A/N - Surprise! I bet you all didn't see another chapter coming so quickly, did you? Hello everyone, welcome back to the fifth installment of Kitsune Sanctuary. I felt bad for making you all wait so long for the last chapter, and with a lot of inspiration flowing through my veins. I worked out the next chapter much faster then normal. I have to say, it's probably one of my favorites.
Like always, I appreciate the feedback, positive and negative! Please continue to review my story and let me know what you all think because it does help me out a lot, plus I smile every time I get a new one.
Also... sorry about the restaurant name...
I thought it was funny...
=Reviews=
Delta4phoenix - You're a good person liking the name that everyone seems to not like. I can only hope I played them correctly, but either way I'm satisfied with my play. I also hope I completely threw you for a loop!
KakeruPB - I'm glad you're enjoying it! Naruto is only eight, and already so many prospects popping up that could contend for his heart later! Fluff! Also, the reason the father went pale is because I'm associating petting someones tails as almost the equivalent to kissing. You don't kiss a father's daughter in front of him. Thank you for the recommendation on the fighting scenes and I will take more care in my writing. FOR THE RAMEN!
Buterflypuss - Thank you!
Frankieu - Glad I could keep things interesting.
Zerowolf0 - I don't know, guess you'll have to continue to read to find out.
ThraintarIronShield - Now that would be something. ...and I'll continue to try and update quicker. I don't want to rush the story and and get sloppy. I want my readers to enjoy the story and get decent quality as well.
Wolf - You wish is my command.
Shapeshifter340 - Wow, my story must be pretty good if everyone is finding it interesting! I must be doing something right! Also, enjoy!
Phantomsoul2015 - Yeah... I'm sorry. I thought it was funny, but I'll take more care in naming from now on. ...or maybe I won't.
Kaizon - My face is completely blank right now. :|
TigrezzTail - Woohoo, you understand the fun! It is a great name, thank you. Kitsunes are adorable... so being surrounded by them would do that to anyone. I guess you'll just have to continue to read and find out.
Guests - Thank you guests for reviewing as well. You are not forgotten ever. There is a chance random guest, there is a chance.
Please enjoy the story everyone!
I do not own Naruto!
I do own my OCs though...
=Naruto's Mindscape: Kurama=
The sewer water churned violently crashing against the dimly lit walls. The once beautiful blue azure pipe slowly began to dim as the now staggering large green pipe fought against it. It is relatively clear which would be coming out of this war the victor. While this mighty battle waged, Kurama could only stare worriedly from behind the impossibly strong metal bars that made up his prison.
Kurama has been watching the green pipe since he had woken up from his slumber by the blond kit. It was once small and wrapped around the much large blue pipe, but over the years the pipe continued to grow and latch on to the blue pipe like a parasite. Kurama understood the azure blue pipe represented Naruto's chakra and the forest green pipe represented the pure nature chakra his body has been absorbing slowly since he arrived in the Sanctuary. He didn't expect the natural chakra to view Naruto's own chakra as a threat and move to eliminate or purge it.
The idea of having all your chakra purged from your body would normally kill you, however, the natural chakra would hopefully stabilize after the complete removal of the once brilliant azure chakra. The worst-case scenario is it didn't stabilize and still killed the blond child. The second worse case is that it destroys the kid's chakra network. That alone could possibly be the demise of the kit.
Kurama watched the blue pipe continue to grow dimmer and dimmer until the forest green pipe started absorbing it into itself. You could still see the once beautiful azure blue pipe fighting weakly against the other. 'It appears that the natural chakra won this fight.' Kurama thought grimly but expected this outcome.
A loud screeching sound like metal being compressed filled the entirety of the mindscape causing Kurama to wince in agony. He buried his head in his paws trying to block out the painful sound. Thankfully, just as quickly as the annoying screeching started, it stopped. Not only did the sound cease, the sewer water stopped behaving violently and settled down until it became completely still.
He raised his head and looked back towards the pipes and noticed that it was no longer plural. In its place now hung a massive greenish-blue pipe that radiated a peaceful, but extraordinarily power aura. From what he could deduce from the situation, Naruto's chakra lost the battle but not completely. He guessed that since the once forest green pipe now has a slight blue tint.
Kurama hoped that was the end of that possible disaster, but he should have known better. Things are never that simple when dealing with nature chakra. He heard cracking and looked towards its direction only to spot the greenish-blue pipe start to crack and leaking its potent chakra. "Oh, that can't be good…" Kurama whispered out worriedly as he watched the pure nature chakra mix with the sewer water.
The still water began to glow a faint green and create a thick greenish-blue potent mist. The walls started cracking and glowing brightly, the water began acting violently again and crashing against the walls once more. Chunks of the wall and roof started falling off into the water causing large splashes. 'His mindscape is tearing itself apart, if this continues the kit will die.' Kurama thought in astonishment and worry but couldn't do anything behind the metal gate because of the seal.
A thick green aura started washing over the remaining walls, roof, and floor like a fungus. Over the next few minutes Kurama could only watch as it covered every surface in Naruto's mind except for his cell. Apparently, the nature chakra didn't agree with that and started attacking the seal. Kurama watched in fascination as the chakra started absorbing the metal gate. The gate started defiantly glowing brightly until it blinded Kurama enough to shut his eyes ignoring the sounds of metal warping.
When he opened his eyes, the metal gate that kept him prisoner for the last eight years no longer existed. The damp sewer no longer existed either, but instead the familiar forests of Kitsune Sanctuary blanketed the entire area. None of the builds his race built were in sight, just complete untainted nature lining every part.
Curiosity of his new environment, he started exploring the lush green forest. The trees are large, and the ground covered in all sorts of vegetation. He felt like he was young kit again, just born into the terrifying unknown world. He soon came across where the park would have been in the real sanctuary. The once blue crystal-clear creek is replaced with a greenish-blue water. 'So, the pipe got replaced with a river instead…' Kurama thought curiously.
