A/N - Hello everyone! Welcome back to the third installment of Kitsune Sanctuary! Sorry this took so long, life has been really hectic lately! Not to mention I rewrote this chapter four or five times... I'm happy how it turned out I think, so I hope you all are just as excited to read this as I am!
I'm loving all the postive feedback, but would also appreciate any criticism that you can offer. Please keep speculating and discussing aspects of the story! I absolutely love reading everyone discuss and notice little things. I try to hint at things throughout these chapters that could be very big details or small details.
=Reviews=
TigrezzTail - Who knows? :P
JChittester - Hehehehe... I want a picture as well... hehehe...
FCY Warrior - I'm glad you're enjoying the story, and I greatly appreciate the praise. I also would like to thank you for pointing out my grammar errors. While I do go over my story, I'm still prone to miss some. So please continue to point them out if they are spotted. I promise not to stab to much. ;)
ThraintarIronshield - I'm glad you enjoyed that part, I had a blast writing it. As for your question, I won't spoil it, but there is a high probability he will.
Phantomsoul2015 - Glad you like that!
Lightfang - I guess you'll just have to continue reading to find out. A hint though, the kitsune do leave the safety of the sanctuary to do things.
Soulhope The Wolf - You might just be on to something.
KakeruPB - I imagine NarutoxAkane are going to be paired a lot during this story. But I'm not going to spoil any romance in this story. You'll just have to continue to read and find out! There are a lot of characters that he could end up with, I only hope I can write their characters well. Now I did mention Akane's age is around Naruto's, but didn't give a specific number. She is five, and Naruto will learn that soon.
Guests - Yes, I can guarantee you will see scenes of Konoha. The significance of the dream... that's a secret. ^-^
Please enjoy the story everyone!
I do not own Naruto!
I do own my OCs though...
=Konohagakure=
The dark starry sky vanished as the sun rose past the horizon. Large white clouds lazily hovered over the land below. Birds began singing in the large illuminated forest around them, deer woke and grazed the grassy fields. The large village known as Konohagakure became lively was it bathed in the warm rays of light.
Men, women, and children rise from their slumber and begin their days. Stores started opening, streets started filling with a vast amount of people. Shinobi were jumping roof top to roof top going about their business. A green spandex wearing monster began screaming "Youth!" as he ran around Konoha on his hands with boulders on his back. It was a normal day like every other.
The leader of the village, Hiruzen Sarutobi woke as well preparing for an eventful day. He was an older man that looked wise and powerful. His once tan skin from his youth was now paler from sitting inside all day. His dark spikey brown hair was now grey including his goatee, wrinkles and liver spots adorned his body.
Dressed in his kage uniform, a customary white and red hat with the kanji for fire in the front, a red haori with a white sash tied around his waist. He wore a white cloak over top his haori that has the Sandaime Hokage on the back. Overall, his appearance gave off utmost importance.
Hiruzen made his way through the lively streets with a grandfatherly smile plastered on his face. Men, women, and children smiled and waved at their leader as he passed by them. He would nod his head and smile back at everyone, they are his family and he is always happy to see them.
Soon he found himself in his office, a large circular room with two large oaken doors leading into it. The walls are a beige stone with six large windows behind the wooden desk. Stone tiles lined the floor in a simplistic pattern. The walls are lined with bookshelves filled with books, scrolls. To his horror, there on his desk stood a mountain of papers. Paperwork was the bane to all kages. 'Maybe all the villages could unite to take out this great evil and create peace?' the old kage thought.
Sighing lowly, he sat down in his chair and began working on a stack of paperwork. It would take him all day, but he would get it done before tomorrow's next wave attacked. He would never give in, never surrender to the evil. If it was war this damn sheet wanted, then war it would get! Thus, with determination alit in his eyes he attacked the papers with renewed vigor.
A few hours passed with only a few interruptions from shinobi coming in for orders, some for direct missions. ANBU (Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai) were stationed in his office hiding in the dark recesses of his office ready to defend their leader. The elderly man began to let his mind wander while slowly going over his paperwork. He thought of his three students, the three-legendary ninja, the sannin. They were his prized students that he cared for deeply that all fell from grace in their own way.
Orochimaru was a student that Hiruzen saw as his own son, he was brilliant. Prodigy is the easiest way to describe the man, he is a perfectionist. He always desired to learn new things and discover everything he could. Somewhere down the line his mind became dark and twisted, and he began experimenting on humans, worse, he started experimenting on citizens of Konoha. When he had discovered Orochimaru's treachery, he confronted him. Though he had planned on killing the boy for his disgusting experiments, he couldn't find it in his heart to eliminate the boy who he saw as his own son. One of his greatest mistakes indeed.
Tsunade Senju was a girl with a bright future, a genius with masterful chakra control. Her lineage is incredibly impressive; related to two kages, the Shodia Hokage, Hashirama Senju and the Nidaime Hokage, Tobirama Senju. She is the greatest medical-nin in the world but lost herself when not only her little brother perished during the third great shinobi war, but her fiancée passed as well. Hatred spewed forth and caused her to despise her home. She found solace in drinking and gambling to help dim the everlasting pain that haunted her as she traveled the elemental nations. She has never stepped foot in Konoha since she left.
Jiraiya was a dim-witted boy that you couldn't help but laugh at. He wasn't that brightest and did better through trial and error which contrasted his two old team members. He was a genius in his own right and worked hard to keep up with his two teammates. He eventually took on his own team and raised them to become splendid shinobi. Minato Namikaze was Jiraiya's son in everything but blood and was excited when his student became the Yondaime Hokage. Soon after, Minato perished with his wife causing Jiraiya to spiral down a well of depression. He found comfort in brothels, writing his books, but never stopped working for Konoha. He lost himself in his work and rarely visited anymore unless it was important.
