"Dammit! I was watching that you bastard!"

"Hn, it's rotting your mind anyway."

"How am I supposed to find out if Goku wins or not?!"

"What are you? An otaku?"

Jiraiya sighed heavily as he heard things being broken in the next room. If he hadn't seen if for himself what those two did only a couple of nights ago, he would have never guessed Naruto and Uchiha, Sasuke were lovers. As much as they argued and yelled at each other, Jiraiya would almost say they hated each other's guts.

Of course, they weren't always arguing like children. There were no loud declarations of love or overly sweet gestures or words, but the way they would look at each other, the way they silently accommodated for one another and knew what the other wanted was enough. It was probably sweeter that way. Action spoke louder than words, or at least that's what he kept hearing.

The old hunter put down the newspaper a few minutes later when Naruto walked in with rumbled clothes and a newly formed hickey just visible from beneath the collar of his shirt. Naruto's eyes were cast downwards with a slight flush to his cheeks. Uchiha followed closely behind, clothes in much better shape than Naruto's but no longer perfectly pressed as it had been earlier that morning. No doubt whatever they were arguing about turned into an intense make-out session. Jiraiya was beginning to wonder if arguing was some sort of foreplay for them. He quickly discontinued that line of thought, not wanting to think about it.

"Naruto, go change. You can't look like that in front of the elders."

"Like what? I've always dressed like this." Naruto gestured to his jeans and t-shirt, clearly not understanding what Jiraiya was getting at. On the surface, Naruto was as he always had; however, since revealing that he was a hunter, Naruto had grown more distant.

"You look like you just got out of bed after fooling around with Uchiha." The comment turned Naruto a bright red. Without another word, Naruto left to change his clothes.

Uchiha stayed in the kitchen, waiting for Naruto to return. Now that he was back at full strength, he didn't bother putting distance between them even with their hatred for one another. Uchiha was young, but Jiraiya knew he was strong for his age. If they were to get into a fight, it may be a close battle. Uchiha would not be intimidated in his own home, and he was determined to make sure Jiraiya knew it.

Neither spoke, letting the atmosphere grow an awkward tension between them. The tension grew thick enough to make Jiraiya's hand itch for his weapons, and while Uchiha didn't move, he was on edge as well. Naruto's return was the needle that deflated it, him hopping into the room with non-wrinkled clothing. His hair was still tousled but the hickey had healed.

"Is this good?"

"It's fine," Jiraiya assured him. Right on time, the doorbell rang.

Jiraiya stood up from his seat, and Uchiha left to get the door since Tobi was still on his mission from his master. Naruto had no idea what that mission entailed, but it was nice to do things for himself once in a while instead of having someone else do it. That and Tobi always seemed to have bad timing. He doubted he would have been able to be alone with Uchiha as much as he had if Tobi had been there.

Naruto followed them out to the foyer and stood in the back next to the staircase. His feelings towards the hunters were somewhat sour. It was enough of a surprise that Gaara had been affiliated with them as well as his guardian but finding out Tsunade was the head put a stale taste in his mouth. How many more were there? Did he even want to know?

Uchiha opened the door, and two people entered, one man and one woman. He didn't recognize them as they walked past Uchiha, not acknowledging him in the slightest. They were elderly, with matching disapproving scowls on their face. Their dress was old as well, dressed in more traditional clothing. The women's grey hair was pulled into a severe bun on top of her head while the man had his bone white hair brushed back and wore brown framed glasses.

The Christmas decorations caught their attention briefly and their scowls deepened. Without invitation they went into the drawing room.

Next, Tsunade and unexpectedly Kakashi-sensei entered the mansion. Both looked worse for wear, dark bags under their eyes and clothes that looked like they had been worn for several days. Tsunade also ignored Uchiha's existence in favor of making a beeline towards Naruto, pulling him into a strong embrace that made Naruto's back crack. She let go a second before she suffocated him and turned a glare towards Jiraiya who in turn gave a sheepish smile.

Kakashi-sensei gave a small bow in greeting to Uchiha, who returned the sentiment, before joining the elders and Tsunade in the drawing room.