He got closer to the water and got rewarded with a strange sight. The water did not reflect the cloudy blue sky, nor did it reflect his own appearance. Instead, it reflected an orange tinted Konoha. He could recognize that damn village any day being trapped inside of it for so long. Questions filled the nine-tailed kitsune, 'Why is there an orange tinted version of Konoha in the kit's mind? What did the pure nature chakra do to Naruto's mindscape? Where is the kit?'.
=Earlier in Naruto's Mindscape: Naruto=
Naruto's sapphire eyes opened and blinked at the familiar eerie orange tinted sky he saw a few years ago. His head shifted to the side and stared at the same oaken fence tinted orange by the eerie light that washed over Konoha. He turned his head back towards the orange sky and shut his eyes allowing the darkness to fill his vision while he started thinking. 'How did I end up back here?'
He remembered waking up and having breakfast with his best friends Akane, Aki, and Danno. He clearly remembered sparing tournament style with all three of them. He remembered going out for barbeque with them and being joined by Hana and Shizuka. He remembered going home with Akane and playing games with her, then suddenly feeling nauseous. After that, it's completely blank. 'Did I pass out?' he thought curiously.
He opened his sapphire eyes, adopting a blank face and couldn't help but ask out loud, "Why do I keep waking up in places I don't go to sleep at." Seriously, he's woken up in an eerie orange tinted Konoha, not once but twice. Not only that, he's also woken up in a dark abyss before finally waking up in a dank sewer. He just couldn't seem to catch a break. He sighed lowly before sitting up staring at the dirt path in front of him.
Standing up he started walking down the dirt path walled off with a wooden fence. It felt creepy wandering through a desolate Konoha. It felt wrong seeing such a large village not filled with people going about their lives. Soon enough he reached the same shopping district he wandered through the first time. The shops are barren, not an ounce of merchandise filled the shops. He remembered looking seeing a red-haired girl walking through here the last time.
He followed the same path he remembered walking down the last time he arrived in this place. It didn't take him long to stumble upon the park he once called home with no children in sight. The blond-haired boy and red-haired girl are gone, and he has no idea where they could be in this massive village. Another shocking discovery is the lack of giant gaping hole that he fell through the first time. He would think about that later.
Suddenly a strange feeling washed over Naruto causing him to look to the left sharply almost giving him whiplash. He didn't really know how to describe the feeling that washed over him, but it felt comforting and safe. The place the beacon is coming from is a large red tower beside the Hokage Monument. If memory served him correctly, that's the Hokage's tower.
Running through Konoha ignoring all the empty shops, stalls, and apartments, he quickly arrived at the large red tower. The Hokage's tower brought back some memories of a dream he once had, the dream to be the Hokage. He remembered wanting to be the Hokage, so others would finally see him, but he gave that up when he arrived at the Sanctuary.
As soon as he stepped inside the tower, the feeling got stronger. It's so strong, almost overwhelming with how much emotion is being poured towards him. They weren't negative, only positive. He continued to follow the trail through the tower walking down the halls. Soon enough he found the source of these feelings. A large door the led into the Hokage's office with overwhelming emotions coming from the other side.
His right hand reached out and grabbed the door handle opening it up. The wooden door opened smoothly not making a single sound. He walked inside and came face to face with two familiar sets of hair and eyes on two people he didn't recognize; a man and a woman. The man has spikey golden blond hair with two bangs going down the side of his face held up by a blue forehead protector and two sapphire blue eyes. He wore a blue shirt with a green flak jacket overtop, blue pants with white bandages wrapped around his right leg, a white haori with a flame design on the edges, and blue sandals.
The woman has long beautiful red hair that framed her round face and went down to her waist. She had some of the prettiest violet eyes he has ever seen. She wore a white sleeveless blouse with a long loose-fitting green dress with green sandals. Naruto would also swear she belonged in the mana clan if it wasn't for her lacking fox ears and tails.
Before he could say anything, the red-haired woman started fidgeting while her eyes sparkled. "Oh, my Naru-chan, you're so cute!" she squealed out before rushing at him and grabbing him in a bear hug. She pressed his head into her chest smothering the life out of him. 'Is this how every kitsune feels when I gush over them?' Naruto asked himself. Unnoticed by both, the blond-haired man snorted in amusement while watching the death hug.
"Honey?" The blond-haired man called out to the redhead but went died on death's door as she continued to gush over Naruto. "Uh, honey, you're choking him." He tried again to inform her before she killed Naruto from such an aggressive hug. The red-haired woman looked over at the blond before looking down at the struggling smaller blond. It finally clicked in her head that Naruto couldn't breathe.
She let Naruto go before taking a few steps back to stand by the blond-haired man. She gave Naruto an apologetic look while blushing something fierce. It wasn't her fault that he is so adorable and huggable.
Naruto gasped after being freed from the redhead's chest taking in the sweet air that his lungs craved. After a few seconds of calming himself down he shot a glare at both, the redhead seemed to squirm under his ire. "Who the hell are you two!?" he shouted out not appreciating being smother by the woman earlier.
The red-haired was about to speak up before the blond raised his hand. He looked at Naruto with his similar sapphire eyes that shined with love and a gentle smile before saying, "My name is Minato Namikaze, and I'm your father Naruto.". With the one sentence, Naruto's eyes widened comically. He couldn't believe what he was just told.
The redhead took a step forward grabbing Naruto's attention. Her violet eyes are filled with more love then he had ever seen before, and he had an idea why. "…and I'm Kushina Uzumaki, and I'm your mother Naruto." The red-haired woman said lovingly causing Naruto to take a step backwards.
Naruto's head looked down towards the ground with his eyes still wide open. His mind still trying to process the new information those two gave to him. When he thought over both of their appearance, he could see himself in them. He has Minato's blond hair and sapphire eyes, and Kushina's facial structure. His eyes began to swell with tears as the information began to take root. These two are his parents, he finally met them. Tears began cascading down his whiskered cheeks.