His aged mind drifted to a scar that would never heal, the death of his lovely wife Biwako Sarutobi. She was as wise as himself maybe even more so; they fit together like two puzzle pieces. Though their opinions sometime clashed like how she believed women were stronger than men. While he didn't believe they were weaker than men, he believed everyone to start off as an equal and made a path for themselves. She was his soulmate and made his life happy. But like all good things, it came to an end. A catastrophic event took her from him when the Kyuubi broke free and slaughtered a large portion of the village. So many innocent lives were lost that day.
The wise man grew to despise; loathe the existence of the Kyuubi. He truly hoped it would suffer for an eternity for the suffering it caused to his family and village. Much to his dismay, the hatred carried over to a certain blonde boy for a short time. He wasn't foolish to believe the boy to be the Kyuubi, but he hated what was inside of him. The thought of the boy brought up painful memories that he wished to avoid for a while. However, after almost five years he was finally ready to try and take care of the boy like his father and mother would have wanted.
Snapping out of his thoughts he decided it was finally time to greet the jinchūriki. Forming a handsign, a young man that looked around seventeen or eighteen appeared in front of him. His face is hidden behind a white porcelain dog mask only showing his silver spikey gravity defying hair. He wore a jet-black sleeveless t-shirt that exposed his shoulders with a light grey vest overtop, jet-black pants with white bandages tied around right leg alongside a kunai pouch, matching shinobi sandals that went up to his knees. The hilt of a sword poked up over his right shoulder.
"Inu, I need you to locate the Jinchūriki, Naruto and bring him to me." Hiruzen ordered.
The ANBU member did not respond vocally but nodded and vanished in a swirl of leaves. His first stop would most likely be the orphanage, but word has gotten around that the 'demon' has been sleeping in the park. He didn't understand why the boy had chosen to sleep in the park instead of a bed under a roof but guessed that they were just rumors to dehumanize the child.
=Konohagakure; ANBU: Inu=
Though it's difficult to tell underneath the emotionless white dog mask, Inu is ecstatic. He has been waiting for Naruto to be introduced to the Hokage since the day he noticed the treatment in the orphanage. Discretely, Inu had been the one changing his used diapers, or torn clothes when no one else would. He wanted to do more but was forbidden from interacting with Naruto.
Hopefully this would be the start of a new, brighter chapter in the young blonde's life. It is considered an honor to be personally called in by the hokage. For an orphan to be called in to visit the hokage, it could mean anything. Usually orphans would meet with the hokage if he saw latent talent that could be used for the good of Konoha. Naruto clearly fit those perimeters, and with him being the jinchūriki, that only opened future potential.
Inu appeared in a swirl of leaves in front of the wooden orphanage. It's a decently sized building that could hold quite a phew children and has a sizeable back and front yard. A large beautiful oak tree lazily sat in the front yard with branches leaning over the roof of the orphanage. A small wooden swing is attached to it, slowly rocking back and forth in the gentle breeze.
Knocking on the front door, it opened revealing the caretaker. She is an aged woman with noticeably greying hair, wrinkles forming on her forehead, and bags under her eyes. She wore a simple white gown with a green apron overtop of it. Her brown eyes met Inu's before the woman smiled kindly at him; behind his mask, he did not smile back. "I'm here to retrieve the orphan Naruto." Inu said blandly.
The woman suddenly looked worried, and nervous. Looking into her eyes you could see her debating how to handle to the situation that had just arisen. Alarms started playing in the masked shinobi's head at the possibilities for her reaction to what he said.
"Sorry ANBU-san, but that de-" she coughed, and quickly corrected herself, "boy no longer lives here." Her words laced with bitterness.
Inu's eyes narrowed behind the white dog mask. "What do you mean he no longer lives here?" he questioned sternly.
"That boy became a danger to the other orphans, so I removed him after his fourth birthday." The caretaker said seriously.
The ANBU member nodded his head noticeably before vanishing in a swirl of leaves. He would inform the hokage of the caretaker's decision to kick a four-year-old out on the street. However, now he would focus on the rumors going around about the 'demon' sleeping in the park.
He appeared in front of the park once again in a swirl of leaves. The park is swimming with children happily going about their business and parents sitting on benches smiling at them. These were the moments that made serving Konoha worth it. A place where children could grow up safely; parents to work without fear of bandits.
After a few hours of wandering the entire park, he only stumbled upon one clue that Naruto had been here. A single tree has some trash around it, and a small nest like bed created in the leafy canopy. A few extra set of clothes laid in the tree that matched what he got Naruto. Since the boy wasn't here right now, he was about to leave and continue searching when he overheard a disturbing conversation.
"Yeah, I took out the demon two nights ago." A shaggy looking man bragged.
"I can't believe you actually got a rid of it." Replied a bald elder.
"It wasn't that hard, but with the demon dead our families can rest in peace." The shaggy man said happily.
Inu's eyes widened in shock over the conversation before narrowing dangerously. This man just insinuated that he killed Naruto, and so carelessly as well. Righteous fury welled up inside the ANBU member as he glared at the man unconsciously releasing a minor amount of killing intent. Shaking his head and calming himself down, he began walking over to the man.
The man who was just bragging only moments ago froze in fear as killing intent washed over him. His eyes furiously looked around trying to spot where that killing intent came from, but it quickly disappeared. Blinking his eyes, he looked forward only to spot a white porcelain dog mask in his face.
"I couldn't help but overhear that you removed a demon, mind explaining?" Inu droned.
The man believed he was being praised and wasted no time in telling his heroic tale. A tale where he accepted his heroic quest to remove the demon from Konoha to protect everyone. How he fought the demonic entity right here in this very park with his friend and knocked it out. How he took it far from Konoha leaving it to die alone in the distant woods. His tale was heroic sounding, one that he believed Konoha would celebrate. They say ignorance is bliss, he just happened to experience it firsthand.
Inu listened to the man's tale and heard it slightly differently. A tale where the shaggy man got paid to kidnap and/or murder the jinchūriki Naruto. How the man ambushed a four-year-old with his friend and knocked the child out. How disgusting man left a defenseless four-year-old out in the wilderness with no way of getting back. The man's tale sounded pathetic, weak, and cowardly. This man was about to have a really bad day.