Detective Yamato entered next. It was a relief to see a familiar face. He looked about as lost as Naruto felt. His arm was in a sling, and he was limping, but the polite smile on his face and the small wave to Naruto brought a smile to Naruto's face in turn. Yamato being here felt like backup. He wasn't the only one who was completely clueless about everything going on. Naruto did wonder how he ended up with the hunters. A curiosity that would have to be sated later as the last guest entered the mansion.

Seeing Sakura, Naruto's stomach dropped. Even Sakura was one of them. His fear about not trusting the people around him was warranted now. He had always thought everyone was in on some secret about him that he didn't know. It seemed he was right. He couldn't muster up the ability to smile at her even as she waved at him. Did everyone laugh behind his back too? Knowing his situation, did everyone have fun at how pathetic his life was?

He didn't notice how hard he had clenched his fists until Uchiha walked up beside him and held his hand. "Forget about it for now. They aren't worth your anger."

He was right. They weren't worth his anger, but it didn't stop the feeling of betrayal. He gave Uchiha's hand a quick squeeze, assuring him he was alright. "I know. Let's get this over with."

Uchiha lead the way into the drawing room, letting go of Naruto's hand before they entered. Naruto waited a second before following, allowing Uchiha to take the majority of the attention at their entrance. It was cowardly and unfair towards Uchiha, but Uchiha entered as he had the first time they met, with a presence that demanded the attention and respect that belonged to an aristocrat, further directing their attention away from him and shielding him.

All the seats were occupied, forcing both of them to stand. Naruto could have stayed near the Christmas tree, hiding away from their gazes and let Uchiha explain everything. These people had controlled his life since he had come to the island with Jiraiya. It was because of that that he stood beside Uchiha, standing tall and imposing in his own way.

Uchiha has his poker face on, looking unimpressed by the humans before them. It rubbed the elders the wrong way as they commented, "I never imagined Uchiha's one to celebrate Christmas. My grandfather would tell us how the Uchiha's were traditionalists who upheld Japanese traditions, the only thing that was respectable about them. Yet all I see is a Western mansion with matching antiques. Quite disappointing." The woman talked with disdain, not speaking directly to Uchiha as if he wasn't even present. Naruto cemented his opinion about her right then.

"Then you aren't very well informed. It's well documented knowledge that I do not care for Japan nor its culture because I spent the majority of my human years and years after in England. If you can't even figure that out, it makes me wonder how you ever make informed decisions." Uchiha gave a wry smile. "Then again, maybe that's why you've had so many intruders on the island."

The woman was offended, straightening her back as if she was trying to make her small frame seem bigger as she prepared to say something. Tsunade stopped her however, speaking first before something could start. "No one is happy to be here right now, but let's make this meeting as painless as possible, shall we? Uchiha-san, would you please explain to us everything you know starting with the attack in Beppu."

Uchiha gave him a look from the corner of his eye, silently asking Naruto if he wanted to tell the story or should he do it. Naruto took a deep breath. Naruto went first, starting with how Itachi took him from the police station, detailing the training he endured. He obscured the man he killed, unable to say it with Tsunade and Jiraiya in the room. It wasn't on purpose; he just couldn't bring himself to tell them. He hadn't even really told Uchiha much about it, and when he faltered, Uchiha picked up the story, explaining the folder contents and regaining Naruto's memory by going to Orochimaru's lab.

Uchiha did pause for a second to see if Naruto wanted to add anything to that. Naruto added only that he remembered the majority of what happened in the lab, not elaborating on much more than that, so Uchiha continued with meeting the detective, the attack afterward, and going to the Uzumaki compound.

Mentioning the Uzumaki clan received an interesting reaction from the elders and Tsunade. All three of them shifted and looked uncertain, piquing Naruto's interest. He wanted to ask why, but once Uchiha got to the part where they returned back to the mansion, Naruto had to continue as he was the only one who could.

"I managed to pull off an illusion technique. It was so cool!" Naruto exclaimed, quite proud of himself of that accomplishment. He had yet to get ahold of chakra techniques, so having that victory felt just as good as finishing top of the class after finals, something he could actually feel proud about.

