Prodigal Son

Chapter 2

Naruto tried desperately to silence his friend, but the damage was done. Sakura was awake.

"You lied to me," came a small voice from the floor.

Naruto sighed and turned around slowly, "Listen. I can explain."

The girl was up in a flash, her blankets forgotten, "Fuck you! What is there to explain!? You're one of them! A damn yakuza thug!"

Naruto nodded slowly and held up his hands to try and placate the fuming woman, "I know, I know. Please, hear me-!"

He never finished the sentence as the girl's fist smacked against his jaw, driving his head back against the bars with a dull clang.

Naruto sighed and wiped a little blood from his jaw where the skin had split open, "Yobu, go find the boss and watch over him; this attack could be an assassination attempt and I want someone I trust near him."

Sakura watched the larger man leave, before turning back to the blonde, "So you are in charge now too? You really are despicable, you know that?"

Naruto couldn't help but wink at the infuriated female, "That's not what you said last night.."

The girl moved to punch him again, but the blonde quickly caught her fist and used her own momentum to pull her into a bear hug, effectively pinning her arms to her sides.

Naruto sighed while the girl squirmed and wriggled, trying in vain to free herself from his vice-like hold, "Get your hands off me!"

"Not until you calm down!" the blonde replied, avoiding a vicious headbutt from the girl.

Sakura halted her attacks and glared up at him, hurt and betrayal burning in her eyes, "Why lie to me? What do you get out of sitting in your own jail cell for 3 days? Where's the incentive, yakuza?"

Naruto hung his head and sighed ashamedly, "You want the truth?"

The girl nodded her head and continued to glare up at him, "Are you capable of telling the truth?"

Naruto's eyes hardened and his patience snapped, "Fuck you. I could've left you to die on the floor! Did this big, bad yakuza do that though? No! I saved your life and slept in this rat's hole all night watching over you! You want to know the rest of my story? Oh wait..I already told you it, all except for the part where I am yakuza! Because that changes who I am, doesn't it? Just because I'm not a doctor, or a samurai, or whatever; I am instantly evil because, I am.. How did you put it? A damn yakuza thug.."

Sakura couldn't say anything, and only managed to turn her head and glare at the wall. Naruto knew there was no point in trying to convince her to forgive him; she was just as blind as everyone else.

Another explosion went off and Naruto cursed himself for wasting time, "Once this attack is over I'll come and release you, then we can both pretend this never happened. I'll go back to killing people and you can go do whatever the fuck you want."

Without another word, Naruto released the girl and strode out of the cell, locking it behind him and strapping his sword sheath across his back. As he made his way out of the room, he ran a finger across his blade testing its sharpness, 'Goodbye, dreams. Hellooo, reality..'

Two figures made their way along the compound rooftops, stopping ever so often to stick paper seals to the wet roof tiles. Both were clad in matching black suits, and had masks covering their faces. One of the men made a hand signal to his partner, and without a whisper, the two split up and headed off to different parts of the compound.

Ninja had come to the Nakamori headquarters.

Naruto reached the main hall to the sound of chaos. Explosions were going off seemingly at random, showering the people inside with flaming timber and ash. He watched in horror as one of the main roof beams exploded and fell to the ground, crushing three people in the process. Various yakuza and house servants ran around wildly, some carrying buckets of water, and others carrying the injured.

Naruto slapped himself into action, scooping one of the injured servants into his arms and bolting for the open-air gardens, "To the gardens! Get them outside!"

He watched as people began to catch on, following him towards the relative safety of the house gardens. On the way, he barked orders at the scattering yakuza gangsters, ordering them to get on the roof and search for the attackers. Few paid attention, and he made a mental note to punish each and every one of the cowardly men. Refocusing his mind on getting everyone to safety, Naruto slung the unconscious girl onto his shoulder, and used his other hand to draw his sword. As the small mob reached the doors leading to the gardens, he didn't slow down, instead using his sword to slice through the doors, opening the way for the flood of people behind him.

Naruto sprinted into the garden and gently laid the girl down, snatching a passing man and ordering him to tend to her. He watched the man obey, and then turned his attention to the people flooding the grounds, carrying other wounded, "Half of you stay with the wounded, the other half needs to come with me and help evacuate the Nakamori family! Let's go!"