Nodding his head in acceptance to his answer, Inu immediately flashed behind him and knocked the man out with a quick jab to the neck. The elderly man beside him looked shocked as his eyes widened in disbelief. Inu payed the elder no mind and scooped up the unconscious man and disappeared in a swirl of leaves. A certain scar-headed man was about to have a new toy to play with.
=Konohagakure, Hokage's Office=
The wise leader sat at his desk going over some more paperwork. It's been a few hours since he sent his ANBU to retrieve Naruto and was expecting him to return soon. He had expected him to return a lot sooner, but Konoha is a large village. It would be difficult to locate a four-year-old.
He laid back on his chair and swirled around to look out his office windows. The view made the long hours' worth it. You could see the Hokage Monument, and most of the village and the outskirts of the surrounding forest. He enjoyed watching over the citizens like a father would look over his children.
The village seemed livelier today. People looked to be drinking out in public and cheering, quite like the Kyuubi festival. He wondered what they were celebrating today, his old mind couldn't think of any holidays. Shrugging his shoulders, he figured he would find out later tonight or tomorrow.
A sudden burst of chakra caught the sandaime's attention. Swirling the chair around to face his desk again, he saw Inu standing straight in front of him. Though the old man couldn't see the ANBU's face, he could see his posture has a sense of urgency. His aura has a hint of anger with sadness laced in.
His eyes narrowed at the lack of a spikey blond haired four-year-old. This added with the sense of urgency the ANBU is displaying and the random celebration happening in the village. It didn't take long for his wise mind to figure out what happened. Something bad happened to Konoha's jinchūriki.
"Where is Naruto, explain." Hiruzen questioned sternly.
*Flashback, earlier with Inu*
Hiro sat in a rusty metal chair beside a rusty metal table. A small lightbulb dangled over the table only illuminating a small circle around him leaving the area around him terrifyingly dark. His legs and arms were tied respectively to the chair, leaving much to be desired. He couldn't remember how he got here. One moment he was telling his heroic tale, the next moment he's in a dank room alone.
A metal door from the darkness opened slowly, screeching painfully as it echoed off the empty walls. Multiple footsteps could be heard throughout the darkness, then only one pair was heard slowly stepping towards him. The footsteps soon relieved themselves to be a taller man looking to be around twenty or so.
Ibiki Morino has been part of the Torture & Interrogation department for three years. While the man was only nine-teen, he managed to build himself a terrifying reputation as a mind-breaker. He carried an aura of fear with him that matched his scarred flesh. Ibiki is a large and imposing man which helped with intimidation. His head is covered in a purple cap with a metal plate with the insignia for the hidden leaf village. His face has one large scar diagonally on the right side of his face, and cold piercing black eyes. He wears a long-sleeved dark purple button up shirt with black pants. A black belt tied around his waist, and a black trench coat and gloves.
Inu delivered a toy for him to play with but made sure to make him understand the information of Konoha's jinchūriki took priority. From what he was told, this older man attacked a child and left him for dead somewhere in the forest. Somehow the older man thought what he did was heroic and just; he is going to have fun with this one.
He sat down opposite of the terrified man staring at him coldly. A few minutes of terrifying silence passed before he decided to grace his toy with his voice. "Hiro, retired chūnin of Konohagakure after obtaining a large wound on his left eye, and a shattered kneecap. This is correct, right?" Ibiki asked coolly.
Hiro nodded his head. He was on a mission with his team when they encountered a group of mangy Iwa shinobi who attacked them. He was slashed in the eye causing him to lose most of his eyesight. To add salt in the wound, they had hit him what a doton jutsu shattering his right kneecap ending his shinobi career.
"Good, now tell me how you dealt with the jinchūriki." The scarred man stated.
Hiro's eyes narrowed; he was asked a similar question not to long ago before he was knocked out. 'Is that why I'm here?' the older male thought curiously. Pondering that question in his head, he decided to tell a more subdued version of his tale to the scarred man. He could tell it wasn't the time to be to boisterous.
After explaining the story once more he watched the scarred man stare at him. His black eyes met his own eyes and just stared. It unnerved him, he hadn't seen the guy blink more then twice. That couldn't be healthy.
"So, let me get this straight. You attacked a four-year-old in a park, and left him for dead somewhere off in the woods?" Ibiki asked coldly.
"That boy wasn't a boy! It was a demon who killed my family!" The older man insisted.
"Oh yes, sometimes I forget how a newborn child caused so much death and destruction." The scarred man retorted sarcastically.
"The demon took the form of the child to trick us!" Hiro screamed.
Ibiki stared long and hard at the pathetic excuse of a man in front of him. He truly believed everything he just said, and there was so much hatred and bitterness laced in his words. 'Interesting…' Ibiki thought.
"Who hired you to remove the 'demon' from Konoha?" Ibiki asked getting back on track. He took out a kunai and started prodding his fingers.
Hiro eyed the kunai warily. "N-none of your business." Hiro said cursing his slight stutter.
Ibiki slammed the kunai into the table going right through it causing Hiro to jump. Well, jump as much as a man tied to a rusty chair could. Ibiki stared at the man with a blank face, but inside he was smirking. This is to easy. "I think you will find it is my business." He said slowly retracting the kunai from the table.
Hiro continued to stare at the blade, trying desperately to ignore it. It wouldn't do to show any fear to an interrogator, that's how they get you. To his dismay, he was shaking ever so slightly and sweating nervously.
The scarred man reached into a pouch on the side of his leg and pulled out four additional kunai and lined them up on the table in front of him. "Here is what we're going to do. We're going to play a game of lives. Each kunai is a life, and when you run out you die. Sounds fun right?" Ibiki chuckled at the older man's fearful eyes. "I'm going to ask you a question, and you're going to answer truthfully. If you lie or fail to answer, you lose a life. Simple enough?" Ibiki finished.