"Basic illusion techniques are standard for any good hunter. By 10 years of age, a shinobi should at the very least know 3 variants of the techniques. A simple technique used on a careless enemy is nothing to be proud of," the elder man said, adjusting his glasses.

Uchiha looked down on the shinobi while Naruto's jubilant mood quickly turned into one of embarrassment, looking to Tsunade then away to continue his story of being captured. The personal things shared between Uchiha and himself were left out and being taken for experimentation left Naruto at a loss on how to explain it. He was afraid to recall the pain and numbness that had racked his body. He was terrified to remember that for a brief moment, he had been dead. He could still feel the cold metal table underneath him and the chafing of the cuffs. Then there was explaining Kurama's appearance, a being the hunters were terrified of.

In the end there was not much of a decision. He couldn't be scared forever, and now that he could see the cause of his daily misery face to face, they were no longer a product of his paranoid mind. They were real, tangible. They really were out to get him. He understood that now. But this was his life. He wouldn't allow them to dictate it, nor would he let them believe he was ignorant as he once was. He was proud of Kurama. He barreled through his storytelling, trying not to think too much about it.

Upon mentioning the vampire lord, the elders open their mouths to say something. This time it was Tsunade who interfered, telling them both very rudely to shut up and for Naruto to continue. It was a good thing Tsunade took control because Naruto could feel Uchiha's patience wearing thin when it came to the two humans.

Uchiha continued to narrate the fight to the best of his abilities of what he could recall with Orochimaru. He also had to mention his loss of control from the hunger. He had too when Jiraiya would be telling the last part of the story while they were both unconscious. Uchiha managed to tell of his embarrassment in the most regal and self-assured way, showing no hint of shame or discomfort in admitting that he had lost control and sounded as if he was daring anyone to make a comment about it.

Tsunade looked back and forth between the two of them as they spoke. Naruto could see her quickly work out something was going on between them. From the outside it was probably obvious. Uchiha was being protective in the way he would position his body nonchalantly towards the elders whenever a controversial part of the story came up, directing his attention to them. And when the elders try to interrupt, Uchiha would flare out his chakra in warning, putting them on edge and forcing the elders to pay attention to him rather than Naruto. Putting the protective behavior aside, they would also have quick conversations with just their eyes, switching narration almost flawlessly without much pause between them.

Once they had finally finished, Jiraiya giving a brief recap of their return to their mansion, Tsunade was the first one to speak. Her face was twisted in confusion, obviously deep in thought. Compared to the elders, she had taken the news of Kurama in stride, though she had gone from sitting on the couch normally to sitting on the very edge. "It's strange, isn't it?"

"It is," Uchiha agreed, taking a small step forward and blocking Naruto from the elder's immediate view with his body as they were sitting perpendicular to where they were standing. "We've had too much good luck, too many coincidences that have worked out in our favor."

"Starting with Naruto-kun's capture." Tsunade, who was sitting directly ahead of them, gave Naruto a sympathetic look before her emotions were hidden behind a professional mask, her look becoming much colder. It was easy to see his kind, loving, mother-like figure as a hunter. A killer. Jiraiya had the same look. "Why capture him to train him? What good would that serve? As easy as his escape was, it was obviously a part of a plan. Why seal the lord's spirit in the first place if he wanted to use it? His actions don't make sense."

"I've had similar thoughts," Uchiha admitted. "My brother wouldn't do anything pointless or stupid. There had to be a reason. I believed it had something to do with starting a war using the hosts."

"Naruto just told us your brother sealed the lord and his chakra away and that the seal didn't break until he had almost died. If he wanted to use the hosts, it would make no sense to lock away something he wanted to use. In addition, if it weren't for his training, he would not have defeated Orochimaru's subordinate. The hunter known to you as Kabuto is infamous in the underground. Even underestimating Naruto, he would not be easy to defeat without some skill. For Naruto to basically rely on only taijutsu for majority of the fight and hold out as long as he did, Naruto would have needed to be exceptionally skilled. What would your brother accomplish making him a stronger fighter?" Jiraiya questioned.