He watched the men and women as they scrambled to obey his orders, their previous fear forgotten, due to the relative safety of the gardens, 'Now you are willing to obey, huh? Cowards.'

Within a few seconds, a group of people separated themselves from the rest and turned to him expectantly, "We are ready to serve, Naruto-sama."

Naruto nodded and headed off towards the other side of the compound, slashing through doors as he went. Apparently the ninja hadn't attacked the Nakamori family, as the walls were intact and the 

occupants surprised at his entrance. A part of his brain began ticking nervously, but he couldn't place just what was wrong with the picture.

He didn't have time to dwell on the thought however, because at that moment one of Boss Nakamori's daughters approached him and set a gentle hand on his shoulder, "Naruto-senpai? What's wrong? We heard some noise from the other side of the compound, is that why all these people are here?"

Naruto shook himself and grasped the young girl by the shoulders, "We need to get everyone out to the gardens. The northern part of the compound was attacked, and this side might be attacked at any moment. The servants and my men will help you, but you need to move quickly."

He smiled as the girl nodded and calmly began herding her family towards the exit, giving orders to the house servants and his men, with surprising skill for a girl her age. He tried to remember the girl's name, but couldn't place her among Boss Nakamori's huge family tree. Once he was sure everyone was heading out, the blonde turned and sprinted off to find his boss, taking two of his men with him.

While they ran, a sick feeling began entering the blonde's stomach, 'Why isn't the boss with his family?'

Unknowingly, he began to increase his pace, quickly leaving his two men behind. He rounded corner after corner, sprinted at full speed down each hall, but it still took him a while to reach the room he sought. Once he reached the office doors, he didn't stop, instead he opted to lower his head, close his eyes, and bulldoze through the thin doors, scattering debris across the room, "Boss we're under attack!"

Naruto opened his eyes and brushed what was left of the door from his shoulders, "Boss!?"

The room was quiet, and he cursed when he caught sight of Yobu's broken body lying in a pool of red on the rug. The large man wouldn't have gone down in a fair fight without destroying half the mansion, and since the office was relatively undisturbed, it left only one option; Yobu had been taken by surprise.

Naruto quickly drew his sword and slowed his breathing, "Come out from your hidey hole, assassin."

A low chuckle emanated from the shadows of the room, setting the blonde on edge. Slowly, a shadow detached itself from the corner, dragging Boss Nakamori with it.

Naruto growled when he spied a gag across the old man's mouth, and what looked to be metal string around both wrists, holding them together, "Careful little yakuza, wouldn't want me to kill the queen bee, now would you?"

The blonde growled again and stood up straight, "What do you want here, ninja?"

He watched as the shadow began to take shape, suddenly becoming a tall man clan entirely in black with a sword handle showing from behind his shoulder. The ninja hauled the old man into the air with one hand and gently laid him on his large desk, earning a surprised look from Naruto. The tall man must have been extremely strong to have lifted the heavy, older man up onto the desk, especially to do so with one hand.

Naruto didn't dwell on the thought however, and soon the scowl returned to his face, "Why attack the compound? Why not just come for the "queen bee" instead?"

He slowly backed up as the masked man slowly strode out into the middle of the room, his arms folded casually across his chest. In truth, Naruto knew the man could probably kill him, but if he could just stall for time, his men would be able to catch up and together, they could outnumber the ninja. Naruto had killed ninja before, but had always managed to catch them off-guard and end the fight with a well-placed blade swing; the ninja before him however, was more than prepared to fight back.

The ninja chuckled again and drew his sword, "Ah, but where is the fun in killing the queen, if you can't stir the hive?"

Naruto scowled and backed towards the door a little more, "Sounds pretty messed up to me. You're not one of those psycho nutjobs, are you?"

He watched in satisfaction as the masked man's eyes squinted, and he could only imagine the grimace that most likely adorned the man's face. The tall man kept moving towards his position in the center of the room, and Naruto tensed, expecting an attack. However, the ninja stopped moving towards him, and instead began cleaning the dark stains from his sword, which Naruto guessed was Yobu's blood.

"Your large friend, the corpse over there?" the man pointed at Yobu's body, "He died rather miserably. I tried to make it quick, but he kept thrashing so badly after his throat had been cut; I had to crush him."

