A Kitsune Riding on My Shoulder

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and I'm not likely to gain ownership of it at any point while writing this story. Or ever for that matter.

"Talking"

"Kyuubi"

'Thoughts'

I need a beta! I'll leave it at that.

(Scene Break)

Naruto sighed contently in his sleep as he pulled his Neko-chan closer to his face. He nuzzled into the small stuffed animal and easily gave up his pillow in favor of using his toy. His white sheets were bunched up at the foot of his bed due to all of the tossing and turning he had done while asleep.

Naruto loved to sleep because in his dreams he could do things that he could never hope to do in real life. In his dreams he would go outside and run, and never stop running just enjoying the freedom of knowing that there was no limit. In his dreams he would be strong and everyone would love him and care for him. In his dreams Naruto was loved.

Which was why he was not happy when he was awakened. He would often cry and scream when someone woke him up. They never understood his strange tantrums, they could never know how when they woke him up they were destroying his one joy in life. And since there was such a big contrast between his dreams and reality it was a painful shock to his system to be jerked back into the world where he could only travel a couple feet instead of countless miles he would cry. He would cry really loud, really really loud. Okay, he would shriek at the top of his lungs at a painful volume that could shatter eardrums.

And that would explain why Ichiro didn't want to wake him up.

"Come on Ichiro," Katsu urged from his position in the doorway, far enough away to escape unscathed, hopefully. "Don't be such a wimp. What can a three-year old do to one of the top Konoha ANBU?" He goaded his friend mercilessly.

"If it's so simple and easy then why don't you do it?" Ichiro shot back angrily as he glared at his friend. "I mean he's only a three-year old so you shouldn't have any trouble." He bit out sarcastically motioning for Katsu to awaken the boy.

Katsu merely smiled back at him with an overly cheerful grin, "Well, I might have but you see my turn with the brat ended over an hour ago and he's your responsibility till I take over again." He leaned against the doorway enjoying watching his friend sweat this out.

"Okay Ichiro" He chanted to himself encouragingly "The worst he could do is burst your eardrums with his wailing. Or beat you over the head with a stuffed animal. You can do this." He gained confidence with each word until he felt he was ready to wake up the child.

He gently shook Naruto's shoulder not sure whether or not he really wanted the boy to wake up. "Hey brat, wake up." Ichiro said softly. "C'mon wake up!" he said louder as he shook the boy harder. Naruto's only response was to roll away from Ichiro and absentmindedly swat in his general direction. Deciding to try out a trick that his mother had always used on him Ichiro grabbed onto Naruto's blanket and jerked it off of his bed.

Naruto's small form shivered slightly before curling into a fetal position. That was when Ichiro noticed that he was holding something in his hands. "Hey, what's this?" He asked no one in particular as he reached out and grabbed the object in the boys hand. "Hey Katsu, did you buy the Kid this?" He asked his companion as he pulled the toy from the boy's death grip.

Katsu looked at Ichiro strangely before replying. "No, he's had that toy forever. Don't you remember? It was a birthday present from the Hokage or something." He didn't really care about the Kid's toys but he still remembered them.

"That can't be right Katsu," Ichiro objected insulted that his friend thought so lowly of him "That cat had blue eyes and a blue ribbon around its neck." Turning around he showed the toy to his friend. "This one has red eyes and a purple bow."

Katsu's eyes widened when he saw how dark the once innocent looking toy was. "Hurry and wake up the Kid, we need to report this to the Hokage immediately." He ordered, his once joking manner long gone. He walked the few steps to his friend's side and grabbed the toy out of his hand before strolling back to the doorframe. "Well, what are you doing? Who cares if the Kid isn't happy when he wakes up, this is big."

His words made Ichiro start a little at how cold he sounded. Feeling low and foolish he turned back to the bed and locked gazes with the boy he was supposed to awaken. "Where Neko-chan?" The Kid asked and Ichiro felt a tug at his heart at how innocent the Kid looked.