"A stronger body perhaps?" Uchiha suggested. "A person can have strong chakra, but if their body is too weak, they are unable to contain that power.

"Perhaps. As for the attack in Aomori, Gaara helped resolve that problem with Detective Yamato's help. The elder, Danzo, is detained and in custody."

"Tsunade-san, I do not believe you should be telling the enemy of our internal affairs," the elder woman spoke the tone of a strict, disapproving grandmother.

"It is because of our internal affairs that the incident happened in the first place, Elder Koharu," Tsunade shot back. "It is due to our negligence that Elder Danzo made a deal with Orochimaru, leading to the vampire lord emerging again."

"You are focusing on the wrong thing, Tsunade-san. The fact of the matter is, our worst fears have come to reality. That demon within the boy can take over and control him at any time. What is there to stop him from returning? That boy is a ticking time bomb; measures must be taken." the elder man said.

"Agreed. At the minimum, he must be contained. We cannot have a repeat of the last time that demon ran free."

Tsunade stood, slamming her hands on the coffee table. "Why you sons of a bi—"

"STOP TALKING LIKE I'M NOT HERE!"

Tsunade and the elders turned, wide eyed at Naruto's outburst. His cheeks were red with a combination of embarrassment and anger and his figure trembled, struggling to contain his emotions. "What the fuck would any of you know about me? You people let Orochimaru take me to the labs to begin with. You have no idea how scary and painful it was for me. Hell, it was so bad I gave myself amnesia just so I wouldn't remember it. Because of that, I forgot about meeting Gaara and the few memories of my dad I did have." He clenched his fists tightly. "And for your information, his name is Kurama, and he's done a hell lot more for me than any of you. Every single one of you have no idea how scared and lonely I was, letting me think I was fucking crazy. You wouldn't even tell me why everyone was afraid of me. Now, I find out that pretty much everyone I know has been lying to me from the start: my girlfriend, my principal, the old man, even my teachers. Who else is in on it? Was Kiba? Was he only my friend to keep an eye on me? What about the other teachers?" Tears were threatening to fall, and his fists were so tight, his nails drew blood.

"And what right do any of you have to judge Uchiha? Out of all of you he's the only person who's told me the truth from the beginning. The first time I met him he told me what he was. He's a cold prick who cares about his appearance a bit too much, but he's protected me and trained me, helped me through the nightmares, pain, and memories. Meanwhile, the people I was supposed to trust are discussing if you should kill me," his voice broke, finally truly realizing that Jiraiya and Tsunade hovered over him because he was a threat. That they had intentions of killing him if necessary. "So who's really the dangerous one?" he finished, his voice shaking.

He did not want them to see him cry. Naruto left the room in a hurry, Uchiha moving to follow. Sakura however beat him to it, jumping from her seat and following him out.

Sasuke felt overwhelming jealousy as he watched the human girl chase after his lover. Unfortunately, he wasn't quite finished with the shinobi in the room. His anger was kept in check, but his desire to kill the elders who made Naruto almost cry, making him feel less than, was ready to be unleashed if someone pushed the right button.

"Such discussions should be said in private," Jiraiya spoke up, his voice icy cold and emotionless. "Not in front of the topic himself."

"We are only trying to look out for the best interest of mankind. Something you should be doing as well instead of letting your feelings for the boy interfere. That demon inside him can burn Tokyo to the ground in a day if he wished it. If keeping everyone safe means the death of that boy—" Elder Homura never finished. Sasuke had his hand around his throat, lifting him off the couch and dangling him above the floor.

Sasuke's fangs were extended, his eyes downright murderous. "If you threaten his life in front of me again, I will kill you." His voice was level and calm with a rhythmic cadence that could captivate anyone into listening. "I have restrained myself until now because you are an incompetent, sniveling coward who fears anything different from yourself, but I have lost my patience. I will no longer humor you. If you ever make Uzumaki cry again, I will give you a fate worse than death, and if I find you attempt to follow through, I will not hesitate to kill every person who matters to you and then some in compensation."