Tears began dropping from his chin and hitting the ground below him. He rose his head back to stare at both of his parents standing side by side looking at him with worry. He didn't know what to do in this situation, his emotions are going haywire. Tears continued to run down his whiskered cheeks as he stared at his parents. Finally, the damn broke and he ran over to his parents and pulled them both into a hug. He heard a slight gasp before he felt them returning the hug.
Naruto shocked both Minato and Kushina with his sudden movement and hug but looked down at their crying son. They stared at him warmly before returning the hug. A few minutes passed full of tears of happiness before Naruto finally released both and stepped back. He ran his hands across his face wiping away the tears. "I've waited so long to meet you both." He choked out trying to get his rampant emotions under control.
"We know sochi, we've wanted to meet you for so long." Kushina said lovingly wiping away a few tears from her own eyes. Her own emotions are going haywire over finally meeting her beautiful son.
Naruto took a few deep breathes finally getting control over his wavering voice. "Where have you two been?" he asked hoping they didn't just abandon him. If he found that out, he didn't know what he would do.
Minato looked over to Kushina before sighing heavily and running a hand through his golden locks. "Naruto, the truth is, we're both dead." He said sadly causing Naruto to gasp in surprise. That wasn't the answer Naruto was expecting.
Naruto's mind went into overdrive trying to figure this out. "I don't understand, how are you both here if you're not alive?" he asked, confusion evident. He couldn't figure out a possible way for them to be here unless…
"They day we both died, we decided to seal a sliver of our chakra inside of you. Our hope was to one day meet you in your time of need, however, things are happening differently than he originally expected." Minato responded grimly. He was originally supposed to appear in a time when the seal started to break.
Naruto guessed correctly as he listened to his father. If Kurama could get sealed inside of him, then it makes sense that they could seal themselves as well. "What do you mean originally expected?" Naruto questioned confused on that part.
Minato sighed again before sitting on top of the desk in the room. "The day you arrived at that Sanctuary full of foxes, you started absently absorbing pure nature chakra. For some reason it attacked then forced us out of the seal and materialized us in this strange orange version of Konoha." He answered seriously, slightly disturbed over the nature chakras attack on the seal.
Confusion spread over Naruto's features as he pondered over what his father just said. He didn't know that he had been subconsciously taking in some strange type of chakra. A question popped into his head, "Were you those two kids at the park a few years ago?" he asked both his parents curious over that.
"When your father and I got removed from the seal, it turned us into children. We wandered around Konoha for a while before meeting back up at the park. It took us a long time to figure out how to return to our original form." Kushina replied this time not enjoying being sidelined in the conversation.
"Imagine our surprise when you suddenly appeared at the park in front of us." Minato said shaking his head lightly. The moment they both saw Naruto appear then suddenly fall into a large dark hole had been one of the most terrifying experiences for them. The hole suddenly repaired itself like it never happened.
Naruto looked outside the window and stared out at the eerie orange Konoha. "Do you know what this place is?" Naruto asked in wonderment. From what he understands, his mindscape is supposed to be a sewer, not a strange version of Konoha. Though, while it is eerie looking, he prefers this over the dank sewer.
Minato gazed at Naruto for a moment before saying, "We have a theory.". He turned towards the window and looked out at the eerie orange version of his home. "First, let me explain some things to you so you will understand. You see, the day you were born we sealed just enough of our chakra inside of you, so we could meet you in the future." He explained waiting for the information to sink in before continuing, "When we finally met you, we would have spoken with you for a little while before fading away." He said getting a small gasp from Naruto.
"Now, here lies the issue. We believe that this nature chakra your body has been absorbing saw us as a threat or foreign invader. We think this Konoha is based on our memories, but we don't really know why it's orange." Minato explained his theory.
"It's kind of ironic that we got sealed as well…" Kushina mumbled absently while mentally chuckling. Both Minato and she sealed the Kyuubi inside of Naruto because it was a threat to Konoha. In the process, they sealed a piece of them inside Naruto to help him in the future. Then some nature chakra saw us as a threat and sealed us away.
Naruto didn't really understand how chakra could act that way, but he imagined his parents knew what they are talking about. "Wait, so, you're sealed away just like Kurama? Naruto asked not hearing his mother mumbling to herself. If his parents are suffering the same fate at Kurama, he wanted to find away to free them. A part of him though is happy that they are here so he can see them and learn from them.
Minato and Kushina both went through their memories trying to remember that name, but they could only come up with the Kurama clan in Konoha. "Whose Kurama?" they both asked at the same time. Both are curious on who else got sealed away.
"Oh, Kurama is the Kyuubi's name, and he is so awesome!" Naruto informed his parents excitedly. Ever since he introduced himself to the mighty kitsune, his opinion of him skyrocketed. He is not bias because he got to pet him. Though, his fur is soft.
Both of Naruto's parents paled at him being so close to the strongest bijuu. Not only that, they are also shocked at knowing the Kyuubi even has a name. They never considered that such an angry, aggressive beast could have one. "Naruto, how close are you to, ah, Kurama?" Kushina asked worriedly hoping the great beast wasn't manipulating him.
"He's one of my closest friends." Naruto chirped emphasizing the word closest to make a pun. He chuckled to himself; proud that he managed to come up with such an amazing pun on the spot. Luckily his best friends weren't here to call him out on it, they just didn't understand good humor. Hearing his mother giggle in amusement proved that his humor is superior, his father on the other hand facepalmed.
Minato's hands covered his face, "How could you do this to my son Kami? Why did he have to get her sense of humor…" he mumbled softly through his hands while staring at the laughing duo. His sensei would argue that he doesn't have a good sense of humor either. He wasn't blessed with that, but neither was his wife. He had the decency to understand that, but his wife never got the memo. His wife's and apparently son's humor is just horrendous.
Naruto took the moment to appreciate that he is standing in a room with his two loving parents joking around. It's nice being able to experience something like this. Just the three of them talking and laughing at his incredibly delightful puns. Well, everyone but his father who just didn't seem to understand good humor.
"Naruto, the Kyuubi, I mean, Kurama isn't manipulating you into freeing him, is he?" Minato asked seriously trying to get back on topic. He feared the devastation the mighty beast could create with no one to stop it.
