Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto..well last time I checked I didn't...nope, still don't.

AN: ...This has taken far too long...I'm so sorry (sits depressed in the corner). This chapter is quite long but I suppose that doesn't quite make up for the lack of posting...but I'm nearly finished the next chapter, promise. Very light Itanaru in this chapter XD

'blah' – normal speak

'blah' – Kyuubi

'blah' – Normal thoughts

'blah' – Kyuubi's thoughts

'blah' – mystery person

'blah' – another mystery person

--

Chapter 5 – I Have Been Captured

His eyes were fixated on the whiskered cheeks; the only sign that the Kyuubi inhabited his body, those marks that made him all the more irresistible. Golden curls fell over the closed eyes which, in Itachi's mind, could be no other colour than blue. No other colour would suit him so well. He had sat at Naruto's bedside for days constantly monitoring his chakra levels; which were surprisingly high, even without Kyuubi. A strange feeling had sparked in his chest and refused to go away every time he looked at the sleeping boy.

The golden locks ruffled as a small breeze swept through the room from an open window. Itachi smiled softly. It struck him that he had been doing that a lot lately, and it was odd...it was something unusual to him, but this boy made it happen. Sasuke had said that it was a good thing; that when he smiled a brand new shiny Itachi would show. He wasn't sure about Sasuke's choice of words but he knew it was a good thing.

Naruto had been unconscious longer than they had. Maybe it was because of his high reserves of chakra. Whatever it was, Itachi hoped he would wake up soon. He heard the door creak open and looked to see a mass of black hair pass by the bottom of the bed. Sasuke smiled at his aniki and hoisted himself up onto Itachi's knees, allowing Itachi to wrap his arms around his waist to stop him sliding off. Sasuke joined Itachi in staring at Naruto's almost lifeless form. He had seen Naruto at the playground...but he was never with anyone. His mother had told them that Naruto didn't have any parents. Sasuke gazed sadly at the boy. How terrible must it have been to be so alone? Sasuke didn't want to know. He couldn't imagine not having his parents or Itachi. Sasuke looked up at Itachi and felt his face splitting into a wide grin at the oh-so vacant look his aniki held.

"'Tachi?" said Sasuke sweetly.

Itachi didn't move but acknowledged Sasuke with a 'Hn?', normally Sasuke would've pouted at his brothers lack of attention towards him, but this was different. "How is Naruto doing?"

"He's fine."

"Oh, that's good. Isn't it aniki?" Sasuke said with an added amount of enthusiasm.

"Er...yeah."

Sasuke placed his hands over his mouth to stifle a giggle. "I hope he wakes up soon, don't you?"

"Er...yeah."

"Niisan?" laughed Sasuke.

"Er...yeah."

Sasuke's laughter increased to as level that Itachi could no longer ignore. He broke from his trance to stare at his brother who had a more than terrifying grin on his face.

"So I've finally got your attention."

Itachi was slightly taken back by his brother's remark, even if his voice only held a playful humour. "What--?" started Itachi.

"You like like him!"

This time Itachi was completely taken back. He hadn't expected Sasuke to say something so...absurd. Sasuke watched as his brother's eyes widened and a deep blush spread over his face. Itachi averted his gaze back to Naruto. He could sense the cogs turning in his brother's head and didn't dare look at him.

"Don't be ridiculous I'm just ..."

"...Sitting by his bed, watching him, like you have been doing for days. Face it, aniki! You're completely and utterly in wuv!" Sasuke erupted into peels of laughter at the last word, ducking a well aimed swipe from Itachi and sliding off his knees. In the Uchiha-style, Itachi slumped back in his seat with an angry expression that did nothing to prevent the obvious red covering his cheeks. Sasuke placed a hand on his chest trying to calm himself down. He looked at his brother and tugged on Itachi's shirt. Itachi stared down at his little brother's now beaming smile.

"So, if you like him...that means he'll be part of our family right?"