"Who hired you to remove the 'demon' from Konoha?" Ibiki asked again.
Hiro eyed the kunai on the table nervously, then looked into his interrogators eyes. He looked completely serious with his threat of death, but would he really kill me if he needed the information? 'Probably, he could just go grab the other guy that did this with me…' he concluded. The next question in his head, was his employer worth his life? That was a simple answer. No, but first let's find out what I'm dealing with. He stayed silent, staring at the kunai waiting. With incredible speed, the scarred man picked up one of the kunai and flung with right past his head imbedding it into the wall. He was just gifted a free haircut.
"That's one life down, same question as before." Ibiki said coolly.
"Kane Kuro." Hiro answered quickly.
"Kane Kuro, high-class merchant on the civilian council?" Ibiki asked, getting a nod for an answer. "Interesting, where did you leave the 'demon'"? he asked.
Hiro's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. He wasn't willing to let the demon come back after how much trouble he went through to get him out. "We picked a random direction and left it in a random spot far from Konoha." Hiro stated, eyes slightly drifting off into the darkness. A second kunai went flying by his head cutting off more of his hair.
"Two lives down. Same question." Ibiki said sternly. Receiving no answer, he threw a third kunai, slightly grazing his head. Not enough to cut, but enough to feel the blade. "Three lives down, two left. Same question." He said coldly.
Hiro was beginning to panic; that knife was a little to close for comfort. "We left it near the border of Kawa no Kuni (river country)." He said with a heavy sigh.
"Who was working with you?" Ibiki asked slightly calmer than before.
"Noa." The older man answered in a defeated tone.
Behind is one-way glass window, Inu disappeared in a swirl of leaves. The older man was easier to break then he thought he would be, but that just made his life easier. The Hokage is not going to be pleased with this information.
*Flashback End*
The Hokage was indeed not pleased with what he was told. This is a bad scenario all together, their jinchūriki is out there alone and unclaimed. They have a powerful tool out there just waiting to be found, and worse know one knew that they had the Kyuubi. Everyone believed the Yondaime Hokage killed the demon. So, if someone found the boy, Konoha would have absolutely no claim. This was very bad.
"Tenzo." A teenager appeared in front the old hokage. He wore a white porcelain that resembled a cat with red and green markings. He has short brown hair that went to his shoulders. He wore the same uniform as Inu, sword and all. "Arrest Kane Kuro and bring him to T&I." Hiruzen ordered. The brown haired ANBU nodded his head slightly before vanishing in a familiar swirl of leaves.
"Orders sir?" Inu asked. He desperately wanted to find Naruto, not because of his jinchūriki status, but for personal reasons. His sensei's last request was for the boy to be seen as hero. While most of Konoha seemed to ignore his dying wish, he did not.
"Gather a squad of ANBU and scour the border for any trace of Naruto. Hopefully we can find him before someone or something else does." The old hokage said tiredly. Inu nodded his head and vanished as well leaving the hokage to himself.
Hiruzen slumped back in his chair and let out a tired sigh. He failed because he was to cowardly to face Naruto earlier. The blond-haired boy is out there somewhere, alone and scared. Most likely dead from predators or captured by bandits to be sold as child labor or worse. If the boy is still alive, he could only hope that he wasn't starving to death.
=Kitsune Sanctuary, The Masumi Clan Compound=
The Masumi clan compound is quiet, an uncomfortable silence loomed over the entire area. You would almost assume that everyone is asleep with how silent it is. However, the blazing sun is still shining brightly in the sky, of course it was starting to set, but it is far too early to be asleep. That begged the question, why is it so quiet?
The entire clan sat around the dining room table watching their newest family member eat. They wanted to look away from the horrific scene, but they couldn't no matter how bad they wanted to. There is no way to describe the blond vacuum they were witnessing. Bowl after bowl of ramen was consumed in seconds. There is no mess, no drops of broth left on the table, not a single noodle left untouched. It is perfectly captured in the blackhole known as Naruto.
"Another please!" The boy chirped happily. Riku kept his word and made ramen for dinner tonight, and it is just as good as the ramen he got at the food stand. He just finished another bowl of delicious ramen and wanted to eat so much more. 'Is this what heavens like?' he thought mystically.
"There… there isn't anymore…" Riku said in shock. He now understood why Akane, Aki, and Danno went pale when he mentioned making ramen for dinner tonight. This scene would forever be etched into the memories of every single member of the Masumi clan.
"But I could eat at least a few more bowls…" Naruto pouted. How could anyone deprive him of something so majestic? This is the food of the gods, there is no other way to describe it. He wondered if he could make a religion based on ramen, he would lead the world to a new age of understanding via ramen. A beautiful site indeed.
Akane, Aki, and Danno starred at the blond with their jaw hitting the table. 'He could eat a few more!?' they all thought together. It was funny after the first bowl, worrying after the seventh, disturbing after the fifteenth. This was worse than the ramen stand, and they would have nightmares of this. Looking into each other's eyes, they made a silent pact. They would keep Naruto away from ramen whenever possible.
Naruto blinked in confusion. "You all haven't even finished your first bowl yet!" he shouted in shock. How could they not be enjoying the sanctity that is ramen? Did they not like ramen? That thought scared Naruto a little deep down.
All the members of the Masumi clan blinked at that, then looked down. Indeed, none of them had finished a single bowl yet. Hell, most of them haven't even taken a single bite yet. Sadly, that also meant none of them were getting seconds. Thank goodness none of them were avid ramen eaters.
"So, Naruto, did you like my ramen?" Riku asked knowingly. Even though it was a scarring event, he enjoyed seeing someone eat his food with such passion! This is what a chef lives for!
"Yeah dattebayo!" Naruto chirped excitedly, his verbal tic showing once more through sheer excitement.