Naruto stared at his father for a moment before answering. "No, I'm not able to, but I would if I could." Naruto answered without remorse. He understood what his father is worried about. However, Kurama has no plans of leaving the Kitsune Sanctuary for a while.
"Naruto, you can't free Kurama. If the Kyuubi gets extracted from you, you will die." Naruto's father warned hoping to rid Naruto of his plans. He didn't want his son to die such a painful death, and he is worried about all the innocent people the Kyuubi would kill with its freedom.
"Oh, that's not a problem!" Naruto chirped, "The Kitsune's have a plan of freeing him without killing me in the process. They said I had to wait a while before they could do it safely though." He said sadly, a little upset that Kurama has slept in a sewer for over eight years.
Kushina decided to butt into the conversation, "What is Kurama's plans when he is free?" she asked truly curious what the mighty kitsune planned. She hoped the Kyuubi didn't go on a rampage and start killing innocent people.
Naruto put a hand under his chin thinking back to the nine-tailed kitsune's plans. "Kurama said he wanted to stay in the Sanctuary and spend time with his grandchildren. He doesn't want to be imprisoned again…" he responded whispering the last part.
Minato and Kushina are both mostly satisfied with that response and let the room wash over with a peaceful silence. Naruto decided to ask a question that he has wanted to know for a long time. "Mom, dad, could you tell me about yourselves?" he questioned curiously wanting to know his family roots.
They both smiled warmly at the question Naruto asked and both took a seat on the floor. Naruto joined suit and sat with them forming a small family circle. "I'll go first." Minato responded not getting any objections from either he continued. "Let's see… I was born on January twenty-fifth and placed in the orphanage." He said getting a sad look from Naruto.
"I never got adopted and finally decided to become a shinobi. I joined the Shinobi academy with the goal of gaining the villagers respect and becoming the Hokage. I grasped concepts easier then most and trained until I dropped to be the best eventually earning me the title of prodigy. The teachers would say, 'You're a once in a generation prodigy.'." he said in remembrance enthralling the attention of his wife and son.
Minato looked at his son with a gentle smile. "That's actually where I met your mother for the first time and was captivated with her beautiful red hair." He said dreamily garnishing a large blush from Kushina. "I wanted to talk to her, but she built up quite a fearsome reputation. I would follow her throughout the village admiring her strength and willpower, but she didn't really like me at the time." He chuckled remembering how she thought he was flaky. Shaking his head, he continued, "Anyways, I graduated the academy with high marks and placed on a team with two others and Jiraiya-sensei." He informed getting a look of amazement from his son.
"Life went simply until we learned that your mother was kidnapped by Kumogakure." Minato said darkly, still remembering her bruised body. "I checked all over the village until I stumbled upon strands of her red hair. Following the trail outside of the village, I found her being dragged through the forest by Kumo shinobi. I dealt with the threat and saved her and told her I only found her because of her beautiful red hair. It was the day we both fell in love." He said warmly getting a soft smile from Kushina and Naruto.
Naruto found the story romantic along the lines of a hero saving the princess. Hana would be gushing about how it's just like her romance novels. However, he did not like the fact that some place named Kumogakure tried to kidnap his mother. He is thankful that his father saved her from that fate.
Minato coughed into his hand grabbing everyone's attention again, so he could continue. "I lost both of my teammates on a mission and was later taken on as an apprentice by Jiraiya-sensei. I quickly worked my way up the ranks and became a jonin. During the celebration I proposed to your mother and we got married later that year." He commented remembering his small secret wedding with Jiraiya stepping in as his father.
"I was later handed my own genin team to teach consisting of Kakashi Hatake, Rin Nohara, and Obito Uchiha. They were a unique bunch of kids. Kakashi had some personal issues he was working through, Rin was easily excitable, and Obito was the black sheep of the Uchiha clan." Minato's smile grew sad remembering his precious students that he saw as his own kids. "My team got involved in the Third Shinobi World War and I built up a fearsome reputation as the Yellow Flash. Due to my prowess in combat, I was given the honor of becoming the Yondaime Hokage and graciously accepted.
"Throughout my short reign at the Yondaime Hokage, I strived to make Konoha the greatest shinobi village. I remember getting off work early and returning home only to find out your mother was pregnant with you. I was so excited I may have fainted." Minato and Kushina both chuckled at the memory before continuing, "Quite a few months later you were born on October tenth, and it was the most amazing moment of our life." His face went dark, "Things went downhill quickly after your birth and we got attacked by a masked man who forcibly extracted the Kyuubi from your mother and sent it on a rampage through the village." He said with a sharp edge to his voice.
"I managed to fight off the masked attacker and fought the Kyuubi long enough to allow us to seal it away. With the help of your mother, we both sealed it inside of you before we both died from our injuries." Minato finished off sadly. He didn't know how his son would react knowing that they had sealed the Kyuubi inside of him. He hoped he didn't hate them.
Naruto felt completely enraptured in his father's life story. It's shocking to learn that your father is the Yondaime Hokage, the Yellow Flash of Konoha. 'I bet Konoha wouldn't have treated me so poorly if they knew that.' He thought a little bitterly. It is when he heard the ending of the story that he felt lost. His parents condemned him by sealing Kurama inside of him, but on the other hand he met Akane, Aki, Danno, and everyone else in the Kitsune Sanctuary because they did. He sighed tiredly before giving his father a plain smile. "It's okay tou-san, I forgive you." He said keeping his nice smile plastered on his face. He crawled over to his dad with the impression of a hug before nailing him in the gut forcefully. Only after that did he wrap him in a hug. He may have forgiven him, but his father still deserved that.
Perhaps Minato should have realized it was to easy to be forgiven like that, but when he heard his son say those words he felt so happy. His son smiling at him while crawling over to him welcoming him into a hug overjoyed him. Then he felt his son's righteous justice slam into his stomach causing him to cough. "Yeah… I deserved that…" he coughed returning Naruto's hug.