Jiraiya and Tsunade looked the other way, pretending they hadn't heard the threat and doing nothing about Sasuke threatening the elders even as they looked to them for help. Kakashi, who had sat silently the entire time, also ignored the threat, though his eyes had become sharper.

Sasuke released Homura, letting him fall and stumble back onto the couch with satisfaction. "If that is all, I will excuse myself from this pointless meeting."

"Tsunade-san, are you going to let him get away with this?" Elder Koharu screeched. She was resembling more like a banshee every moment in Sasuke's mind.

Tsunade ignored their cries of protests, addressing Sasuke instead. "There is one more thing. I agree someone helped you escape from Orochimaru. Do you have any idea who could have helped you?"

"None. As far as I know, no one would have known we were taken in the short time it took for them to stage a rescue. In addition, they were able to move around without being caught by Orochimaru or his henchmen and had to know of the layout."

"Right," she murmured. "Orochimaru will no longer cause us trouble. You made sure of that. All that's left is your brother."

"A matter I will deal with myself."

Tsunade nodded, accepting his decision. "I will contact the other leaders about the hosts and warn them to keep an eye on them. Other than that, I believe our business is concluded with one another."

"We are not done," Homura argued, having recovered from being strangled. His face was red with anger, but he had the dignity not to yell. Each word however was forceful. "That boy is still a concern. We want assurance that he will not become a hazard to us all."

Sasuke's lip twitched in disgust. Would the world really miss this worm? The fact humans held these two humans in such high regard was both laughable and sickening. He stood there waiting for them to come to a compromise, thinking of Naruto and Sakura who followed after him. While he was sure he could trust that Naruto didn't have feelings for her, he wasn't sure of her motives. He did know however that if she touched him, whether coming on to him or to harm him, Sasuke would take pleasure in devouring her.

Naruto sat in the courtyard, throwing rocks into the pond when Sakura found him. He didn't acknowledge her presence, focusing on the ripples each stone made when hitting the water. She sat beside him, throwing a rock of her own into the pond, letting the splashing water be the only sound between them. It may have been the first time Naruto had actually enjoyed her presence.

"I'm sorry about the elders," she said, just loud enough to be heard. "Some people have a hard time with change. They really do have the best interest for us at heart."

Naruto didn't respond. Instead, throwing another rock, this time a little harder than before.

"And I'm sorry we all lied to you. Tsunade-sensei and Jiraiya-sama just wanted you to live a normal life. They put you in that class and gave you those teachers because they were the only ones who could handle you. You can get really scary when you get mad you know." She pushed back a hair behind her ear, smiling gently at him. "We're trained to fight the supernatural and when the vampire lord slipped out, we were used to it enough to treat you like normal afterward. It was what was best for everyone."

"I'm not part of everyone am I?" Naruto said monotoned.

"Well…"

"It's alright. I'm used to it."

"Uzumaki-kun," she sighed, holding her knees to her chest. "Don't we have the right to be afraid? Weren't you afraid when you first saw Uchiha-san? When you first saw him, you caused a scene in class. That was when you didn't know what he could do. Now that you know what you can do, how much damage you can cause… can you blame us?"

The petty side of him wanted to scream yes. How could anyone understand how isolated he felt. On the other hand, he did understand. He had feared Uchiha and Kurama. He had seen glimpses of their power, and it had scared him witless. He had pushed Kurama away and blamed Uchiha for all his problems. Now they were both dear to him and the fear of losing either was his new greatest fear.

"If it means anything, Inuzuka-kun wasn't in on it. He truly was your friend, and he stuck by you no matter how out of control you got. Tsunade-sensei made sure he was in your class every year, so he could be beside you."

"Did you date me because you liked me or because you were ordered to?" Naruto turned his head enough just to glimpse at the guilty look on her face.

"Tsunade-sama thought you were getting into more trouble than usual and wanted me to find out why," she admitted, having the decency to at least appear ashamed. "You were getting angry more often, ditching school every other day, and seemed to be withdrawing more. She thought maybe having a girlfriend to open up to would help."

