he is? And how will he train on the day before it? Find out in Chapter Thirteen! The Day Before The Big Day!!!