Naruto snorted into his chest, "Yes, yes you did." He mumbled while continuing the hug. Soon the brief hug ended, and Naruto crawled back to his original seat while looking towards his mother expectantly. He enjoyed learning about his father's life and couldn't wait to learn his mothers.
Kushina watched the blond duo hug after her darling son sucker punched her husband in the gut. She is a little worried he might do the same to her but has faith that her son is a momma's boy. When his sapphire eyes locked with her violet ones expectantly, she knew it was her turn. "I guess it's my turn!" She said excitedly, happy to let him know of his roots.
Kushina crossed her arms across her chest and started humming, "Hmm, where to start…" before deciding to follow Minato. "I was born on July tenth in the village named Uzushiogakure. The village only had one clan present in it, the prestigious Uzumaki clan. The Uzumaki clan were known for their special chakra, vitality, and sealing prowess. I was the princess of the nation but sought a peaceful life. My parents decided to send me to Konoha to attend their shinobi academy." She said loving her son's reaction to learning about his clan.
"I was nervous and excited about going to a new place so far away from my family. I would be an outsider in the village but was happy to get away from the war. I settled down in our cousin clan's compound before attending the academy. The day I started the academy I decided to make a strong first impression. I proclaimed that I would be the first female Hokage! The other kids laughed and started calling me rude names, so I pummeled them into the ground!" Kushina said slamming her fist into the palm of her hand while laughing manically causing both Minato and Naruto to sweat a little.
Kushina got her laughing under control then continued her tale. "That incident earned me a special title, 'The Red Hot-Blooded Habanero' because I had a small temper. Kushina said pridefully while nodding her head sagely ignoring Minato's snort and mumbling of 'small temper'. "They didn't stop the other kids from picking up on me about my hair and I grew to despise it. I went to my aunt and cried Mito Uzumaki, and she told me why I was really sent to Konoha." She said with a heavy sigh.
She started messing with a lock of her red hair. "As I said, our clan is born with a special type of chakra, and my chakra was very rare. I was born with the ability to completely contain a bijuu. I was sent to Konoha to become the second container of the Kyuubi, and I was honestly terrified.
"A year or so later, I had the Kyuubi transferred to me letting my aunt pass away. That left me as the last Uzumaki left in Konoha, a place that saw me as an outsider. I graduated from the shinobi academy at the same time your father did and was lucky enough to be put on the same team as my best friend Mikoto Uchiha. Soon after the incident your father was talking about happened. Kumo shinobi snuck into Konoha and hid inside my cousin's compound. They attacked me until I could barely move, tied me up and forced me to walk while leading me with a rope." Kushina said with a growl getting an angry scowl from Naruto.
"I was lucky that they were so arrogant, and I pulled out strands of my red hair making a trail for Konoha shinobi to follow. That was when a shadow started attacking all the Kumo shinobi until it was only me left standing. I was so shocked to find out that it was your father who I always believed to be a wimp, found and saved me. He told me he found me because he followed my beautiful red hair, which was the first time someone had complimented me on my hair. From that point on I started calling my hair, 'The Red Thread of Fate' because it brought your father and I together." Kushina said lovingly getting a loving smile from Minato in return.
She looked towards Naruto with a smile before continuing her story. "Overtime in Konoha I became known for my beauty, unique ninjutsu style, fuinjutsu, and kenjutsu. Just like Minato, I earned a fearsome reputation on the battlefield and my enemies called me the Red Death. Sadly, Uzushiogakure was destroyed alongside all of the Uzumaki clan." She said sadly making Naruto's eyes widen in shock.
Kushina shook her head deciding to get to the happy part. "After the Third Shinobi World War, I married Minato." She smiled fondly remembering how Hiruzen walked her down the aisle. "I remember the day Minato came storming into the house telling me he was nominated to become the Yondaime Hokage and how excited he was. After that, life became rather peaceful and eventually I found out I was pregnant with my little bundle of joy." She said in a cute voice causing Naruto to blush in embarrassment. "When I told Minato that I was pregnant, he fainted like a wimp." She chuckled alongside Naruto as Minato started pouting.
"I held you for ten loving months until you finally decided to weasel your way out into the world. The process wasn't the most pleasant, but I got you in return, and that's all I could ask for. Then the attack happened, and you know the rest." Kushina said sadly.
Just like with his dad's story, he was completely enraptured in his mom's story. He couldn't believe that he is from such a strong clan, and that his mom was a princess. Luckily, listening to both stories he discovered where his love of red hair came from. 'I wonder what I would look like with red hair…' he thought idly. When he noticed his mom looking at him worriedly he figured she is worried that she would get punched in the gut as well. He sighed again before crawling over to her and wrapping her in a tight hug and whispering, "It's okay kaa-chan, I forgive you too.". Kushina just returned the hug the started tearing up again.
Minato stared at the scene in astonishment, "Wait, I get a punch in the gut and she just gets a loving tearful hug?" he said in bemusement. Where was the equality? He didn't want his son to punch his wife, but he expected it.
Naruto turned his head slightly and shot a half-hearted glare at his father. "I'm not going to punch my mom in the gut." He grunted out turning his head back and continuing the loving hug. He has zero desire to harm his awesome mom.
Kushina looked down at her son's blond mop of hair before grinning wickedly at her husband. She couldn't help but enjoy the fact that she got a slap on the wrist while Minato got the full punishment. She mouthed at Minato, 'I'm his favorite.' getting a shocked look from him and couldn't help but start pouting even more at the injustice of it all.
A couple minutes passed before Naruto and Kushina broke off their mother-son hug. Crawling back into his original position, he recreated his four-person family circle. Satisfied knowing more about his parents and knowing that they both loved him brought a warm happy smile to his face. As quickly as the smile appeared, it vanished under a mask of confusion. 'Hold on a second, four people?' he thought confusedly blinking a few times before looking over to the new addition to their family circle. Blinking a few more times in shock, he shook his head, "Where did you come from!?" he shouted in shock and confusion causing both Minato and Kushina to blink in confusion as well. Then they both noticed the new addition to their family circle and put themselves on guard.