Naruto growled and cast a glance at the still form of his friend, 'Crushed him? How?'

He couldn't possibly imagine the ninja "crushing" a man as large as Yobu, and it put him a little on edge. Sadly, the ninja seemed to notice his reaction, and chuckled again, "Ah, so you are curious as to what I mean, eh? Well, to put it simply, I used something called chakra."

Naruto sent him curious look and brought his sword up in front of himself defensively, "Go fuck yourself; you can't use chakra to physically crush a person."

"A yakuza thug knows of chakra? Interesting," the ninja mused, casting a glance towards the door.

Naruto saw the man's eyes and he cursed his men for being so slow, "Yea. Chakra, it's energy from within our bodies – Oomph!"

His sentence cut off when the ninja's foot collided with his gut, sending him crashing into one of the expensive vases adorning the office. He hissed in pain and rolled out of the way as another leg flew towards him and smashed into the wall. He didn't have long however, because as soon as he righted himself; the masked man was upon him again, this time bringing his sword to bear.

Naruto raised his own sword and deflected the blow, before pirouetting the ninja's blade and using his free hand to send a punch into the masked man's gut. The man stumbled back a bit, and Naruto attacked, bringing his katana over his head in a downward motion, attempting to split the ninja in half. His enemy rolled away from the swing, but not quickly enough. Naruto's blade bit into the back of the man's leg, sending a spray of blood over his sword and hands, and earning himself a yelp of pain from his opponent.

"Not so cocky anymore, are we?" Naruto teased, backing away from the wounded man while wiping his blood-slicked hands on his kimono.

"I commend you for knowing your way around the sword, but that is a minor talent. A true ninja has no need for a blade."

Without warning, the man broke into an odd rhythm of hand signals and Naruto cursed himself; if a ninja started doing his chakra tricks, then Naruto would have no chance at beating him. The masked man's swordsmanship had given him some hope of victory, as Naruto was a master of the blade and the ninja seemed to be merely adequate. Now however, the ninja would use skills that Naruto's superior sword skill couldn't combat, and it frightened him a little. Once again, Naruto caught himself glancing towards the door. 'Where are they? Those fuck-wads better have not gotten lost!'

Naruto growled and dashed across the room, sword trailing behind him in preparation for another overhead slash, "Big words, ninja, too bad you don't have time to back them up!"

Before Naruto could cross the room however, the ninja stopped performing hand signals and held up a clawed hand in his direction, "Senaijashuu!"

Naruto watched as three snakes shot out of the man's black sleeves, lengthening and stretching towards him at an amazing speed. Throwing himself into a roll, Naruto passed under the snakes and into the man's guard, stabbing his sword towards his opponent's middle. The ninja was prepared however, and dodged the seeking blade, before sending Naruto to the floor with a roundhouse kick. In a last-ditch effort, Naruto swung his blade in a sideways arc, trying to catch the ninja's legs, but missed when the ninja leapt to the other side of the room. He tried to get back on his feet and defend himself, but the snakes were too fast. The reptiles swarmed over him, two of them wrapping around his legs and arms, and the third biting into the flesh of his neck, releasing its venom into his blood.

Naruto almost panicked when he felt the fangs puncture his neck, but calmed himself rather quickly; he wouldn't let his enemy see him beaten, "That the best you got? Fuckin' ninja coward.."

His opponent chuckled and walked over slowly, seeming to gloat in his underhanded victory, "A coward am I? A smart fighter uses every advantage available to him. You used your swordsmanship, and I used my chakra - a fair fight, if you ask me."

Naruto grunted and blinked his eyes as his vision started to blur, "Yea yea, pussy, keep lying to yourself to make the shame go away; I don't mind."

He smiled when the ninja growled and got down on a knee next to him, obviously wanting to flaunt his victory to Naruto's face. His vision was becoming increasingly blurry, but he could still pick up the ninja's face as his opponent looked down at him, "What? You wanna kiss me?"

His bravado was shattered however, when through the blur of the ninja's face, two red orbs lit up in place of his eyes, "Silly little yakuza..you are dying as we speak. Your vision is becoming blurred, your brain is fogging up, and yet you still taunt and goad me. You will pass from this world with a whisper, and no one will remember your name. But before you pass into death's embrace, I want you to see these eyes and know that have I killed your friends and comrades, and will soon kill your beloved boss."

