Promises
By Lochar
A/N: The next Pinions chapter is with my beta. This is unbeta'd. So, as you can see, I wrote this while my beta was working on the next chapter of Stone Pinions. Expect that chapter up some time this weekend.
Chapter 2
Naruto watched as both Tsunade and Jiraiya inked out seals around the hospital bed. After they'd finished, they stood on either side of the circle and nicked a finger with a kunai, before slamming their hand down on the edge of the seal.
The circle glowed briefly before the seals sunk into the floor, still visible but now looking to be a part of the floor instead of just ink.
"That should do it." Tsunade said tiredly.
"What'd you do, anyways baa-chan?" Naruto asked, puzzlement and worry in his voice.
"It's a containment circle. Sasuke will not be able to leave it. I'm not taking any chances on him running off again." she told him. "We don't know how much of it was his own free will to leave, and how much was the seal pushing him to leave."
Naruto nodded, looking over at the boy he had called brother, right before he'd broken his arms and legs. "So when can we let him out? He's not going to like staying in there."
"As soon as I figure out a way to either contain or break Orochimaru's seal." Jiraiya answered. "Until then though, the med nin's have been told to use only minimal healing jutsu on him. I'll have more time to figure it out if he's still in no shape to attempt escape."
"I guess I understand, ero-sennin."
"Now, we need to check you out as well. I doubt Sasuke just stood there and let you pound on him."
No. Not until we have our discussion.
Naruto shook his head. "I can't. Not just yet."
Tsunade frowned. "You don't have much of a choice, Naruto. I want to make sure you came out of your battle okay."
"Sorry, but I have to have another conversation first apparently." Naruto looked between his sensei and the Fifth Hokage.
Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "And who do you have to talk to, that's more important than making sure you won't keel over in the next hour?"
"The Kyuubi." Naruto said, carefully watching the two adults, both of who started at this.
Jiraiya was the first to react. "I don't think that's a good idea. Kakashi told me what you told him."
Crap. Putting his hands together in the Ram seal, Naruto quickly shouted, "Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." and the room and the hallway outside quickly filled with as many Naruto clones as could fit. Each clone quickly did the replacement jutsu and smoke filled the area.
Tsunade and Jiraiya looked at each other before nodding and reaching out for the nearest Naruto, hitting them and making them vanish.
They quickly beat up all the clones, which just stood there and accepted the hits. Quickly they went through them all, only to find Naruto had made good his escape.
"I hope Naruto knows what he's doing." Tsunade said, once she discovered there were no more clones, or Naruto, to be found.
"As do I."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
He sat atop the Hokage monument, looking out over Konoha.
Alright fox, what was so important that I couldn't let baa-chan and ero-sennin make sure I was alright?
Because kit, they would have discovered something that I would rather you learn from me. Come into your mind so we may talk easier.
Naruto closed his eyes and remembered the prison he'd first seen the Kyuubi in. Concentrating on going back there, Naruto slumped slightly as his senses focused inward.
Opening his eyes again, he saw the Kyuubi standing in it's cage, with the Fourth's seal still covering the lock. Although the wall itself seemed to be missing several bars.
"What's up?" Naruto asked.
"In your mind, who you are is a reflection of your true self. Look at yourself." Was the answer he got.
Naruto looked down at himself and let out a yelp. His hands had changed to claws like when he used the Kyuubi's chakra. "What in the world!"
There was a deep chuckle from behind the seal. "The price of your agreement. In unsealing my gates, I attempted to destroy yours and replace them with mine. I was going to turn you into my host, so I would have a body again."
"I thought you said you couldn't escape." Naruto looked at the fox, confused.
"And I can't. But that's not to say I could not turn your body into one more suitable for myself."
Naruto backed away from the prison. "I'm not unsealing you anymore then. I'm not going to give my body to you."
"You need not worry about that, my kit. I did not manage that. I give you my word on that as a demon lord. Either I underestimated the seal placed by your fourth Hokage or your own ability, but instead of destroying your gates they blew open and then converted themselves into a demonic version of themselves based upon my own chakra."
"Nani?"
"What your sensei referred to as the initial gate and the wonder gate were blown open, expelling all of your human chakra that they had control over. That is the immense energy you had. When they closed, instead of my gates becoming yours, they molded themselves into kitsune gates. One quarter of your own chakra is now kitsune and that is reflected on your body."
Naruto sat down heavily on the ground. "So now the villagers are right? I really am a demon huh?"
"Only in part. You are still more human than kitsune, but it still makes you my child. And I will not attempt harm on a child of mine." The Kyuubi lowered it's head towards Naruto. "And the influence your own kitsune chakra grants you will only show after much stress on your own chakra, or if you will it."
Naruto stood back up. "Wonder if my hands are the only thing that changed then? I wish I had a mirror."
He then jumped as a mirror appeared before him. The Kyuubi laughed. "This is your mind, kit. It is yours to change as you see fit."