Riku patted himself on the back, he's still got it. "Glad you liked it so much. My cooking is quite amazing." He said proudly getting a few groans from around the table. He looked around the table at the groans, then started pouting childishly.
The rest of the dinner went quickly as everyone finished off their one bowl of ramen. They would occasionally look up at the blond child and shiver as he stared at their food like a vulture waiting for any sign of scraps. While some were slightly annoyed that they only got one bowl – which they would admit is delicious but wouldn't tell Riku and inflate his ego even more – they were happy overall with the blonde's cheerful attitude. He added a hint of excitement to the compound that everyone enjoyed.
Soon after dinner finished off, the kitsunes left to go about their own business. The room emptied only leaving Akane, Aki, Danno and Naruto. The room was silent for a bit while they rubbed their stomachs in satisfaction. Aki looked over to Akane curiously before a sly smile popped up on her face. "Akane-chan, want to spar? We can show Naruto what kenjutsu is!" Aki asked in a hopeful tone with sparkling eyes.
Akane looked over to Naruto who is just watching the conversation with interest. She didn't want to leave Naruto out of any fun, but it had been a couple days since she practiced with anyone. Plus, Aki did have a good point, this would be a great opportunity to show Naruto what kenjutsu is. She has talked about it with a passion but has yet to show him it. "Sure, it's been a while since I've crushed you." Akane said mirthfully, receiving a challenging glare in return.
"Oh ho, you're going to regret that Akane-chan…" Aki retorted with a chuckle and an evil glint in her eyes. While Akane has been playing with her new blond fishcake toy, she continued to practice! She quickly got up motioning for everyone to follow her as she walked out of the room. Akane smiled and followed closely.
Naruto eyed Danno curiously who just shrugged. He got up and followed the two red-headed kitsunes, intent on seeing their spar. From what he has learned in his short time here, Akane is a prodigy in kenjutsu but Aki is nothing to sneeze at either.
=The Masumi Clan Compound, Training Ground=
Akane and Aki stood in an evenly trimmed grassy field around thirty feet from each other. They both picked up their training ninjatō on their way here. Naruto sat on the sidelines against a tree watching them both prepare for their spar. Danno was standing in between them as a referee.
"You both ready?" Danno asked eyeing them both.
"Oh yeah, the red devil is going down today!" Aki said energetically. She has been asking for a spar for a while but continued to get a 'not now' or 'maybe later'. It annoyed her slightly, but with her renewed interest in kenjutsu due to the blond fishcake, she finally accepted!
"You realize you have red hair too, right?" Akane retorted with a sly chuckle. The red devil is her friendly nickname Aki gave her because of her vicious swordsmanship. She wasn't known for holding back very often…
"So, I'm a red-haired angel! Two forces destined to clash, we are destined to be rivals!" Aki shouted dramatically. Off in the distance under a tree, a blond fishcake snorted.
"Really?" Akane said dryly.
"Yup!" Aki smirked.
"Well, if you're both done with your prebattle monologue, can we start the fight? I'm getting tired and the sun is almost out of the sky." Danno said yawning into his hand. Maybe he could sneak off and go to bed early tonight?
"You're no fun Danno-kun." Aki pouted.
"Anyways, hajime." Danno waved lazily as he walked over to the sidelines and laid down beside Naruto. He should be ready to end the fight if things got to heated, but he is tired. 'Maybe later…' he thought sleepily, closing his eyes.
A gentle breeze rustled the leaves in the trees. The grass swayed back and forth as both fighters locked eyes with each other. When the wind died down, they both charged at each other. With impressive speed for children, they both clashed in the middle. Wooden ninjatō vs wooden ninjatō.
"You've improved your strength Aki-chan." Akane complimented. She took a step back catching Aki off guard as she stumbled forward losing her footing due to putting so much force into her attack. Akane took advantage of her opening and went to stab her in the chest but was quickly parried by Aki.
Aki rushed into her guard and went for a fatal slash at the neck. She didn't expect Akane to have already recovered from her parry and dodge to the left. Akane took advantage and slashed at her side. She took a hard hit to the side falling to the ground roughly. Instincts cried out to her as she rolled to the side avoiding a slash that would have cut her in half. Quickly jumping onto her feet, she got some distance between herself and Akane. "and you're just as deadly as ever Akane-chan." Aki commented with a wince.
Off on the side lines Naruto watched the fight continue. He could only imagine how deadly they would be if they were using real swords. Naruto couldn't help but think that getting slashed with a wooden sword would probably still hurt badly. He looked over to Danno who has his eyes closed and breathing in and out slowly. Naruto started to sweat at that since he is supposed to be refereeing the fight. "They're pretty good." Naruto commented out loud trying to wake Danno up.
"Yeah, but they are just putting on a show right now." Danno commented without moving at all. While he wasn't watching the fight, he could hear their movements with his ears.
"How could you know? You're not even watching!" Naruto grumbled. He did not get a response and sighed looking back at the spar. He wondered if he would be good at kenjutsu.
Aki is panting lightly keeping her eyes on Akane who watched her just as closely. She smirked, at least Akane is panting as well. 'She's already got one debilitating wound on me. In a real fight she would have already won… I've still got a long way to go Akane-chan…' Aki thought as she looked over her opponent.
Akane took a step forward panting lightly studying her opponent. Although she is technically in the lead with the wound she managed to inflict, she is rather impressed with Aki's performance. 'Danno and her must have been practicing a lot.' She thought while smiling, 'Though she's let her guard down slightly to catch her breath.' She mused. Akane took advantage and rushed Aki taking her by surprise at the sudden movement. She vertically slashed her ninjatō at her collarbone but got blocked weakly by Aki.
Aki cringed at the pain at her side when she took the force of the blow. Their wooden swords were in a clash of dominance before an idea struck Aki's head. She stopped putting pressure into her defense causing Akane to falter; taking advantage of her stumble she went to slash at her ankles but got rewarded with a punch in the face with her opponent's hilt. Falling onto the ground in a daze, she got ready to move before she felt the wooden blade resting at her neck. "And, that's game Aki-chan." Her fellow red-head said with amusement.
