Ok so Im not as evil and cold shouldered to my reviewers as all think, lol. I do realize a month is a mighty long time, but its for the sake of both me, my beta and, as you might not believe, you. Me, it gives me more time to write King Kyuubi (cough not even half way done but getting there. Its chapter four and we've finally met "Tore Kyuubi" coughcough). For my beta, it gives her more time to edit and such... though I see she's failed to use it, and thus my updating early now. And for you, since it wouldnt be much of a story if I posted it all in a month, leaving you all with a feeling of "Well damn... wish there was more," and along with it, no King Kyuubi to pull you into (which I hope to finish before Im done posting all of this).

Anyhow, a month is a long time, and I agree, I will start updating more, but still probably not as quickly as you all will like. Ahh well, sorry. Dont worry, I enjoy posting as much as you enjoy reading it...

Plus Im in a bit of a slump with life and require much petting and praise. Laughs. Must prepare and all with brother dearest coming home and such. Gag. Can you say wallowing in low-self esteme?

Lets just say I turn to Hinata around Naruto when my brother comes come. In short: stuttering mess.

Ah well.

Warning: This could be called a filler chapter... I guess, who knows. Ah and slight Kakashi bashing... just because it sounded fun at the time.

Disclaimer: I own nothing and deserve nothing but what I deserve..

Fortune's Fool

Chapter 7 - Smiling Villans

By Mirazhe1

Naruto, to be put shortly, was laughing wildly. So wildly, in fact, he was beginning to tip out of his chair. Kyuubi, sitting on his jailer's lap, drew his ears back with a scowl.

"Come now, Kittling, it is not that amusing," Stated Kyuubi boredly. Contrary to what he said though, his tail flicked back and forth in an amused manner. Godaime, sitting at her desk with her fingers bridged beneath her chin, chuckled merrily.

"Yes yes, get over it Naruto. Its more ironic than funny," She agreed, trying to sound exasperated, yet failing as her grin ruined the effect. Naruto, having had his fun, gingerly wiped his watering eyes with a smile.

"To funny. So the council thinks Sasuke was under a mind control jutsu when he ran off to the missing-nin?" Tsunade nodded and the vessel's foxish grin widened with a chuckle. "But the council is still wary of 'im anyway. And asking me to ask Kakashi to keep watch on him just takes the cake. Even if they suspect him for the wrong reasons, it still works to our goal." Tsunade chuckled.

"The Copy-Cat Ninja is either a very good actor or merely forgotten about his original mission. It is apparent to me of which." Kyuubi grinned with a blink, and his tail twitched in the direction of the door.

"Now now, calm both of you. I will not have you degrade your subordinates, no matter how useless they sometimes seem to be," Tsunade chuckled teasingly. "Now then, Im sure you both know of the Chunin Exam coming up. While its safe to say that you'll make it to the final round and earn Chunin anyway, I'd like to reward you the title now, for all of your hard work and bringing back Uchi-"

"No, don't promote me for that, Old Hag," Naruto interrupted. "All I did was carry Sasuke back. The Ino-Shika-Cho and Kiba took him out; I just got them to him. If anything, award them the title. I'll earn my way to the top fair and square." Godaime smiled softly and nodded in understanding.

"Fine then, depending on their success in the exam, I'll see to their promotion. But back to the mission. With the council suspicious now, our evidence would be more believable, but it would be better to have more. For a more rock solid case of coarse. But you have to get it before the Chunin Exam. Sasuke will no doubt win back over the public by the end of it and I can't guarantee he won't make Chunin. We'll be back to square one if he does." Naruto nodded along with Kyuubi, who seemed distracted.

'A spy listens in. The Copy-Cat Ninja. He suspects I sense him and changes position. Watch thine words, Kittling.' Naruto mentally nodded.

"Good then. You're dismissed."

Naruto sighed along with Kyuubi as he spotted his so called team at the bridge. Sasuke seemed to be a brooding more than he remembered and the mood seemed to catch on Sakura, as she was quieter than usual. This was the first time the vessel had seen his team mates since the attack a month ago, as they had either been finding MIA ninja, rebuilding or under careful watch (in Sasuke's case).

And what a happy reunion it was, as they all took their territory on the bridge and passed the time in silent brooding (Sasuke), pouting (Sakura), or cloud gazing (Naruto). Their wait was a little shorter than usual however, as Kakashi poofed into existence in the middle of the bridge. Seeing his team's rather somber mood, his single eye curled up happily, wrinkling a few hardly seen crows feet at the edges.

"Maa, maa, don't be so down, team! Our first day back and we've got a D-Rank mission. This calls for celebration!" Without further a do, he handed each of them a slip of paper, or in Naruto's case two. "These," Copy-Cat Kakashi drawled out, "Are your entry forms for the Chunin Exams." Sasuke's eyes flickered dangerously and Sakura looked doubtful. Naruto merely shrugged at the piece of paper. "Fill those out and enter at your own choice. You'll have to fill out a side form for... Tenko, Naruto." The vessel merely rose a brow at Kakashi's short pause at Kyuubi's false name. Ahh, so he had been spying on them after all.