Looking into the mirror, Naruto saw that his eyes had turned a much deeper shade of blue and had vertical slits. "I guess that isn't bad. If I'm fighting, it'd be hard to tell that too much had changed I guess."
"More will come in time, with your own growth in power. I can still grant you my own chakra to augment yours and you will see my reflection in you."
Red chakra flowed out from behind the seal and wrapped around Naruto. Immediately, his eyes went red and Naruto could see in his reflection now had a red tail made of chakra. After a moment, the chakra pulled itself back behind the seal.
"You will find that demon chakra is much stronger than a humans, so your own power and stamina will grow as you gain control over it. Now kit, I think it is time you went back to your hospital. Before your two friends become too worried over what I might do to you." Another deep chuckle, and Naruto found himself fading out of his mind.
He opened his eyes and found himself again looking out over Konoha. Grinning, Naruto molded his chakra, sending it into his legs as he jumped off the monument.
Landing, Naruto took off at a run, jumping onto a roof and quickly moving back towards the hospital. Tsunade-baa-chan and ero-sennin would hopefully still be waiting for him.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Naruto lifted his head from the ground, looking up at the second story window Tsunade had just punched him through. She was looking out the window and staring at him.
"Get back up here, Naruto!" She yelled at him.
"Jeez, you're the one that knocked me out of there." Naruto grumbled as he jumped, sticking half way up the wall with his chakra. Tensing, he jumped again, getting up to the window level and Tsunade grabbed him, dragging him back into the room they had put aside so they could make sure he was okay.
"So, since you're knocking me around, does that mean I'm good to go?" Naruto gave a foxy grin to the two adults.
"Hardly. I know you're still Naruto though, as the Kyuubi would have tried to kill me after that." Tsunade grinned at the boy she considered her little brother. "I still want you to stay here over night to make sure there were no other side effects that the Kyuubi conveniently forgot to tell you about."
"So, let me guess. I get my own containment seal?" Naruto looked at the room.
Jiraiya shook his head. "You came back on your own, even after what you were told. Besides, one seal of that size is enough in a single night."
Tsunade agreed. "I will have an ANBU stationed outside the room though. I would prefer if you would be agreeable enough to not sneak out tonight."
"Alright, baa-chan, but first light I'm outta here."
Naruto had barely managed to finish his sentence before Tsunade had cracked him on the top of his head, sending him to the floor to twitch for a moment. He jumped up, glowering at her. "What was that for?"
Tsunade smiled at him sweetly. "Don't call me that." She then walked out of the room.
Jiraiya just shook his head. "I'm not sure which amazes me more. The fact that you keep calling her that, or that you stand up right after being hit." Laughing, he walked out of the room as well. "We'll figure out a way to remove Orochimaru's influence on Sasuke though, Naruto," was his parting remark.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
It was a few hours later when Naruto heard a knock on the door leading into his room. Raising an eyebrow, he yelled "Come on in!"
The door opened and several people filed into the room.
Naruto immediately jumped off the hospital bed, scratching behind his head. "Heh, hey guys. I kept my promises." He told the group consisting of Sakura, Hinata, and Shikamaru.
Hinata blushed and Shikamaru nodded. Sakura seemed to be looking at him oddly.
"What's up, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked.
Sakura let out a deep breath. "I don't know whether to thank you, or kill you." She finally said.
Hinata looked at the other girl, confused. "N-Naruto-kun didn't do anything to make you mad, did he Sakura? H-He filled h-his promise to you."
"True." She paused, and then looked at Naruto. "Thank you." She then smacked him in the head, knocking him to the ground.
Naruto climbed to his feet. "Now what did I do?"
Sakura glared at him, before yelling "You broke Sasuke-kun's arms and legs! Multiple times!" before stalking out of the room.
"Okay..." Naruto trailed off, before looking at the other two people still in the room. "Either of you want to hit me?"
Hinata blushed and shook her head. Shikamaru just laughed softly before saying his trademark "Troublesome."
Naruto's face went serious at that moment, as he thought of something. "Hey, how did Neji, Choji, and Kiba make out? I haven't seen them."
Shikamaru sat down in one of the chairs. Hinata sat down as well, focusing on Naruto. "Kiba will be alright. He had to get some stitches, but nothing fatal."
Naruto grimaced. "And Neji and Choji?"
"Neji-nii-san is being operated on now." Hinata said quietly. "Father sent me to check on him and Shizune-sama said he should heal fine. She looked very tired though."
"Choji burned a lot of his chakra, but Tsunade managed to cure him as well. We made it out without losing anyone."
Naruto flopped back on the bed. "I'm glad."
"D-d-do you want us to leave you alone, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked.
Quickly sitting up, Naruto shook his head. "No, no. I'm completely bored. Tsunade-baa-chan said she wants me to stay here tonight and not leave the room, so I'm stuck. You two wanna keep me company?"
Shikamaru agreed, and after much blushing and nervous tapping of her fingers, Hinata agreed as well.