Naruto's lips thinned in annoyance. It sounded like Tsunade, going behind his back instead of asking him directly. He never told her anything, so she would do underhanded things to find out. It was his own fault, but it was hers as well.

"That's going too far. Even for her."

"You have to understand that if the elders thought you were becoming too dangerous, they would overrule her decision and have you killed. She thinks of you as her son, you know."

"I know." He exhaled long and slow. "I don't feel so bad for breaking up with you now."

"Were you ever really upset? You didn't even flinch when I slapped you."

For some reason, Naruto smiled at that. "Yeah, shouldn't I get an apology for that? I mean you were using me and all."

"Says the guy who's obviously gay."

Naruto's eyes went wide. "I don't know what you're talking about."

She scoffed. "Please. If the neon sign on your forehead wasn't obvious enough every time you looked at him, Uchiha-san's overprotective behavior since we arrived may as well have been screaming at the top of his lungs that you were his." A laugh escaped her at Naruto's bright red face. "Don't worry about it. There's someone I'm dating now anyway. I felt bad I was cheating the entire time."

Listening to her laugh, Naruto realized until now, he had never really talked to her like this, as friends. They were closer now than when they had been dating. She was kinder and didn't watch how she spoke as she had before, sounding more natural. In turn, Naruto began to give a small genuine smile of his own.

"Naruto."

Uchiha's sudden voice caught Sakura by surprise, her hand reaching for the small pack around her waist instinctively. Naruto had sensed him for some time, feeling his approach the past ten seconds or so. He had also gotten used to Uchiha's sudden appearances since living with him, so he did not even turn around when he asked, "Is it over?"

"The Konoha Elders insist on proving your control over Kurama. They wish to him for themselves, assuming you're confident enough to regain control after doing so" Uchiha's eyes darted to Sakura, giving her a cold stare before looking back at Naruto. "You don't have to if you do not wish to do so. This is my property."

"Careful Uchiha. Your age is showing again," Naruto's voice had an undertone of a deeper more sinister voice underneath. Kurama's chakra was already slipping out, flaring and mixing with Naruto's.

"I should go." Feeling Kurama's power, Sakura's friendly behavior turned defensive, eager to put some distance in between them.

"You should," Uchiha agreed, his stare growing more intense, not bothering to hide his dislike of her. The only one Uchiha seemed to even try to be civil to was Jiraiya and Tsunade, but even then, he did not hide the fact he believed them to be beneath him, like an adult tolerating a friend's annoying child.

Sakura stood up, never turning her back towards Uchiha as she made moved to leave, pausing when the shift between Naruto's and Kurama's chakra happened, swirling dramatically around Naruto's body and changing his physical appearance. To a human, Kurama's chakra felt tainted and overwhelmingly powerful. It was no wonder it put Sakura on edge as a combination of fear and rebellion inched onto her face, failing to hide her emotions as the older hunters had.

"Did you at least bring me my clothes, brat?" Naruto's hair had grown out, strands of gold mixed with flaming red. The transformation wasn't complete, staying within the confined of Naruto's clothes before they were ripped; however, it was indeed Kurama in control as his voice gave Uchiha the need to obey.

"If you are talking about my yukata that you took for yourself and modified, no. I'm not your errand boy." Uchiha's voice was forced. It took effort to openly defy him, which Kurama found amusing as he smirked.

"No, not an errand boy." Kurama stood. Though not at full height, he was taller than Uchiha. "A servant would be more accurate." He chuckled at the dirty look Uchiha threw at him as he left to retrieve new clothing.

When Lord Kurama returned, dressed in his black yukata, his hair braided once again, he walked into the drawing room with a sheathed katana in his hand that looked suspiciously like the sword from Sasuke's office that hung above the fireplace. Of course, the vampire noticed immediately, clenching his jaw a little tighter at how comfortable the lord made himself with items that did not belong to him. The others in the room saw the weapon and went on the defensive. Kakashi drew a gun while Sakura held senbon needles in her hands, standing in front of the elders. While Jiraiya and Tsunade were semi-standing from their seats.