Naruto could no longer see, and his thoughts seemed to slow and evade him, but he still managed to spit a glob of blood and saliva into his opponents face, "F-fuck you. I c-could care less, you arrogant prick. You can't b-break me.."

The ninja's fist smashed into Naruto's jaw, but he didn't feel any pain, and that worried him. He listened to the man wipe the moisture from his face, before wiping it on Naruto's kimono, "Disgusting. You really are weak, resulting to something so demeaning in the face of defeat. There is no honor among your kind."

Naruto laughed defiantly, "You and...me..both..n-ninja.."

The sound of running feet alerted both him and the ninja, and he felt the man get up and walk away from him. Naruto cursed the guards for taking so long, but hoped they would at least be able to save his boss. His hopes were drowned however, as he heard the ninja come back, and felt something heavy and wet drop onto the floor beside him. His heart raced and he tried to reach out and find whatever the object was, but his body refused to move, and he wondered whether he was still trapped by the reptiles.

A condescending voice cut through his thoughts however, "Do not worry, yakuza. The snakes will come with me, and then you and your boss can stay here and enjoy each other's company, uninterrupted. Enjoy your death."

Naruto tried to reply, but his tongue felt swollen and much too large for his mouth. The poison was really doing a job on his nervous system and body in general; he was completely paralyzed. The ninja chuckled, and Naruto heard him leave the room, just as the many footsteps and voices of his men entered the room.

"Naruto-sama!" a voice called from seemingly everywhere at once. The words contorted and faded in and out, before they were just a buzz in his ears.

He tried to listen for their voices, but the sound no longer came, and his hearing quit completely. Naruto began to panic; his sight was gone, his touch was gone, his sense of smell was gone, he couldn't taste, and finally..he couldn't hear. He swore he was dead, but for some reason he was aware of being alive.

What Naruto could only describe as pure blackness surrounded him, separating him from life, but not quite granting him the release of death. His thoughts became nonsense, and confusion gripped him. He wanted a cigarette. Where was he? Who am I? He hated snakes. Where is the boss? I am dead?

Just when he thought he was lost, a dreadful voice cut through the blackness, "Hello, Naruto."

Naruto couldn't reply, so he merely waited for the voice to sound again, hoping against hope that it wasn't the shinigami, come to claim his soul.

The voice chuckled, "No, you aren't dead, not yet."

Naruto was confused for a moment, but suddenly understood how the voice new the cause of his fear, 'You can hear my thoughts?'

Another chuckle boomed from the darkness, "Yes. I can hear your thoughts."

'Who are you?' Naruto willed himself to say.

"I am your burden. Whether you know it or not, I am the cause for the hate you received all those years ago," the voice replied.

Naruto pondered that for a moment, but couldn't discern what the voice was implying, 'What do you mean? People don't hate me; they fear me.'

The voice sighed audibly, "You know that tattoo on your stomach? That is a seal; a seal that binds me, Kyuubi no Kitsune, within your mortal body. You are host to the greatest demon to ever walk the mortal realm. The people of Konoha hate me, and since you are my host; that hate was transferred to you."

Naruto wished he could laugh out loud. The sheer weight of what the voice had said, was..incredible, 'Haha. Very funny, I almost believe that one. Demon in my stomach, huh? That's fuckin' rich..'

"It is the truth. Fucking rich or not, it is the truth of your being and legacy. Your home, Konoha sealed me inside you, and until your "death" we couldn't contact one another, otherwise we would have met much sooner, I assure you," the voice stated thoughtfully.

Naruto was being to get a little worried, 'Konoha isn't my home, but that seems like something they would do. The assholes would concoct something like that just to give me hell, no doubt about that. But, I really have a tough time believing that there is a demon trapped within me.'

"Let me open your eyes, child," the voice seemed to whisper, before disappearing.

Without warning, sight, sound, taste, smell, and sound returned to Naruto in a rush. Suddenly he was alive again, and the return of all his senses at once made him puke. Spilling the contents of his stomach all over the floor, Naruto took in his surroundings. He was in..a sewer, complete with leaky pipes, stagnant water, and slimy, brick ceilings and walls. He had imagined hell would be a little more..something.