"Did you have to hit me so hard? I'm going to have such a bad headache…" Aki complained holding her head in her hands. Even though she lost the spar, it still gave her a little more experience.
"Sorry, but you gave me such a good opening. I just couldn't resist!" Akane said mirthfully.
"It was supposed to be my opening!" She retorted hotly.
She got a chuckle in response and looked up with a glare. It quickly changed to a smile as an offering hand dangled in front of her. She took it and raised herself off the ground. "Thanks for the spar Akane-chan." She said with a small smile.
"That was awesome!" a loud voice called out to them from the side. Indeed, the blond boy was running at them leaking amazement. It looked like they managed to put on a good show.
"Aw, thanks fishcake!" Aki said cutely with a gleeful smile plastered on her face. All she got in return was an annoyed glare from him and a bop on the head from Akane.
"Glad you liked it Naru-kun. You think you'd be interested in giving it a go sometime?" Akane asked, hoping she made a good impression on him.
"Of course! I'm going to be awesome!" Naruto chirped excitedly.
"Not to break up the moment, but can we go now? It's getting dark outside, and I'm tired." Danno commented from the side while walking towards them. He yawned into his hand and walked past them towards the house.
The other three shrugged and followed him. Aki ran ahead to walk beside Danno like usual leaving Akane and Naruto to walk behind them. Akane looked up towards the darkening sky and let out a tired yawn.
=The Masumi Clan Compound, Naruto's room=
A few more hours passed before the three kitsunes went off to bed leaving Naruto alone in his room. His clothes from earlier laid scattered across the wooden floor. The moonlight shined through the window illuminating the room. Naruto rested in his bed in his pajamas; looking up at the dark ceiling thinking.
His mind wandered as he thought over everything that has changed for him. He was kidnapped from his old home, Konoha and left for dead in a forest who knows where. Rescued by talking majestic foxes and led into another dimension that is ruled by said majestic foxes. That somehow, he has their leader sealed inside of him, which happened to be the Kyuubi. He's still trying to wrap his head around that detail. In that short time though, they gave him a new home, friends, and hopefully a family.
He wondered what would have happened if he stayed in Konoha. He'd probably still be sleeping in that comfortable tree. It might not have been a soft bed, but he knew how to choose a comfortable branch! Sadly, he was forced to leave behind his treasures. He didn't know where they came from, or who gave them to him, but he cherished them. They were just clothes to anyone else, but it was his first gift.
A thought popped into his head, 'Has anyone noticed I'm gone?' Naruto thought curiously, before a small bit of pain welled up in his heart. 'If they have, they're probably happy I'm gone…' he thought sadly. He shook his head and sighed. It wasn't the time for sad thoughts like that.
His thoughts drifted off to his friends and family, Kenichi, Akane, Aki, Danno, Riku, Natsuko, Isamu, Keigo, Hana, Gin, Shizuka, and the few others he's met. Kenichi felt like what he would assume a father figure is like. The older kitsune seemed to care for him, but he could just be worried for what I hold instead. He didn't like that line of thought and squashed it immediately, but he knew it lingered in the recesses of his mind.
Akane, Aki, and Danno brought a soft smile to the sleepy blonde's face. He considered them to be his best friends and hold a special place in his heart already. Akane seemed to want to get to know him better and tried to get him involved in things. Aki felt like what a sister would be like; constantly teasing and picking on him but not meaning any harm. 'One day she won't call me fishcake, one day.' He thought hopefully. Danno is an interesting guy, he seemed more laid back then everyone else.
The kitsunes he met in the park were nice as well. He only met them shortly, but he can tell they will be good friends one day. Shizuka peeked his interest the most for reasons he couldn't really explain. He hoped to play with them all again, especially the energetic duo Natsuko and Isamu. Their race yesterday was so much fun, even after he lost it was still a blast.
That reminded him of something very important. A certain red haired kitsune pranked him, and he is going to get her back. It would be something embarrassing, something frustrating, something beautifully evil. He chuckled darkly in his mind as his began crafting devious ideas. In another room, said red head shivered in her sleep.
Naruto's eyes started getting heavier and heavier as his mind continued to wander onto different subjects. Soon his breathing slowed and relaxed. His mind drifted off to sleep.
=Unknown=
Darkness, that is the only thing Naruto could see. A cold feeling of loneliness filled the air all around him as the darkness continued to swallow him whole. Since he fell through the park floor in front of those two strange kids, he has spent his last couple nights in darkness. Below, above and all around, nothing but the cold dark abyss. He couldn't tell if he was falling or floating in nothingness. The darkness felt familiar though, like he had been here before. It's a feeling he couldn't explain. It felt like hours before he heard a sound echoing around him, the sound of stone cracking.
Water rushed around his small body as he laid back against the cold stone flooring. He blinked his eyes trying to adjust to the sudden change of lighting. His eyes stared up at the curved stone ceiling blankly. His head turned slightly to both side examining the new area he found himself in. It looked like he was dropped into a sewer. The walls were made of stone with large cracks throughout it, dark green moss grew out of the cracks. Three different sized pipes ran alongside the walls; the two smaller ones were connected strangely. One was a dark blue while the smaller one wrapped around it was a forest green. The green pipe looked alive, like it is trying to merge with the dark blue one. The larger red pipe was separated by a large margin and felt dangerous.
Standing up and he leaned up against a wall resting against it. 'Where am I?' he thought worriedly, his eyes drifted too both paths laid out before him. Looking at the two directions he could start walking weren't appealing. Both directions were mostly identical except for one be slightly brighter then the other. With a sigh he started walking towards the brighter path of the two paths given to him.
He kept his hand on the wall as he continued walking. In a short time, he came to a fork in the road which offered three different paths. Two of the three paths looked like the one he was walking down the entire time, while the third gave off the sound of rushing water. Choosing to follow the sound of water, he turned to the right path continued walking forward.
