ChronoMitsurugi: That's the point. Naruto and secrets just do not jell. Gell? I actually dunno how to spell that.

NinjaFang1331: No, he cannot. He used his demon energy to bypass the opening of the gates. Make no mistake eventually he will be capable of opening them eventually, however that won't be for a bit. He used the Primary Lotus simply because the Gates are essentially a glorified limit breaker. They give you increased energy, nothing more.

Billy: How am I a hack who is blind to see Kuwabara's worth and riding the demon-"God" dick when Kuwabara hasn't even been introduced yet? I like Kuwabara's potential...but like...he isn't introduced yet. And quite frankly, while Kuwabara has a lot of potential, all of the other four could still take him. By the end of the story they'd demolish him. Purely because of how unfair being a human is.

A New Life To Live

Naruto And Kurama's Room - Early Morning

Naruto blinked, looking at his brother with interest. "You want me to what?" Kurama rolled his eyes. "Find the human who helped you defeat Goki. Tell him where to locate Hiei. You can group up with him afterwards to defeat Hiei. Combined I think you two may stand a chance."

Naruto frowned. "Helped is a strong word. And, no Kurama, we've talked about this. You're still going to be alive to help me kick Hiei's ass. I don't need that brat to help me with it. I don't give a damn what the Forlorn Hope's price is. We won't be agreeing to it." Kurama looked at his younger brother, amused. "Naruto the fact that you think you can stop the prize and save me is touching, and I thank you for that. You've made this new life of mine worthwhile, but there is no way that I could allow you to sacrifice yourself. Where you come from...all the horrors you've went through...you deserve a new chance at life. I will not let you sacrifice yourself for a coward such as myself." Naruto tried to argue yet Kurama simply placed his hand over Naruto's mouth.

"Silence. The time for talk is over. Go find the human please. He will need to know a lot about Hiei to defeat him. He is a dangerous opponent, one who cannot be taken lightly Naruto."

Naruto groaned, frowning. "Are you serious right now Kurama?"

Kurama merely looked at his younger brother causing him to sigh. "Fine, I'll go find him." Kurama smiled as Naruto stood up, beginning to walk away. However, before Naruto left the room they were in he glanced back at his brother, a serious look on his face. "Do not use that mirror if I'm not around Kurama," Naruto stated seriously before he disappeared.

Kurama smiled at the door, a sad smile on his face.

"I will never forget you...Naruto..."

Late Evening

Naruto strutted down the street, an irritated look on his face. "Where the hell is that brat," Naruto muttered, glancing around. He had been searching for at least three hours, he had gotten distracted at the local arcade for quite a while, and he hadn't found the kid. Frowning Naruto looked up at the sky before a scent caught his nose.

'That's interesting. That smell is familiar.'

Naruto followed the smell, running through the city to find the kid from last night, only this time he was surrounded by a bunch of what looked to be pretend-thugs. "Well what do we have here," Naruto muttered, noticing one of the thugs. He had a strange energy signature, likely more spiritually aware than the others. "We have an interesting human over here," he muttered.

However, his interest was crushed when Yusuke who proceeded to curb stomp the group until they were running away, flinging insults over their shoulders.

"Well that was interesting. Not what I'd call a fight exactly though." Yusuke turned, his eyes wide when he saw Naruto. "You, from the forest the other night!" Naruto nodded. "Yo!" Yusuke frowned. "I thought you'd be dead right now. That big guy looked like quite the tough fight. I tried finding you after I got away from that group but all I found was a massive crater."

Naruto blanched, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, that might have been me...I managed to knock Goki out cold with my strongest attack." Yusuke smirked. "Nice. I could knocked him out in two hits though, easy."

Naruto snorted. "Please, that's a nice thought but if I remember correctly you were helpless against him." Yusuke rolled his eyes. "Helpless? Please. You got a cheap shot in because of me and didn't let me continue the fight. I had him right where I wanted him." Naruto rolled his eyes. "Whatever, I just wanted to let you know that after tonight I'll be willing to help you deal with Hiei, and you'll get the Forlorn Hope."

Yusuke frowned. "Why can't I have it today?" Naruto glared at Yusuke. "Kurama and I need to rescue someone. We can't do that without the Forlorn Hope. If you don't let us do this..." Naruto didn't finish, merely glaring at Yusuke as his eyes briefly flickered crimson. Yusuke threw his hands up. "Hey, hey no need to get all violent that's not needed. I just wanna know why."

Naruto frowned but nodded, turning on his heel to walk. Yusuke followed behind him. "Well if you must know," Naruto muttered, "Kurama and my mother has become seriously ill. If we don't use the Forlorn Hope to cure her of her illness she will die."

"Die," Yusuke asked, surprise etched onto his face. Naruto nodded, walking into the nearby hospital and going onto the elevator. Yusuke quickly followed him. "Why would two demons have a human mother," Yusuke asked, as they stepped out onto the elevator, before they walked into a nearby room that Kurama sat in, his mother lying on the bed ill.

"Why don't you ask him," Naruto explained gesturing to Kurama. Kurama glanced at Naruto a frown. "I did not ask you to bring him here."

"And I did not tell you that you would use the Forlorn Hope now did I?" Kurama frowned. "This isn't your decision Naruto!"

"Damn straight it is!"