Naruto took the whole scene in and chuckled out loud, "This is sooo fucked up!"

The same rumbling chuckle from before echoed around the sewer and Naruto almost threw up again. Deciding to find out just what was going on, Naruto decided to find the source of the mysterious voice, and with that in mind, began walking down one of the various sewer tunnels. It didn't take long before the tunnel emptied out into a massive room, split in half by a row of massive steel bars.

Naruto sighed and leaned against one of the bars, "This is too weird."

"Truly," the voice answered from the other side of the bars.

Naruto's throat caught and went silent as the source of the frightening voice made itself known, and he slowly backed away from the cage. A massive red fox padded into his vision, like a red sun rising in the night, its body glowing with an ominous red color. Raw energy seemed to collect and bubble around the demon, hissing and moving with a life of its own; it hurt Naruto's eyes to look at it too long, and he quickly averted his gaze to the fox's face. He was mystified that such a being could actually reside within him, and his amazement showed openly on his features. The fox grinned at him, and Naruto marveled at the never-ending row of white fangs that it possessed, each one as big as his body. Such was the glory of the Nine-tailed Demon Fox, Kyuubi.

Naruto fell to his knees and looked up at the fox with a somber expression "So it's true, huh? Those Konoha assholes really did lock you up inside me, and we both got screwed over."

The fox guffawed and broke into laughter, making it look even more intimidating, "Hahaha! That is surprisingly the simplest explanation for our relationship I've ever heard!"

Naruto said nothing, and continued to take in the sight of the giant fox. Everything was readily piecing itself together in his mind, and the more he thought about it, the more he started to hate what he was learning.

Kyuubi seemed to notice his state and commented, "The truth can sometimes be more deadly than a million lies, child. Let us make this truth something simple that we can swallow, shall we?"

Naruto nodded his head and looked up at the demon expectantly, "What does this all mean?"

The large fox sighed and lay down, resting its head on massive paws, "I am sealed within your soul; the only type of immaterial prison that can hold a being of power such as I. Your late father sealed me within you to save your village, and in so doing; doomed you to the life of an outcast. However, you left the village and gained acceptance in another life, so we were never forced to confront each other. You are my host and thus we are one, but completely separate at the same time."

Naruto stayed silent and felt his gorge rise, "Okayy..So what does this mean? Like what is the benefit of having you inside my soul?"

The fox chuckled again and waggled his eyebrows comically, "The benefits? Well, let's take the more immediate benefits first. I am going to give you back your life."

Naruto chuckled drily and shook his head, "Little late for that, don't you think? Don't bother."

Kyuubi seemed perplexed at this, and raised his eyebrows in confusion, "You don't wish for life?"

Naruto sighed and leaned back, looking into the giant fox's red eyes, "What is the point? That ninja bastard killed everything I know. I have no family or love to live for. My life was a hollow existence of death, alcohol, and sorrow. Why would I want to return to less than even that?"

Kyuubi seemed to ponder his words, before grinning broadly, "Revenge? Do you not wish to crush the life of the one that stole what little light you had in your own life?"

Naruto stewed it over for a while before raising an eyebrow at the demon, "I suppose, but what's in it for you? Why are you so interested in helping me out? I am your prison."

"Simple, I want to repay your father for his sacrifice. I have battled and destroyed countless demons, mortals, and gods, but none like your father. For a mere mortal to best me, a destruction incarnate? Nothing of the like has ever been done. Call me sentimental, but your father was a warrior of the greatest caliber, and thus deserves the respect such talent warrants. Konoha didn't honor your father, but as his final opponent, I shall," the fox stated, sounding reverent and thoughtful.

Naruto gaped at the fox, "Who is my father, and why would you sacrifice your life for me? I mean it doesn't really make sense if he kicked your ass."