The small river of water started picking up pace the closer he got to the sound of rushing water. It started getting harder to keep his footing on the stone with the rapid water pushing him. After a few more minutes of walking he arrived at a large circular tower that extended up and down. The river of water rushed off the ledge creating a waterfall. Naruto used all his strength to hold onto the wall as he peered over the edge and saw a whirlpool of water draining into a dark void. The darkness felt even colder than the darkness he was in earlier, and that scared him. He immediately backed off from the ledge and ran from the circular room back the way he came.
As he ran, he tried to slow his heart and control himself. He wanted to cry for reasons he couldn't explain, and at the same time the waters started rising and getting faster. The water rose to his waist and picked him up dragging him back towards the previous room. He tried swimming against the rapid currents, even digging his fingers into the stone wall, but he wasn't strong enough as he was launched off the side into the maelstrom below. After a few seconds of struggling he was pulled under the water and sucked into the darkness that brought out that uncontrollable fear. His mind went blank.
He woke up back at the intersection with the water level returned to normal. He sat up and looked around in a daze, the original path he took is now barred with a steel grate. A wall that is strong enough to protect him from whatever is on the other side. He could no longer hear rushing water down that path, it is eerily silent now.
He looked down the two available paths, both looked identical. Rising to his feet shakily, he randomly chose a path and started walking forward. As he continued to walk down the never-ending tunnel, he decided to take a short break and sat down against a wall submerging his legs in water again. The familiar sound of stone cracking whispered in his ear. With only a short warning, the wall behind him shattered making him lose his balance and fall backwards. Strangely, none of the water followed him.
Darkness surrounded him again, but it was different then last time. Unlike last time, where there was nothing but darkness, this one has glowing green chains dangling all around him. They felt warming and tried reaching out to him. Eventually one managed to ensnare him, and like dominos each chain latched onto his body. Naruto didn't fight the chains; they felt so safe and warm.
Naruto rested against the chains like a hammock savoring the warmth they gave off as he hung above the never-ending abyss below him. The chains after a while fully wrapped around his body like a cocoon began pulling him up. It started off slowly but sped up gradually. Naruto watched as the chains continued pulling him faster and faster, and soon spotted a green light above him. It looked like the entrance to another room. Just as he was about to reach the light, the chains were severed but Naruto's momentum continued sending him forward.
He found himself running upright into a large open room, and with the sudden introduction to water he tripped falling face first with a loud splash. He pushed himself up onto his knees gently. After wiping his face, he started examining the new room in front of him. It is the largest room he has seen so far in this strange sewer. It is rectangular stone room with large crack, luminescent dark green moss flourished in the cracks. The stone room went higher than the Hokage's monument. It has a large steel gate resting in front of him with a large piece of paper with the kanji for 'seal' plastered in the center. Behind the gate is an uncomfortable darkness, instincts told him to stay away from it.
A massive red slitted eye opened at the sound of splashing water and looked through the large gate in front of him. It had been sleeping since it was imprisoned, regaining its strength. It crimson eyes narrowed as they spotted a spikey blond-haired kit looking around the room. Deciding to make its presence known, it spoke. "So, my warden finally decided to come visit me." It growled out lowly towards the now shaken kit.
Naruto jumped backwards landing on his butt at the sudden loud voice. Looking towards the sound he spotted a glowing red-slitted eye studying him. He quickly jumped to his feet ready to run, "W-who are you?" Naruto called out fearfully. His question seemed to amuse the creature behind the gate.
"I am the…" the being started to say, suddenly standing up and walking towards the large metal gate. In it's massive glory stood a legendary sized orange fox with nine large tails swishing back and forth behind it aggressively. "feared Kyuubi no Kitsune!" the Kyuubi roared out flashing his large sharp canines.
Naruto's first instinct was to run at the sheer size of the creature behind the gate. Then his eyes widened and turned to stars as he saw the large fox standing in front of him. Out of everything he could find in this terrible sewer, he didn't expect to find a large amazing fox! He fought down the sudden urge to pet the giant fox and chose to just stare.
The Kyuubi, also known as Kurama eyed the kit strangely. He expected a bit more terror, fear, maybe even anger from the kit. No, instead the blond kit stared at him with so much awe confused him. Then again, his form is spectacular and deserved more love and devotion. Deciding to try and get his desired effect, he coughed into his large paw, "Did you not hear me whelp!? I am the great Kyuubi no Kitsune. The strongest of the nine bijuu! My very existence causes destruction and terror from my very presence!" The Kyuubi roared with pride.
Naruto was taken out of his awe when the majestic fox roared at him again. He didn't know what a bijuu was, but apparently, he is the strongest. Then something clicked in Naruto's head as he reviewed what he had just been told more closely. He eyed the giant kitsune behind the steel gate critically before the gears in his mind clicked into place. "Wait, are you Kurama!?" Naruto shouted back at the fox with wide eyes.
Kurama just blinked dumbly at the blond-haired kit. 'This is unexpected…" the nine-tailed fox thought. Somehow, instead of getting the desired fear, it just got him more interested. Not only that, this human somehow knew his name. He needed answers from the kit and was going to get them dammit! "How do you know my name human?" Kyuubi questioned in a more dangerous tone.
"Kenichi told me about you!" Naruto shouted back. He still hadn't figured out that the Kyuubi could hear him just fine and wasn't really yelling at him, he just has a loud voice. But, he is too excited to finally meet the leader of the kitsunes to think about that.
Kurama's eyes narrowed at the kit's answer and studied him critically. 'Kenichi knows better then to give my name away so carelessly…' he thought seriously. He decided to go through the kits memories and figure out what is going on. He watched the kit's life flash through his mind. The kit was treated like a demon for housing him, watching all the neglect, abuse and hatred slowly destroy the kit. He saw the kit get ambushed at a park and wake up in a forest surrounded by his children. Much to his surprise, he watched the kit enter the Kitsune Sanctuary. He smiled as he watched the kit with his children. "I see kit, yes my name is Kurama." The large kitsune responded in a much friendlier tone.