A young woman sat crisscross with her elbow resting on her knee and her head vice versa. She is watching them all with a lazy smile and eyes filled with amusement. Her long flowing forest green hair cascaded down her back resting on the floor, and two green locks framing either side of her face resting on her shoulders. She has pale white skin giving her an unnatural beauty, and dazzlingly electric blue eyes radiating a peaceful aura. She is wearing a short black strapless dress showing off her ample sized chest and nothing else. "Yo." She said in a smooth tone and a lazy expression still plastered on her face.
Minato and Kushina reigning in their shock; jumped to their feet defensively. They are both considered powerful shinobi with experience in war, and they both hadn't even noticed her arrival, worse they didn't even see her sit down beside them. She wore a lazy expression, but they could tell that she is dangerous. "Who are you?" the blond-haired man asked with a dangerous edge to his voice ready to defend his family.
The young woman considered answering that question while staring lazily at the two defensive parents before dismissing them. She yawned tiredly stretching her arms high above her head moaning in pleasure. Her goal did not reside with either of them, so, she looked towards the blond child still sitting beside her. She couldn't help but flash a mischievous smile when they made eye contact, electric blue on sapphire blue. "You know, I've been looking for you everywhere Naruto." She commented in a serene voice, but they could detect something else in there.
Naruto stared hypnotized into her beautiful electric blue eyes only registering her comment a few seconds after she said it. He blinked in confusion, he didn't know why this girl would be looking for him. As far as he knew, he had never met her before today. "Why have you been looking for me?" he voiced his question with a curious glint in his eyes.
The girl returned to her previous position with her face against the butt of her palm. "Well, you see, I'm currently in the process of eradicating your pesky chakra and needed to find the owner to said chakra." She answered causally with her lazy smile. Her answer sent the family of three into a state of shock not believing what this woman just said. They settled for staring at her with horror knowing the consequences of losing your chakra.
Kushina's eyes narrowed into a dangerous glare as she took a threatening step forward, "Do you really think we'll allow you to kill our son right in front of us!?" she shouted angrily not believing the nerve of this brat. She would never allow her beloved sochi to die by the hands of this girl.
Electric blue met violet eyes in a heated staring contest before the young woman sighed tiredly. 'I knew I should have just disposed of these two…' she thought in slight regret. "I have no desire to kill your son, I'll save him if he does exactly as I say." She said trying to placate the irate mother. Though, maybe she should have worded that better.
As the young woman suspected, her words did not placate the angered parents. "You just want to use him, and if he doesn't you'll kill him?" Minato questioned the young woman with narrowed sapphire eyes. Just like his wife, he would never allow this girl to harm his son. He did know that this girl is not to be underestimated though knowing she snuck up on them both.
Groaning in frustration, the young green-haired woman decided to explain the current situation carefully instead of dancing around the issue. 'Why couldn't he just be alone? This would have been so much easier…' the girl thought tiredly. Clapping her hands together she started explaining, "Look, your son has been slowly absorbing my chakra into his body, and I'm just doing what I normally do. I'm purifying his body, but his chakra is being stubborn and fighting against me like his life depends on it." She informed the family of three.
"Normally my chakra would just utterly crush your own chakra fixing the problem easily, however, your chakra is a lot livelier than normal." The young woman said eyeing the blond-haired child as she said that. "The fix is easy, all you have to do is just allow my chakra to overpower your own." She finished nodding her head sagely.
Naruto paid close attention to the entire conversation and a question entered his thoughts. Deciding to speak up before his parents, "Are you the owner of that weird chakra I've been taking in?" he asked curiously though confident that she is. His parents are also interested in hearing the answer their son's question. If she is the owner of the nature chakra, that would mean this young woman is the reason they are trapped in this desolate eerie orange version of Konoha.
The girl shot Naruto a displeased look, "First off, it's not weird chakra. It's beautiful nature chakra, and yes, I'm the owner of it." She huffed slightly offended at her chakra being called weird. She rationalized that the boy is just to young to fully appreciate the beauty of her chakra.
Before Naruto could respond to the young woman, Kushina decided to voice her own thoughts. "Hey, that means you're the one that sealed us into this place!" She shouted accusingly at the green-haired girl. While she may have enjoyed being able to spend more time with the love of her life and meeting her darling son, she didn't appreciate being locked away. She's a free spirit and doesn't like to be contained. If she would have said that in front of the Kyuubi, he would have just stared at her blankly.
The green-haired girl rose an eyebrow at the accusation. "Yeah, I removed you, be lucky I didn't completely purge you from his system. Though, I'm starting to wish I did…" she replied without hesitation, but she did mumble that last line. When she first stumbled upon their chakra and realized their consciousness was sealed inside the boy, she sealed it away to figure out what they were. Now realizing that they are the boy's parents, she thought she did the right thing.
Kushina's eye twitched at the girl's carefree response. "Then let us out!" she demanded hotly.
A large smirk took the place of the lazy smile the green-haired woman had been wearing throughout the conversation. Naruto's sixth sense went haywire knowing what that meant. "Nah." The young woman said dismissively causing Naruto facepalm. He knew it.
"What do you mean, 'nah'?" Minato asked incredulously. Just like his wife, he didn't want to be imprisoned inside his own son. Being stuck inside here meant he couldn't keep an eye on the seal for the Kyuubi.
The electric eyed woman stared at Minato and Kushina blankly trying to decide if she wanted to deign them with an answer or not. Her smirk still in place, she gave them a carefree shrug, "Because I don't feel like it." She said simply. "Though, I'm not sure why you want to leave. I've given you the ability to spend as much time as you want with your son. Before you would have only gotten around fifteen minutes as most." She replied thoughtfully. You would think they would be more grateful that I'm allowing them to see each other at all.
Naruto experienced with seeing an argument because of his friends decided to cut this one short. "What would happen to me if I accepted your chakra?" he asked curiously, thankfully stopping the three from arguing. Though, his question did have valid concern. He has no desire to give up his body or die.