The fox nodded his head and grinned as he recalled something, "Ah, your father was a great man, a dirty fighter, but a great and clever man all the same. I slaughtered droves of puny, Konoha shinobi before he came to face me. At first I merely swiped at him with my tails, expecting him to be crushed, but he wouldn't be crushed. He was much too fast and cunning for such an attack; and that would be my downfall. He struck and injured me, something which no mortal has ever accomplished in my centuries of existence. After that, we battled for hours, rending great gashes in the countryside, each taking as good as we gave. That night he brought out a newborn, and I laughed at him, mocking him for a fool. Before I knew it, I was sealed within you, and your father was dead. He gave his life to defeat me, and in doing so, gained my utmost respect. Other than the battle, I know little of your father – but it matters not, because battle brings out the truth in a being. Now, as to why I would give my life for yours? It is simply a gift to your father's spirit. Also, I shall meet him in death and renew our battle; something I have been wishing to do for a long time. A life for a life, it seems an acceptable trade."

Naruto was dumbstruck. Kyuubi no Kitsune, supposedly the most powerful being in existence, wanted to die in order to pay respects to his father? It was absurd and humbling at the same time, and Naruto suddenly wished he had known his mysterious parent.

Naruto nodded his head and a small smile crept onto his face, "So, you get to go and have a rematch with dad, and I get a chance to make another life for myself? I'm oddly intrigued by your proposal.."

The giant fox chuckled and snapped his teeth, "I am glad you are considering it. It is not often that one has a chance to reinvent their life; you are truly lucky."

Naruto nodded and turned to look the face in the face, "So, I guess after this little trick I won't be hearing you in my head, will I?"

Kyuubi shook his head sadly, "No. I will no longer be part of you. I will however, leave my mark and a few things behind."

Naruto raised an eyebrow and urged the fox to continue, "What do you mean?"

"Ah, but that is my little secret. You are not ninja and do not use your chakra, but if you have a chance, get a shinobi to take a "look" inside of you. Their reaction, I predict, will be quite humorous. Also, that tattoo on your stomach that appears and disappears will return and stay permanently," the fox explained, standing up and stretching its huge limbs.

Naruto smiled and shook his head, "This is all so weird. Three days ago I was a normal guy, doing his job and getting drunk off cheap liquor. Now I'm about to be resurrected to life by apparently the most powerful demon in existence, just because my dad whooped your ass in a fight. Jeez what a trip.."

Kyuubi grinned again and finished stretching, "Without such surprises, life wouldn't be worth living. Before we do this, I would like to advise you on something, child."

Naruto ran a hand through his hair and sighed, "Shoot for it."

The giant fox nodded and stared intently down at him, "All these years I have shared your life; the good, the bad, everything you have experienced. I know you feel loyalty towards the Nakamori man, but this life, this yakuza life..it is not for you, child. You were born to be shinobi, just like your father. I am not saying that you should return to Konoha, as your experience there was what caused you to run away, but you should seek training somewhere. You have greatness in you, if only you would embrace it, rather than run away from it; I am sure it would bring you the happiness you seek."

Naruto could only stare silently at the demon. To think that a being of supposed pure evil, a being that Naruto had just met, could know him so well; it shook him to the core. In face of the facts, Naruto had to admit he really wasn't happy with the yakuza, and he never had been. He had spent his life kowtowing to Boss Nakamori, simply because the old man had shown him kindness. The shame swelled and formed a knot in his chest; Naruto almost wanted to cry out of pity for himself, "I know. You probably think I'm pathetic, right?"

Kyuubi sighed and shook his furry head, "No, Naruto, I do not see you as pathetic. I see you as a confused mortal, searching for the meaning of his existence. It happens to many of your kind. As fragile and innocent as mortals are, most don't know the purpose of their life; most have to search for it, and some never find it. You however, were able to adapt to a different life and in so doing, blinded yourself to what you really are. Sure, you found a tiny amount of happiness with your late fiancé, and again with that girl in the prison, but overall, you despise your life. I can only hope that you find the strength to grasp this advantage and forge a new one that suits you."

Naruto nodded his head solemnly and wiped a stray tear that was making its way down his cheek, "Thank you, Kyuubi."

The fox shook his head again and grinned, "Do not mention it, child. I am glad you take my advice to heart; most people would not trust the word of a demon, even one as magnificent as I."

Naruto chuckled lightly and waved the compliment off, "Bah. I have never been one to judge. I have final question though, before we do this thing. Why did you attack Konoha? You seem pretty laid back and thoughtful to me."