"Katsu has Neko-chan right now." He assured in a soothing voice. "We're going to go somewhere and he doesn't want you to lose him." The lie came to him easily; you didn't get to be an ANBU without losing at least some of your morals along the way. "So hurry and get dressed and if you're a good boy Katsu will give Neko-chan back later." He semi-promised the Kid, not sure if they would ever actually give the toy back to him.

Naruto looked up at him wide-eyed and Ichiro tried to think about what he had said that might startle the small child that was in his care. "Are we going…. Outside?" Naruto whispered as if afraid that if he talked too loud the dream would shatter and he would once again wake up and realize that he would never go outside.

Ichiro was startled by the question, had they actually never taken the Kid outside? He never really noticed what the Kid actually did when he was watching him just checked for hidden traps and made sure that Kyuubi didn't come out. How could a child go so long without actually going outside? To never feel the wind on their face or… God, had the child ever even seen or felt the sun?

Looking down at the hopeful face Ichiro knew that there was no way that he could refuse the Kid's request. "Of course we will." He promised, and if the Hokage said they couldn't then he would kidnap the kid if he had to. Not even the worst criminals deserved that kind of torture and here they were doing it to an innocent child.

The Kid broke out in a smile so wide Ichiro had to wonder why they never noticed that all he ever did was frown. While the Kid hurried to get changed out of his pajamas Ichiro went to stand next to Katsu.

"Has he really never gone outside?" Katsu asked as he watched the Kid pull on a bright orange shirt backwards. "Have we really been so heartless and cruel?" Ichiro was startled at how much self-loathing he could hear in Katsu's voice.

"Yeah, I think we have." Ichiro responded startling Katsu with his easy acceptance. "But starting right now we're going to make up for it." He flashed Katsu a grin. "Do you think we could forgive ourselves for our past mistakes by giving the kid a head start?" He asked, eyes dancing with amusement at the plans he was already forming in his head.

"Yeah, maybe." Katsu responded catching on to what Ichiro was planning. "No nin-justsu's in case his chakra tunnels aren't fully developed yet but, I could probably get my hands on some practice kunai." The Kid was now struggling to put his left sandal on his right foot and when it wouldn't go on he pouted innocently at the offending object.

Katsu walked over and helping him put the sandal on the correct foot and couldn't help but wonder when did he actually start caring about the Kid? Last year he was sure he would have sneered at the pathetic attempt on the child's part and gone on about how a "monster like him didn't deserve help" but here he was acting like a caring brother who was helping out because his mother made him, but who really cared about the younger child.

(Meanwhile with poor Kyuubi)

'What does this idiot think he's doing?' She grumbled to herself as she enjoyed her lovely view of the floor. And what a wonderful floor it was. It was white just like the rest of the room and shiny. Kyuubi got the feeling that if they could have, her eyes would have burned out of her sockets due to the pure shininess of the light reflecting off of the mind-numbingly white floor.

Then the monster that was holding her shifted his grip on her tail, yes her tail. What kind of monster holds a cat by their tail? Well, she might not be able to feel any pain from it but it was so degrading. Then all thoughts fled from her mind as the idiot that was holding her decided he was bored of waiting so what does he do to entertain himself? He started swinging her around by her tail in circles. Around and around and around.

'Ugh, I think I'm gonna be sick…wait can a stuffed animal be sick?' Kyuubi's thoughts were jumbled due to the constant motion and her last thought before I end the chapter…. Er I mean she lost consciousness was 'If I don't die monster, you will. And I'll enjoy it! Ohhh my stomach, but I don't have a stomach. Ahhh my head. The confusion! End the chapter already!'

And so the chapter ended.

Sorry I just wanted to have a little bit of fun picking Kyuubi at the end because she really wasn't in this chapter and I didn't want you guys to think I had forgotten about her or anything. And I need a beta! Honestly, why doesn't anyone want to be my beta! And the usual

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