'Or he could just be smart and figured it out.' Kyuubi was silent at this but gave a disbelieving glance at his jailer. 'Yeah your right. Definitely spying.'

"Remember," Continued Kakashi, "Only enter if you feel you're ready. Don't let your teammates opinions persuade or dissuade you." With that, the Copy-nin vanished in a puff of smoke. Shrugging, Sasuke stuffed the slip of paper into his pocket and made his way home. Sakura paused, glancing at the piece of paper to Sasuke and back again, before more hesitantly storing away her entry form. With a cry, she ran after her beloved, not sparing Naruto and Kyuubi a second glance.

The vessel, however, stood still in the clearing patiently reading the entry form over. Kyuubi, on his shoulder, perked, his ears drawn forward. Before he could even warn his jailer, Naruto spoke up.

"You can come out now. I know your there." A few leaves in a nearby tree rustled in surprise, then diligently stilled again. "Come on now, the Demon-spit doesn't miss things as trivial as spies."

The leaves, defeated, parted to let a tall chunin fall to the ground, landing crouched on his feet. He rubbed the horizontal scar across his face nervously. However, it looked awkward, as a frown set on his features; it would have looked rather charming if he had smiled. Naruto finally looked up, carefully folding the entry form and sliding it into his pocket. Kyuubi scrunched up his nose.

'Ah, one of the Smiling Villains. Mine nose did not quite recognize him. I give thee permission to throw thine self at this chunin, now. Surely thou shall exterminate him by lifting a finger.' The vessel merely grinned every so slightly.

"Iruka-san, is it? I thought I remembered you." The man, Iruka, looked even more awkward as if it was possible.

"You remembered me?" Naruto offered a foxish smile, his eyes squinting to slits.

"I remember everyone who looked at me with cold eyes." The vessel's smile was unfaltering but a tense silence stretched over the air. Iruka found it hard to breath. This demon, he still held a grudge? Would he kill him now that they were alone? Would he devour him alive, slowly taking each appendage and organ one by one? Would he-

... Walk away?

Iruka blinked as Naruto merely turned on heel and began to tread away, a bounce in his step. The chunin blinked again.

"W-Wait!" The vessel paused, looking over his shoulder. On the other, Kyuubi stretched upward, looking over the mass of spikes that was Naruto's hair. "D-do you wana go get some ramen?" Iruka inwardly screamed. Why oh why had he asked the demon for lunch! If he wasn't eaten by the demon, then the village would surely shun him for mingling with evil beings.

Naruto stared at him for a moment, through slitted eyes, before they slowly opened. His face stretched into a real smile, blue eyes bright.

"Sure!"

The slow walk to Ichiraku's was filled with a long silence, broken up now and again with short bits of conversation. While Naruto was rather passive and calm, poor Iruka looked rather frayed and nervous in the beginning. But as time went on, he slowly began to relax in the vessel's presence and they were soon talking comfortably like reunited friends.

"This is the place," The chunin said as he held back the short curtains for Naruto to enter the stands. It was unnecessary however, as the poor vessel was so short he could have walked under them without his large mass of hair even rustling the fabric. "With economy so bad right now, I've kinda been the one keeping this place open." Iruka rubbed his scar with an embarrassed smile. Naruto grinned as he sat on a stool at the bar-like restaurant. Iruka made his place beside him.

The chef was no where in sight, most likely in the back of the kitchen. "Hey, Ichiraku-san!" The chef, Ichiraku, appeared from the back with a smile.

"Ahh Iruka! Was expecting you sometime soon. And look at this! You brought someone along." The old man smiled in a grandpa-ish like way. "What will you two be having?"

"A pork and.." With a glance at Naruto, who pointed to the menu, he continued, "Miso ramen, please." Old man Ichiraku nodded and retreated into the back of the kitchen. The two proceeded in silence again, looking every which way but to eachother.

"So," Naruto finally said, as Kyuubi hoped off his shoulder and onto the counter to sniff at the various scents of ramen.

'Inari-zushi smells better. Food of the gods, it is,' Kyuubi idly interrupted. The vessel ignored him.

"You've been following me for a week now." Iruka, caught by surprise, sputtered over the glass of water he had been drinking. "Why?" Naruto continued. Iruka paused, now composed, and set down the glass.

"I heard a rumor," began the chunin. "That the d... You were back in the village a few days before the attack." Naruto sat listening quietly, his expression blank. "I was nervous becau... Well Im sure you know why. Then I'd heard after the attack you served at the wall.." Iruka paused, thinking carefully, then continued.

"Everyone knows about the two giant swords on the battle field; the council decided to carve the names of the departed into them, like a new memorial stone." The vessel seemed silently amused by this, his blank expression curving upward into a veiled grin. Not only was it ironic the council would honour the demon vessel so, but that the 'giant swords' had begun as mere cheapo knives. They had almost had the value and durability as kitchen knives before he and Kyuubi had used that jutsu. "No one in Konoha has ever heard of a summon that uses swords like but the boss of frog summons; only Jiraiya-sama can summon frogs, but as far as Konoha knows, he's never coming back." This piked Naruto's interest, but he stayed quiet.