Kyuubi chuckled darkly and his eyes glowed. "Do not take me for something I am not, Naruto. I have sent millions of souls to the shinigami and have wreaked chaos, and destruction upon countless worlds; I am truly death incarnate. However, nineteen years trapped within a human host can seriously mellow a being out; I do not recommend it. As to why I attacked Konoha? There was a certain ninja that belonged to that village that I sought to destroy, no matter what obstacle got in my way. The ninja I speak of was a man so lost within his own power that he sought to bind me to his will, and control my power. So, being the demon that I am; I went to destroy him. However, as fate would have it, the thing I sought to avoid by bringing death to this man, would greet me there. Your father sealed me and my target escaped me; a sad end indeed."

Naruto nodded thoughtfully and sighed, looking around the sewer for the last time, "I understand. You ready to do this?"

Kyuubi grinned his massive grin and the room instantly disappeared, leaving only Naruto and the massive fox in a sea of darkness, "I won't say it has been nice knowing you, but know that I have not entirely loathed being a part of you, Uzumaki Naruto. Take this second chance and use it well."

Naruto smiled contentedly as his vision began to fade and his senses started disappearing again, "I will. Say hi to dad for me, Kyuubi-chan."

The last thing Naruto heard was the fox's booming chuckle, before his world went completely silent and dark. The darkness didn't last long however and soon he felt a burning sensation on his stomach that began to spread throughout his body. It felt like hot water was being poured over his body and limbs, and to his surprise, wherever the heat spread, his mobility returned there also. He wanted to laugh and cry at the same time, as he heard his heartbeat begin to thump in his ears, pumping new life into his icy veins. Finally, the heat swarmed up his neck and washed over his head, returning his senses to him. He was alive.

Naruto sat up quickly, gasping for air, as his lungs woke up fully. He heard a scream, and he opened his eyes, blinking through the blurriness of his vision. Moving into a sitting position, he waited until his senses cleared before looking around the room and spotting the source of the scream. Shaking in disbelief, one of the house servants huddled in the corner with her eyes clamped tightly shut, "Please..don't kill me.."

Naruto tried to laugh, but his throat felt raw and dry so he only managed to choke, "Not gonna kill you. Get some water please?"

The servant nodded dumbly, and obeyed his instructions seemingly on auto-pilot. She handed him a glass of water, and then went to cower in the corner again as if nothing had happened. He emptied the contents of the glass in one gulp, swishing the refreshing liquid around in his throat to moisten his parched mouth. Once he was satisfied, he shakily got to his feet, bracing himself against the bed he had been lying on. Naruto waited a few minutes till his limbs had woken up, before grabbing his sword from the bedside table and heading out the door, leaving the house servant behind without an explanation. He had things to check on, and bags to pack.

As he walked he noticed he had dried blood on his face, and was still wearing the same thing he had been when the attack had happened, 'How long have I been out?'

Once he had rounded the corner, he stopped dead in his tracks. Down the hallway, he could see a body lying on the floor of his boss' office; he hoped his suspicions were wrong as to who the corpse belonged to. Slowly making his way down the hall, Naruto pushed the broken door aside and stepped into the room, not noticing the shocked glances that greeted him from the people in the room. His entire focus was on the headless corpse of what had been Boss Nakamori. After a few minutes something tugged at his sleeve and he turned to see Nakamori's daughter looking up at him in bewilderment, "N-Naruto-senpai?"

Naruto shook his head, remembering her to be the girl that had evacuated the family during the attack, "Umm, yea. I'm sorry, what's your name?"

The girl shook her head and gripped his arm tightly, as if he could disappear in an instant, "Miko. How..are you alive? The guards..they said.."

Naruto could've smacked himself. He had been confirmed to be dead while he was gone, and now all of a sudden wasn't dead; it could've thrown any sane person for a loop. He smiled weakly and waved his arms around the room, "I was umm.. unconscious is all. I am better now though, see?"

The assembled Nakamori family members, servants, and yakuza thugs all let out sighs of relief, some even laughing and slapping each other's backs, "I told you he wasn't dead! No one kills Naruto-sama!"

"You owe me 50 ryo!"one yakuza bellowed across the room to his friend.

"Thank kami, we're saved!" an elderly woman, Naruto guessed to be family member, exclaimed.

Naruto held up his hands and looked around the room, suddenly realizing he had walked in on a mourning ceremony and the people present must've been the survivors of the attack, "Listen! I need to know what happened while I was out; did you find out who attacked us?"

