Life on Mute: Meeting Mr. Fuzzy

He fell through a void of fire. Feeling the fierce caress of death across his soul. Scenes of fire swept him away in a tide of pain. Maybe they're right. I deserve it. Nobody wants me. Nobody loves me. If someone wanted me they would have saved me. Why will they look at me so? Am I really a monster, a demon? Wait, what about that man in black? Naruto was shaken out of his thoughts when he felt solid ground beneath him.

Naruto awoke in a long, dank, concrete tunnel. Did I do something wrong? This looks like a prison. I was in my house when someone knocked and when I answered the door…

'Come here kit.' said a deep voice which radiatedpower. The voice came echoing down the long corridor.

'Who said that?'

'Follow the corridor kit.'

'O-OK' Naruto agreed timidly.

He began slowly walking down the tunnel, almost at a funeral procession's pace. With his head down he didn't even notice when he entered a large chamber with massive iron bars guarding a shadowed alcove.

'Up here kit'

Naruto's bright blue eyes stared up into slitted gold ones.

'Aaaahhhhhh!'

'Calm down kit, I won't eat you.' When Naruto still looked upon him with fear he sighed. 'Look would you feel better if I was smaller?' Naruto gave an affirmative nod. 'I give you the amazing shrinking Demon Lord Kyuubi.' He announced with a circus like flair.

'That better?'

'Y-Yes, Mr. Kyuubi sir.'

'OK kid listen up, I'm going to explain this once, and only once, got it?'

'Uh huh.'

'First off, have you heard of the nine tailed fox that attacked Konoha five or so years ago?'

'Y-Yah, the fourth killed him right?'

'Ehh. Wrong. The Yondaime only sealed me into a living vessel.'

'A living vessel?'

'Yes, you are that vessel. Konoha's very own youkai.'

'So they're right, I am a demon.' said Naruto as he hung his head in dismay.

'Aren't you listening? I said sealed, not fused.'

'So I'm not a demon?'

'You would be so lucky.'

'Oh. So then why am I here?'

'What happened tonight can't happen again. I refuse to die because my vessel is too weak!' the Kyuubi snarled. 'I refuse to have a weak vessel; as such I will make your greatest fear your greatest strength. Also I like the irony.' He added as an after thought. The most hated child in the Fire Country, having absolute control of fire. Hah.

Finishing these thoughts he noticed the kid was fading out. Or you could say the room was fading out for the kid. Either way this conversation was coming to a close.

'By the way kit, I may be good at healing, but you're too young to handle all that much of my chakra. So don't be too shocked at what's left. Although I did manage to save your eye.' sort of. 'So practice with your gifts or I'll bring you back down here for a chat.'

'O-OK Kyuubi-sama.'

In The Land Of The Living

'Hokage-sama, Naruto is awakening.'

'Thank you Shizune, without you I wonder how he would of turned out. Anyway, isn't it about time you returned to Tsunade, who knows how high her debt may climb in your absence.'

Shizune paled at the ungodly sums her sensei could reach.

'With your permission Hokage I will leave Naruto's recovery and physical therapy to the other medic nins.'

'Permission granted Shizune and thank you once again.'

Half way through his small speech Shizune had disappeared in a rush of wind. BOOM. Sandaime looked over to see a large, Shizune shaped, hole in the hospital wall.

This whole seen was witnessed in a haze by Naruto, as he struggled into consciousness.

'Blahneh?'

'Glad to see you have joined us Naruto, although you should refrain from speaking at the moment.'

'Wah' 'appened?' Naruto's attempt at speech brought a searing pain to his throat.

'After the incident,' at this his voice cracked, 'rushed you to my office. I then stabilized you while he fetched Shizune-san, a skilled medic nin passing through town. She immediately started healing the most serious of wounds. She stayed here for two days to make sure infection did not set in or that any unforeseen complications went untreated. Just now in fact she left to meet her sensei.'

A soft 'oh' escaped his lips. What have they done to you child? Arashi, I have failed you in your last wish.

'Further more, in light of recent events, I will be assigning you a new guardian. I would like to introduce special jounin, Morino Ibiki.'

Just then the previously unseen man stood from his chair. The man in my dreams?

Flashback

'Would you be interested in taking in young Naruto?'

The normally stoic jounin was now showing open shock.

'Me! B-b-but there must be someone more qualified or better suited for such a task.'

'Perhaps. While you are not my first choice, you are the best probability. Tsunade has not yet dealt with her own issues. Jiraiya is hardly the best role model. And even though Kakashi may be willing, he is not much better than Jiraiya.'

'But why me. I specialize in torture and interrogation. I can hardly do better than Kakashi.'

'You actually hit upon just what makes you ideal. You specialize in the workings of the mind. It will simply be a twisting of what you know.'

'I don't know…'

'Consider it a favor to the Fourth.'

'… Very well.'

End Flash

'Hello Naruto.' he said extending his arm.

AN/ Despite almost no reviews, I am continuing this story. Sorry for wait but my other story is doing well and I have been sick all week. Next chapter in 4-5 days. R&R