"I could only think of one person stro...that's been outside Konoha long enough to learn a jutsu or a summon like that that was in that area..." Naruto momentarily interrupted.

"Iruka-san, I've know about the Kitsune-baka," A meaningfull glance elsewere, "So you don't have to keep dodging around it." Iruka blinked at this, rubbing his scar.

"Y-yes," the chunin stuttered. "You did Konoha a huge favour, fighting like that..."

"But you began spying on me since I was so powerful," Naruto interrupted the short pause once again. He came to a halt and accepted the large bowl of miso ramen served to him. "You didn't know if the demon vessel, no matter how good the deed he did, would turn on Konoha and destroy it," he continued as he took a slurp of noodles. Kyuubi, drawn back by the sweet scent of ramen, trotted forward across the table and crouched in front of the bowl, lapping up the broth. Iruka looked away, rubbing the back of his head in an ashamed way.

"Y... Yes." Kyuubi paused in his lapping, ears perked, and looked to the chunin with a frown on his fox face. Naruto, however, continued eating before pausing to speak.

"Thou callest me a dog before thou hast just cause," the vessel recited, before looking up to Iruka with a smile. "Trust doesn't come on a whim. It has to be built." The chunin blinked at him, then offered his own smile.

Gaara of the Sand was very restless. Shukaku was practically throwing himself against his bonds as he cried out about some kitsune nearby; it was giving our poor sand-nin a splitting headache. So grudgingly he gave into the demon's will for the moment, following his direction's through the village toward this 'kistune'. It became apparent which one in the crowd was the so called kitsune, as a vibrant red fox rode on the shoulder of a even brighter blonde haired boy.

The fox's ears perked, and it looked back at Gaara, who stood there silently glaring as he always did. The blonde looked back along with the fox, and began walking again, but this time toward a more secluded part of the city. Gaara followed at Shukaku's order. Finally finding a secluded spot, the blonde turned back to confront the other vessel.

"Tanuki-san," Naruto said with a vulpine grin.

"Kitsune," Gaara replied.

"Ichibi no Shukaku!" Naruto blinked, looking to Kyuubi as he hopped off his shoulder. Gaara frowned and winced, clutching at the tattoo on his forehead.

"Kyuubi no Kitsune," Gaara replied unpassionately. Naruto blinked away from the red head and looked to Kyuubi.

'You know eachother?' He asked mentally.

'Unfortunately, it is so. He hast held a grudge ever since I won out in a contest of demonic skills.' Kyuubi mentally scoffed. 'I had merely 3 tails at my back then, and the lowly tanuki still can't beat mine awesome strength.'

"So your the vessel of Shukaku," Naruto finally said in a curious way. Gaara nodded.

"Tanuki and Kitsune are not nessecarially enemies. I won't kill you... But if you get in my way, I'll feed you to my sand." Naruto seemed content with this and nodded, but Kyuubi thought otherwise.

"Bring out thine demon, tanuki. I will speak with him." Gaara frowned at the small fox demon, but, after much mental debate, created a small, lifeless tanuki out of sand, which quickly came to life with a glass shattering screech.

"MINE AUGUST SELF! Mine power hast swelled and this time I shall defeat thee!" Shukaku lunged forward, but was knocked back by Kyuubi's tail.

"Oh, beware, mine lord of jealousy, for I hight not the lowly Kitsune thou fought all those hundreds of years ago. Now, I hight thee the KYUUBI no kitsune." Shukaku growled lowly, but looked away in submission at his superior. "Come, Shukaku, we have much to speak of." The two paced away, shoulder to shoulder, and Gaara looked doubtful leaving such an insane demon all alone, until the never dying pressure to kill slowly eased from his mind. He seemed astonished, raising his hand to make sure he was still himself by twisting his ever present sand through the air.

The two demons began to walk back, Shukaku looking a little shaken. It would never be known what exactly the demonic fox said to his tanuki cousin, but if it was enough to scare the blood thirsty, rugged Shukaku, it had to be something vicious... or just insanely sweet blackmail. Kyuubi looked to Gaara.

"The demon in thee hast quieted," Kyuubi told him, chuckling at his ironic comment. "He hast agreed not to pester thee and let thee sleep... If thou lets him from his cage occasionally; the seal gives him much pain, see." Gaara nodded, bewildered. Despite this, his well trained face only let his eyes widen the lightest bit. "And remember, Shukaku; break this deal, and I shall hunt thee down, apprentice with me; even if it means running to the ends of the earth... Not to mention tellest all demon we come across of thine secret."

Shukaku wimpered.

Use your imagination about Shukaku's secret, laughs. This chapter was rather rushed and short, but it tied up loose ends. Ah well. Next chapter ( I think) reviels Naruto's summon. Its original and never seen before (I hope) but at the same time, not. Any who guess what it is gets a in depth summary of King Kyuubi

-Stretches and goes back to work on King Kyuubi-

'azhe out.