The group of people stopped talking almost immediately, and Miko squeezed his arm a little tighter to get his attention, "This is all that survived the attack; most died in the attack or from wounds afterwards. We tried to save all we could, but there just wasn't enough time. We never found out who attacked us either, but while the guards were searching the compound, they found this stuck on the roof."

Miko handed him a small note, with the words for "explode" written on it. Naruto didn't know quite what it was, but he had a feeling that it was dangerous. He nodded his thanks to the girl and used his free arm to tuck the small piece of paper away in his kimono, "Thank you, this'll help me out a lot."

Naruto then turned his attention to the body on the floor, with the man's head wrapped in silk, sitting beside it. He scowled as he remembered the ninja dropping something heavy and wet beside him, 'The bastard decapitated the boss while I was still alive!'

Miko released his arm a little and coughed to get his attention, "Naruto-senpai, what would you have us do?"

Naruto blinked in confusion, looking down at the girl a few seconds, before realizing she was asking for orders, "Bury the boss' body, then take everyone here and get out of town. Go wherever you need to, but stay away from Yosin. Once the boss' death goes public, a power vacuum will start up and possibly lead to another gang war that you can't possibly hope to win."

Miko looked like a fish out of water, she obviously hadn't expected something so drastic and her expression made Naruto pity her, "W-wait, you are saying I have to take everyone here and abandon the compound?"

Naruto nodded and put a hand under the girl's chin, bringing her gaze up to meet his, "Yes, Miko. You are in charge now, and you have to get your family and your men to safety."

The girl almost started to cry, but choked it down and nodded solemnly, "I suppose that means you won't be coming with us then?"

He nodded and called some of the guards over pointing towards the corpse and then to the garden, "That's right, I am going to find the bastard that did this. I am going to find him, and kill him. So it is up to you to take over in your father's place and protect your people. I have faith in you, and the men will not question your orders."

The girl nodded and ushered the assembled people to begin packing for the journey, and Naruto smiled when they obeyed immediately. He had to admit the girl had a commanding presence like her late father, and he didn't doubt that she would lead the Nakamori gang into a new age of prosperity given time.

As the small mob began to break off, doing the chores tasked to them, Naruto pulled Miko aside and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "I am sorry to leave you with such a burden, Miko, but my path leads me elsewhere. I suggest you take them all to Suna, it is far enough away that the rival gangs won't bother to follow you. Once I get settled, I will write you with information on where I am and my situation. If you find yourself in real danger, don't hesitate to call on me; I promise to come as soon as I can. Good luck, Miko."

The girl smiled weakly, and unexpectedly wrapped her slender arms around his neck, pulling him into a warm embrace, "Thank you so much, Naruto."

Naruto smiled uncomfortably and gently released the girl after a few minutes, "See you around."

Without another word, the girl turned and left the room, barking orders left and right like a ship captain with an unruly crew. He smiled as he watched her leave; his confidence firmly placed upon the girl's young shoulders. Glancing over the room one last time, Naruto strapped his sword across his back and made his way out of the room. He walked slowly through the compound, taking in the damage that had been done to the massive house. Once he reached what had been his room, he sighed at the sight; the entire room had been crushed and burnt beyond recognition, along with all his possessions. Shrugging it off, he made his way into the middle hall, before a thought snaked its way into his head. 'Sakura!'

Naruto cursed his absentmindedness and rushed off towards the prison in a sprint, reaching the relatively undamaged row of cells in mere seconds. Pushing past a fallen timber, he rounded the corner and peered inside the cell he had shared with the pink-haired girl. The girl was gone; the only clue she had ever been there were the three blankets and two ruined, white towels. He smiled sadly at the short, happy moment he had spent with the girl, it would be a memory he could cherish.

He glanced around the cell a while, before making his way out of the compound, stopping on the steps to look back at the large building that had made up the past nine years of his life. Smirking at how sentimental it was, Naruto lit a cigarette and took a long draw on it, enjoying the nicotine before blowing a plume of smoke into the morning air, 'About fucking time..'

Smiling happily, the blonde made his way down the steps, and melted into the early morning traffic of civilians walking to work. As if responding to the blonde's mood; the sun chose that moment to break through the left over rain clouds and bathe the city in gold.