The young woman looked back at the whiskered blond and hummed thoughtfully for a short time. "There are a few things that will happen, and a few that might happen." She commented thoughtfully grabbing everyone's attention. "One thing that will happen is your chakra will slightly meld with my own as it's to stubbornly powerful to completely disappear." She huffed getting a smirk from the Uzumaki woman who knew exactly why that is the case.
"Next, my chakra has always watched over kitsunes, and that will continue to be the case." She stated getting confused looks from all three. "You're turning into a kitsune kid, hope you're okay with being fluffy." She snickered at the two agape parents, but the star dazzlingly eyes Naruto now wore really got her. "Lastly, your chakra network will be rebuilt to accommodate your new accessories." She answered truthfully.
As Naruto listened to the young green-haired woman talk about the changes his body would undertake, he went through a mixture of emotions. When the woman brought up the fact that his chakra held so much power, he felt a small hint of pride. From the look on his mother's face, he could say the same for her.
It was when she brought up the fact they he is turning into a kitsune with all the fluffy accessories that he felt a lot of excitement. He tried to not show it, but even in the welcoming Sanctuary, he felt different because he lacked tails and ears. Now, this electric eyed woman is offering him an opportunity to become his favorite animal. It is a dream come true, and he would be able to pet his own tail!
He shook his head and continued to listen to the affects. He sort-of understood the reasoning behind his chakra network having to be rebuilt. He heard Akane talking about how they use their tails to form chakra. If he gained those fluffy appendages, his network would need to expand to them as well. So far, he didn't really see a downside to this.
Minato and Kushina on the other hand are more apprehensive about their only son turning into a kitsune. "How exactly is he turning into a kitsune?" Minato asked warily not sure how he felt about this. The biggest issue being that if he grew kitsune parts, everyone in Konoha would have undeniable proof that he is the nine-tailed fox. It wouldn't matter if it wasn't true.
The green-haired girl looked back towards the worried parents. "It's because of my chakra." She answered truthfully but decided to expand on her explanation to avoid more questions. "When a normal kitsune wanders into the Sanctuary, my chakra slowly melds with them, giving them a human appearance. In a sense, the same thing is happening to your son. Just instead of Naruto gaining a human appearance, he is gaining a kitsune appearance." She informed the anxious parents.
The parents nodded their heads in understanding, but a question still nagged at their conscious. "Is there anyway to avoid him turning into one?" Kushina asked curiously. She didn't mind either way but didn't want her sochi to be forced into something he might not want.
The young woman shook her head in the negative. "No. The change has already started, unless he accepts my chakra, he will die." She answered honestly. From the star gazed boy, she didn't see that being a problem. She did understand that the parents are just worried for the boy.
Before any more questions could be asked, a voice spoke up beside them. "I accept." Naruto spoke up getting looks of shock from both of his parents. A small knowing smile appeared on the young woman's face already expecting his answer.
The woman chuckled lightly, "I figured that would be your answer with your love for kitsunes." She spoke mirthfully. After all, this is the boy who loves foxes more then his own race. The boy already acts like a kitsune to begin with.
Minato looked between his son and the laughing girl. "Naruto," he started getting the attention of his son and everyone else in the room, "Think about what you're doing. You would never be able to return to Konoha. We could find another way." He said seriously while hoping he could change his son's mind. He's still the Yondaime Hokage even after death and believed that is where his son belonged.
Naruto's face darkened ever so slightly at the mention of returning to Konoha. "Tou-chan, I don't want to go back to Konoha. I have friends and people who accept me for who I am. I wouldn't give them up for anything in the world." He replied equally seriously, completely determined to see this through.
Minato sighed seeing his son's face light up with unwavering determination. If his son inherited even a small amount of his wife's stubbornness, there would be no chance of changing his son's mind now. "Alright Naruto, if this is truly what you want, I'll support you no matter what." He said softly with a warm fatherly smile. He would admit being a little disheartened that his son wouldn't grow up in his home village, but he loved his son more.
Naruto smiled thankfully at his father and noticed his mother staring at him. "Kaa-chan?" Naruto asked his silent mother hoping she would also support him with his decision. He is going to go through with it either way, but he would be happier with both of his parent's support.
His mother smiled gently, "Honey, I only want you to be happy. If this makes you happy, then I'll support you always." She said with a motherly tone. An Uzumaki treasures family above all else, and she wanted what is best for her beloved sochi. She had seen what Konoha treated her son like and didn't believe they would ever accept him unlike her husband.
The green-haired girl watched the adorable moment for a bit, but she knew that she is running out of time. "Sorry to spoil a cute family bonding moment, but we've got to do this soon." She said getting questioning looks from the family. "His entire body is tearing itself apart." The girl informed the family of three.
Three sets of eyes widened in shock and horror at hearing that. "What!?" Naruto, Minato, and Kushina all screamed at the same time causing the electric blue-eyed girl to wince. That sounds like an awful way to go.
The woman sighed tiredly, "I told you that our chakra is fighting each other. It's just getting rather violent now." She commented on the seriousness of the situation.
Naruto gulped loudly at that, "O-okay, how do we do this?" Naruto said stuttering slightly from the fear of being torn apart. Why couldn't things ever be simple for him? He felt like he deserved simplicity occasionally.
The young green-haired woman stood up and approached the blond-haired boy. Getting down on her knees so they are at eye level, she started to explain the procedure. "Easy, first we introduce ourselves forming a pack. I'll go first, my name is Midori, the protector and nature spirit for all kitsunes." She said formally making all three of them widen at her introduction. Her name held a lot of power, and everyone in the room could feel it.
Naruto getting the idea followed suit, "My name is Naruto…" he started but trailed off at the end. Normally that would be his entire name, but now he knew his family ancestry. He came from a powerful clan that once ruled an entire nation, his clan name is Uzumaki. He smiled to himself finally feeling complete. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki!" He chirped getting a smile from both of his parents.