"What are you two talking about," Yusuke interrupted. Kurama looked at him before sighing. He gestured to the ill woman laying on the bed. "This woman here is my mother," Kurama explained. He went into his past in the Demon World, explaining to Yusuke why he Shiori was his mother. "It's the emotional stress," Kurama stated. "I must have caused this by putting her through emotional strain."

"Which makes no sense," Naruto grumbled underneath his breath. Kurama ignored his brother, instead focusing on Yusuke. "That is why I must use the Forlorn Hope, even at the cost of my life. She cared for me in a way I did not think possible. It is my responsibility."

With that Kurama stormed out of the room as the moon shone in the sky, Naruto and Yusuke racing after him. "You sure as hell will not!" both of them roared. However, as they passed by Naruto was grabbed by a nurse. "Naruto!" Naruto turned, looking at the nurse with an irritated look on his face. "What?"

"It's just that...well...your mother has taken a turn for the worse. It is...well...it is unlikely that she will live through the night. I'm sorry." Naruto's eyes widened before hair covered his eyes. "Understood. Thank you," he stated robotically, his fist clenched. The nurse nodded, walking away, a sad look in her eye. "I'll have to leave Yusuke to stopping Kurama. I have to see what I can do for her!"

Naruto ran back to Shiori's room, his eyes wide as he saw her labored breathing. Quickly looking through the room he saw the camera's, hiding from them at an awkward angle before taking his shirt off and throwing it over it, hiding the camera from seeing what he was about to do. He looked at his stomach, a frown on his face before his eyes turned crimson and his power exploded, the shock wave slamming the door shut.

"Come on," Naruto muttered, trying to raise his power more and more, seeing the slight buldge on Kurama's body, the tell-tale markings of the beginning of tail.

"I can do this!"

"Stop!" Yusuke cried as Kurama reflected the Forlorn Hope off of the full moon, his eyes intense. "Mirror of Darkness, receive the light of the moon and awaken! Display your power, and reflect my desire on your surface!"

The mirror seemed to roar before whips of dark energy shot from it, flapping wildly. Yusuke raised his arms to protect him from the power they gave off. "Kurama! I can't let you do this!"

"A lifetime of happiness for this woman," the mirror spoke, causing Yusuke's eyes to widen. "That is what you desire?"

"It is," Kurama spoke.

"You're making a mistake!" Yusuke cried. "If you save her it won't amount to anything if you die!" Kurama shook his head, his long red hair being sent flying from the energy the mirror gave off. "This is the only way!"

"To fulfill this wish, it means I must take your life. Are you sure this is alright?"

"If it will save her life."

"Very well then, I shall grant your desire!"

The mirror exploded with energy once more, lightning shooting up to envelop Kurama's form, causing Yusuke's eyes to widen. Suddenly Yusuke shot his hand down, placing it on the mirror, causing lightning to envelop him too.

"What are you doing!?" Kurama cried, shock written all over his face. "Hey shitty mirror," Yusuke roared. "I'm giving you my life! By doing this you don't have to take his life to grant his wish right?"

"What are you thinking? You'll die here, I can't allow that to happen!"

"The sight of a mother's crying face after losing her child," Yusuke said, snapping to look at Kurama with intense eyes. "I've seen it! It's unbearable! There is nothing that could be worse!"

The mirror exploded and white light shot from it into the sky, enveloping both Kurama and Yusuke".

"Come on!" Naruto roared, an orange-red tail shooting from his back as Kurama grew a tail, his demonic energy shooting into the ceiling, cracking it. "Just use the healing properties, just use the healing properties! It should be just like chakra!" Naruto cried, placing his hands on his mother as he tried to channel his demonic energy. "Come on come on!"

"Take my energy and live!"

Kurama and Yusuke both groaned, slowly rising to their feet from the mirror's blast of energy. "I'm alive," Kurama said, realization dawning on him as he snapped to his face. "But mom!"

Kurama took off, dashing towards Shiori's hospital room. Suddenly a blue-haired girl landed in front of Yusuke, her eyes wide. "Yusuke! Yusuke!"

Yusuke shot up, a smile on his face. "I survived! Situations like that where I act before thinking could come back to bite me in the ass. I don't wanna die again." He noticed the blue haired girl next to him. "Botan? Why are you here?"

Botan could only stare at him, tears in her eyes. "Dummy." Yusuke could only smirk, looking at the ground. "I got the Mirror of Darkness! Looks like I did it huh!" Botan turned to look at the mirror, a shout coming from her mouth as it began to speak again.

"You both were impressive...especially with the young hanyo you sent to try and heal her with my help. I only took a third of each of your lives as pament instead of the the full life or any of you."

Naruto's eyes snapped to the door, Kurama bursting in. "Mom!" he stated. Shiori rose from the bed, smiling at her son. "Shuichi! It's good to see you again." Kurama latched onto Shiori, a smile on his face. Naruto smiled as he watched the duo, completely forgetting about the fact that there was a tail coming from his waist. Shiori turned to look at her other child, a smile on her face. "Naruto...what is that?"

Naruto turned, his eyes widening to see the tail that his mother had clearly seen. "Ah, crap-baskets!" Kurama could only smile in amusement. This would take quite the bit of explaining.

I hope everybody enjoy's their Christmas/Holiday gifts. Have a great time!