The hunters' reactions must have been just what Lord Kurama had been looking for, as he was smiling ear to ear like a fox. "My, my," his deep voice shook with amusement he failed to contain. "So jumpy. You're acting as if I bite."

While Sasuke moved with a regal authority, Kurama moved like an apex predator. His presence simultaneously large yet hidden. His walk was smooth yet raw with power. While Sasuke was more human, Kurama was much more animalistic, his eyes assessing each and every human in the room, making everyone feel like dinner.

"Master Jiraiya, Master Tsunade . . . others. It's been a while since I graced my presence to such insects. How fortunate for all of you."

"As cocky as I've heard," Tsunade dared to say, earning Kurama's attention. "Don't assume just because you're one of the seven lords that we'll be intimidated by you."

"If the kit wasn't so fond of you, I'd kill you where you stand." It didn't sound like a threat, but a fact. "And before either of the two bags of bones in the corner speak, know that I will kill you before you even utter a syllable. Somehow, I don't believe the Uchiha or a few others in this room would mind."

The two had angry protests at the ready, just on the tip of their tongue when Kurama's intense chakra filled the room in a brief display of power, effectively silencing them without even a twitch from Kurama.

"Now," he continued, his voice full of playfulness and mischief, "As you can see, I am here. I'm still bound to the boy, and his body has not been made mine, and we are having a relatively normal, if not annoying, conversation. Your inane fears are unwarranted."

"Why?" Tsunade asked. She had sat back down, her ramrod straight posture betraying how tense she was in his presence. Her body was wound tightly like a spring, ready to move if need be. "Why are you acting docile now? You had nearly burned Edo and Kyoto to the ground and massacred thousands. Now, with a change of heart, you want to help?"

"Who said I wanted to help?" Kurama leaned back against the fireplace, crossing his arms and resting the hilt of the sword against his shoulder. "Just because I'm not rampaging doesn't mean I'm helping you. In fact, I'm imagining the best way to painfully kill every human in this room." A feral smile crossed Kurama's face like he was going to eat them. "I'm just refraining from fulfilling it.

"I could care less what happens to you humans. You always want to villainize in order to fit your own narrative, and eager to attack before asking questions. You are eager to eradicate things you do not understand rather than accept things not meant to be understood. You act as frightened cattle whenever something more powerful than you appears and to keep yourselves self-assured, destroy it though it may not have done wrong. Only humans act in this way, and I believe cattle should be treated as such, either kept alive to produce something useful or slaughtered."

The lord's chilling words made the tension in the room so thick it was hard to breathe even for Sasuke; however, Sasuke found himself agreeing to what was said. It was the mentality he had carried around for years and was drawn to his words.

"Uzumaki, Naruto is currently stuck between both worlds. As a general rule, apparitions do not involve themselves with affairs that do not concern them, but because of the kit's unique situation, Uchiha and I have been forced to cooperate with you. Do not mistake our intentions as being docile. We are far from it."

"Why hasn't he changed?" Sasuke asked, voicing the question that everyone had wondered, but had no way of explaining. It was something that was unheard of.

"Is it really that hard to figure out," Kurama asked condescendingly, "Or did you forget the tales of your ancestors?"

"If you would," Jiraiya spoke up with the minimum amount of respect as to not offend the lord, "could you please explain."

Kurama paused, reveling in the fact that the humans in the room were forced to respect him. "Humans have always been a base. They are malleable. They can create and destroy gods, become spirits, vampires, and demons. They are the seed that can either become greater or lesser than. Vampires are the closest apparition to humans. They have the ability to manipulate their lifeforce like humans. It is said that they once shared a common ancestor and that vampires are just the next step above. That they are the superior form of humans. But something must connect the two levels.

"The Uzumaki clan is well known throughout the world of hunters and apparitions because though they are classified as human, they show traits and abilities that far surpass normal humans. To the untrained eye, they could resemble fledglings.

"The boy has the blood of the Uzumaki in his veins. You can take the rumors as just that and think of them as humans with strange traits. Or you can think of it as the Uzumaki blood finally awakening to its full potential, creating the middle ground between species."