Midori smiled as well, now came the difficult part. "I want you to know, that this is going to be my first time… so I'll try and be gentle." She said not noticing the slight inuendo. The two parents noticed it and blushed bright red at the insulation.
Naruto gave her a foxy grin and his eyes lit up with determination. "Don't worry Midori, I trust you!" he chirped happily before feeling something soft press up against his lips. His sapphire blue eyes widened in shock at being kissed and before he could push away, he felt something peaceful flow throughout his entire body.
Minato and Kushina's mouth opened in shock at seeing their son being kissed by the nature spirit. They didn't know what to do in the situation and assumed it is part of the pack they are making. That's when they noticed intricate glowing white designs wrap themselves around their son's body. The glowing designs spread across his entire body and in the process destroying Naruto's shirt. His eyes started glowing and radiating a powerful silver light. The intricate patterns worked themselves around the seal holding the Kyuubi. As if a silent command went off, all the complicated designs attacked the seal at once. A blinding light illuminated the room forcing Minato and Kushina to look away.
Throughout the entire process, Naruto couldn't explain what he felt. As Midori kissed him he started feeling something peaceful move throughout his body. Then agonizing pain started sketching itself into his body. It felt like someone was painting molten steel all over his body. His vision burned and all he could see what a bright light, almost blindingly bright. He heard metal screeching then something shattering. It felt like hours passed before the pain finally let up, and the world returned to normal.
When the light died down, both Minato and Kushina blinked away the blindness. They quickly turned towards their son to make sure he is alright and got a shocking view. The seal that once held the Kyuubi back shattered and faded away into nothingness. The intricate glowing white designs faded into his sun-kissed skin like they were never there to begin with. His eyes returned to their original sapphire blue with the only noticeable difference being his slitted pupils.
However, they are more shocked on their son's new furry appendages. Two red kitsune ears now took the place of his original ones, and two fluffy red tails rested flatly on the ground behind him. They both could guess why the ears and tails took on the same shade of red as Kushina's being genetics. 'At least some of the Uzumaki genetics are finally showing their head…' Kushina thought slightly pleased at seeing some of the famed Uzumaki red.
Midori leaned back finishing off the kiss looking at her handy work. She's pleased with the results, after all, this is the first time she had ever changed a human into a kitsune. "There, we're done." She said with a simple nod.
The strength in Naruto's legs left him and he collapsed onto the ground in exhaustion trying to catch his breath. He could still feel the ghost pain coursing through his body, but it is getting better. Minato and Kushina both rushed over to his side to make sure he is okay. Truthfully, he didn't know how he felt. He felt different, but he didn't know how to explain how he felt.
Both looked at Naruto with worry as they are watching him trying to catch his breath. "Naru-chan, are you okay?" Kushina asked worriedly hoping that her son wasn't in a lot of pain. Minato shot him the same worried look, hoping the same thing.
Naruto blinked a few times still trying to regain his focus. "Yeah… Just took a lot out of me…" he replied in-between breathes. Looking around the room trying to regain his bearing, he spotted them. His hand reached out hesitantly towards the two red fluffy tails lying beside him. Grabbing them, he almost squealed at how soft they are. They are just as soft as Kurama's, and they are his tails! His red fluffy ears twitched as excitement flooded over him. Subconsciously, his tails started to swish back and forth mirroring his excitement.
Seeing how she left her new charge, she felt sad knowing that it was probably painful. "I'm sorry Naruto, I tried to be as gentle as possible." Midori said apologetically. She knew for a fact that it was at least somewhat painful as changing the human body was quite difficult.
Naruto looked up at her with a foxy smile that is now more defined because of his slitted eyes. "It's okay Midori-chan, you took me by surprise though." He chuckled as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. This act got Kushina to look at Minato and smirk which caused him to also sheepishly rub the back of his head.
Midori smiled down warmly at the blond before informing him of something important. "Alright Naru-chan, all your friends are worrying about you." She said gently causing Naruto to stop playing with his tails. "It's time to wake up." She told him.
Naruto didn't like the idea of making his friends worry about him, and decided it is time to go as well. "I guess I should probably go then…" he said sadly looking towards his parents. He pulled them into a loving hug and whispered, "I love you two, and I hope I can see you both again.".
Minato and Kushina both returned the hug with equal love tearing up slightly at seeing their son go. They felt him vanish and the hug cease making them both depressed. They want to tell him so much more.
Midori watched the two depressed parents calculatingly. "You two should consider yourselves lucky." She said in a stern voice grabbing both of their attention. "I've given you the chance to be apart of your son's life. While you may be trapped in here, it's also keep you from fading away." She informed the blond and redhead.
They both understood what she is saying and sighed heavily. When they considered it, it isn't so bad being trapped here. They both looked at each other and nodded in agreement. "Can you at least fix the orange tint that this place has?" Minato asked hopefully. Seeing the constant orange everywhere started to get boring after a while.
Midori hummed thoughtfully, considering fulfilling their simple request. She sent them a smirk, "I'll think about it." She said winking at them both before vanishing as well.
Minato and Kushina stood in the Hokage's office alone thinking about the entire moment that just played out. "You know, she right Minato. We have a chance to watch our son grow up and help him in his life." Kushina said looking at her husband with a gentle smile.
Minato sent her the same smile before turning to look out the eerie orange tinted Konoha. Everything is the same except for the color, and hopefully that would change soon as well. "Yeah, I guess this isn't so bad after all." He said calmly as his wife stood beside him.
A/N - I bet you all thought I forgot about that little dream sequence, but nope! I set that up just for this! I hope I played my cards correctly, but overall I'm happy with my choice. At one point, I planned on just keep Naruto without kitsune parts, but it just fit to well to deny him them.
Now Naruto has his own fluffy tails, but what is the deal with the new chakra network? Will this change how he fights in the future? Did the Uzumaki genes finally win out on something!?
What's going to happen to Kurama? So many questions...
Thank you for reading chapter five of "Kitsune Sanctuary"! I do hope you enjoyed it and decide to come back for chapter six! I have so many plans for the next chapter already, I hope I can write it well.
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!