"So why are you in a sewer? I thought you were supposed to be inside me." Naruto asked, very much confused why the awesome fox was living in a damp place like a sewer and not a forest or a cave. Then he voiced another question, "Why am I in a sewer?" he said blinking dumbly.
"I am inside you kit, this is what your mind looks like." Kurama said with a hint of amusement in his eyes. Frankly, his mind is in terrible condition.
It felt like someone slapped his bowl of ramen out of his hands. 'My mind is a sewer!? How is that fair!' he mentally yelled. Deciding to voice his opinions, "Why is my mind a sewer!?" Naruto shouted in shock.
"Your mind reflects your life, and in your short life you've been treated as trash, so your mind becomes a place suited for it." The Kyuubi stated calmly. He normally wouldn't be this helpful, or even kind to his warden, but this kit has fox blood and is welcomed in by his kind. In his eyes, that made him one of his own children. He wondered how the kit even had fox blood in him.
"Can I change it?" Naruto asked. He rather it be something nicer, not something so depressing.
"Yes and no. It will change as your mind heals from the damage that your short life has endured. It could take years before your mind changes into something healthier." Kurama answered.
Naruto looked down at the water watching his reflection, slightly put down from the fact that his mind took the shape of a sewer. With a heavy sigh he looked back up to the mighty fox, "Thank you Kurama, for answering my questions." He said with a small smile.
The nine-tailed fox sat down with his tails resting in the water. "It's not a problem kit." Kurama responded with a fanged smile.
Naruto looked around the room and frowned, "So, how do I release you? I don't like seeing you trapped in a sewer." Naruto asked in curiosity. He knew Kurama's family was worried sick about him, and knowing he is trapped in a sewer might upset them.
Kurama stared at the kit with wide eyes. For years he wanted his freedom and tried to manipulate his last two hosts and this one just wants to. Kurama thought this over. 'If the kit pulled off the seal, I could break out easily, but it would kill him painfully. From his memories, it seems like my children have a plan for getting me out soon.' He mused, then decided to answer, "You aren't able to release me." He lied smoothly.
"Oh…" Naruto said sadly looking back down at his feet. That wasn't the answer he wanted to hear. He couldn't free him or even make the living conditions better, that made him feel bad.
Kurama sensed the negative emotions welling up inside the blond kit and tried calming him down. "While you can't release me, I believe my children have a plan to free me. Do not worry, I have a feeling I won't be in here much longer." The Kyuubi said soothingly. Years ago, Kurama wouldn't have believed he would be trying to cheer up his host. He downright would have laughed at them then ate them for making such a terrible joke. How the tables have turned.
Naruto smiled at the reassurance. Finally, he could no longer hold onto his urges that were screaming at him. "Can I please pet you?" he asked randomly.
The nine-tailed fox, strongest bijuu alive, walking disaster stared blankly at the question the kit just asked. "On normal circumstances, I normally wouldn't allow you to pet me. Just this once, I'll allow it." Kurama said carefully. The kit squealed happily and ran forward into the large cage. If this was anyone else, he would have immediately killed the kit and taken over his body.
Naruto couldn't contain the giddy feeling as he ran into the dark cage. He didn't get the chance to pet the kitsune when they found him in the forest, he was scared at the time. When they were in their human form, it felt awkward to try and pet their tails. Finally, he was given the chance to pet his very first fox. And pet the giant fox he did; his fur is the softest thing he had ever felt. It is more comfortable then his bed and his legendary tree branch. 'Does every fox have soft fur like this? I wonder if Akane-chan has soft fur…' he thought, already planning to find out.
Kurama watched the kit pet and rub his face into his fur with amusement. His own children once did this to him when they were young. Those were happier times before he was imprisoned inside that damn women. 'No use thinking about her, she's already dead.' He mused. He laid back down on the ground and closed his eyes letting the blond-haired kit play in his fur.
A while passed and Naruto found himself resting against the large fox. His hands had gotten tired after petting him for what felt like an hour. Kurama had snorted when he had collapsed with exhaustion.
"Kit, it's morning. Time for you to get going." Kurama mumbled.
"It is? How do I leave?" Naruto asked curiously. Honestly, he didn't even know how he got to this room to begin with. He didn't think he could find his way back to the beginning.
"It's your mind kit, just will yourself to wake up." The fox stated.
"Oh, I forgot." Naruto said lamely. It took Kurama every ounce of strength to not face-palm. He had truly forgotten he was in his own mind due to fluff overdose. "See you later Kurama!" he chirped happily and blinked out of existence.
"Goodbye kit." He said as his voice echoed off the cold sewer walls. His body rested in the cold sewer water making him uncomfortable. Sighing in annoyance, he closed his eyes and tried to fall back to sleep. He wouldn't be here much longer.
A/N - The third hokage finally realized that Naruto is missing after deciding to finally meet the boy. A little too late sadly, but I think Naruto got something better then the old man! Not only that, but the Masumi clan experienced the ramen monster in action, and did Akane, Aki, and Danno actually make a pact to keep our hero from ramen!?
On a more serious note, I wrote my very first fight scene. I have no experience in writing fights, and I'm extremely nervous I failed horribly at it. Please tell me what you think of the spar, and leave any criticism you can think of! I'll continue to strive to be better.
Not only that, but Naruto finally met Kurama. Did I do a good job with Kurama and Naruto's introduction? ...I just realized something... and I'm going to pretend I didn't and write it in next chapter... haha...ha...ha...
Thank you for reading chapter three of "Kitsune Sanctuary"! I do hope you enjoyed it and decide to come back for chapter four! I'm super excited for chapter four!
If you have any questions, please type them in the reviews and if I feel like answering them I will. Can't give spoilers, but I can hint at things if I decide to!