"It would make sense," Kakashi said, glancing at Tsunade. "The Uzumaki was known for longevity, healing, and special powers."

"It is something to think about," Tsunade agreed. "Thank you for your cooperation. You can bring Naruto back now." To the woman's credit, she showed no fear at giving a command to the vampire lord who raised a thick eyebrow at her.

"You think I'd go back so easily after being called here?" He asked. "Why would I do that when there's a human world out there I have yet to experience for myself?"

The color drained from the hunters' faces.

"My lord," Sasuke approached, head bowed. "I know it is inconvenient, but could you please relinquish your hold. For Naruto."

"Hn. I'm fond of the kit, doesn't mean I'll do anything for him." Despite saying that, the lord tilted his head toward the exit, pushed himself off the fireplace, and headed to the exit with Sasuke following behind him.

Once they were gone, the humans could finally breathe again. Tsunade sighed, rubbing her temples. "I think it's safe to say this meeting has ended. Sakura-chan, take the elders home."

"You're going to let them run all over us like this!" Elder Koharu stood, turning her disapproving eyes on Tsunade. "I've never seen such a pathetic display of—"

"And what exactly would you have done?" She snapped. "Maybe once upon a time you were one of the strongest hunters, but age has claimed you and you are a liability. If the vampire lord had decided to attack, we would be stuck in close quarters with two of our people stuck protecting the both you, but if we didn't meet under such disadvantaged conditions, he would have not appeared like you wanted. He's arrogant, not stupid. If you have nothing useful to say, as the head, I order you to shut your trap and head home to overlook the clans after Danzo's blunder. I will stay here with Jiraiya and ensure that the lord does not try anything."

"We will talk about this later, Tsunade-san," Homura said, rising from his seat. "Your outburst will be brought up to the council."

Tsunade stood her ground, not being intimidated by their threat. She would meet the consequences for it later, but for now, she held the power over them until a new elder was chosen to replace Danzo. A process that had been put off to have this meeting.

Sakura bowed to her master, escorting the elders out. Yamato, who had been quiet throughout the meeting stood as well.

"You're leaving?" she asked.

"Yeah. I just wanted to make sure Uzumaki-kun was alright. I'm not bright enough to understand everything that just happened, but I can see the kid has enough to deal with. Thank you for going through the trouble of bringing me, Tsunade-san." Yamato clutched his arm as he bowed to her which Tsunade waved off quickly.

"It's the least I can do for helping Naruto. Should I call a car?"

"Thank you for the offer, but I'll find my way home on my own. I don't want to put you further out of your way." Yamato smiled. "If you need any favors, give me a call."

"Of course."

Yamato followed the elders out of the house. Tsunade heard the front door open and close, and she sighed in relief, forgetting momentarily that Kakashi was still present. "Kakashi-kun, you should go back and rest."

"I haven't asked about Iruka yet." His voice was quiet but stern. He was standing with perfect posture to the point it looked uncomfortable even as fatigue took form as bags under his eyes.

"Uchiha didn't mention it, and Jiraiya had looked into it while he was here before. We don't even know if he actually tried to kill Naruto or not."

"I watched Iruka dress and leave with his weapons. I know him. He would not have backed out once he left."

With his stone like features, she couldn't say that his stubbornness was due to his emotions even though it was quite obvious that was what was keeping him standing there. He upheld the shinobi code, hid his emotions well to the point it was hard to read if she didn't know him so well. He was the mirror image of what she had gone through when Jiraiya had disappeared. Connections could be deadly and distracting for them, but humans could not live without them.

"They are preoccupied right now. Rest. You may get your chance to ask, later tonight when things calm down."

Kakashi stood for several seconds, letting the idea roll around in his head before conceding. He left, no doubt looking for a place he could comfortably rest in a vampire's den. He wouldn't rest well being on guard, but it was more than none.

Tsunade looked around the holiday decorations, noticing the care that went into it. It reminded her of Minato and Kushina's home. It was warm. Smiling to herself, she went to investigate where the kitchen was located. She could at least cook something for Naruto before going back. Just to make sure he was eating well.