--

Water sloshed around his feet, levelling no higher than his ankles. The sewer tunnel held a dense atmosphere that could be cut with a knife. The long corridor disappeared into the depths of its own darkness. Naruto placed his hands on the slime covered walls, to steady himself. He glanced up and down the tunnel, and every so often felt a soft brush of warm air ruffle his clothes. Naruto scowled at the villager's choice of dumping ground. Sure he had been dumped in worse places, but he had no idea where he was; he usually recognised most parts of the village.

A low rumble from the abyss caught his attention. Slowly, he edged his way down the tunnel, all senses on alert in case it was a trap. He yelped as his foot banged against the rusted piping under the water. Looking down he noticed the pipe started to branch off in different directions, one particularly large pipe down the branch to the left. Naruto peered around the corner seeing, in the distance, what appeared to be a large cage. The gusts of air were definitely coming from this place. He tried to calm his pounding heart before moving through the tunnel and into a very spacious room. Beads of sweat rolled down his head, a large blast of wind causing him to lose his footing and fall back into the water. The splash must have alerted something, because behind the bars of the cage a large blur of deep red stirred and twisted swiftly before a set of bright red, bloodshot eyes set upon Naruto. Naruto would've screamed if not for the shock of seeing such a monster. The eyes scanned him for a second before a wide sharp-toothed grin came upon the face of the monster.

"Well now, if it isn't my dear gaki jinchuuriki." Came a deep grumbling voice. "I thought you would've been a bit older when you first came to me, but...this will do fine."

Naruto's eyes widened at the amount of chakra he could feel emanating from this creature...the...

"Kyuubi No Kitsune!" he breathed.

"Heh, not as dumb as you look, eh gaki?" snorted Kyuubi.

"Don't call me GAKI, FURBALL!" shouted Naruto in a rage, which quickly turned to a whisper as he bowed his head, tears swimming in his eyes. "And I'm not dumb. People just...people just don't acknowledge me, my teachers don't care and I don't have any friends, why should I be smart around others if it's just pointless and nobody notices?"

The demon stared at Naruto as he poured his heart out, and felt something in her dark heart crack. She let out a deep sigh, cursing her motherly instinct, but could not let this boy, who was just a kit, keep bring hurt the way he was.

"Kit, listen."

Naruto looked up. "Kit?"

"Yes...now, you're not in a sewer in Konoha, you're in your mind, you entered here after you collapsed in the street (though I'm not sure what happened); you will come here whenever this happens and seen as I'm sealed inside of you (by that CURSED YONDAIME) I will always be here too." Naruto opened his mouth to speak, but Kyuubi stopped him. "Questions in a minute, kit...yes, I'm the reason the villagers beat you up, I can hear your thoughts and dear Kami the 'Pink Witch' will never like you, please, please for all that remains of whatever sanity I originally had, stop going after her!"

Naruto just stared at the exasperated look Kyuubi had; those had been the answers to a few of his questions...the last nit he hadn't expected. "You mean Sakura?"

Kyuubi flinched disgustedly. "Is that what it's called? Then yes, the pink thing that constantly passes through your mind, stay away from it, its evil, why else would it have pink hair...probably dyes it." She mumbled the end.

"If it bothers you that much...then I'll stop."

Kyuubi started. She hadn't expected him to give up like that; she had at least expected some sort of resistance to her...not 'pleading'...suggestions. Kyuubi grinned, 'must be my evil womanly wrath he feels, he knows that to go against me is certain DOOM!'

Right now, Naruto had every reason to be scared. Watching a demon fox cackle madly to themselves was slightly more than worrying. Taking a life threatening chance, he spoke, "So...Okaasan?"

Kyuubi stopped her insane cackling, her ego having swelled enough for her to be happy for a while, and stared at Naruto. "Wha--?"

"I'm your kit, so you're my Okaasan right?"

That was it. Her heart had melted. Naruto watched in awe as a red mist swirled around Kyuubi and she morphed into a beautiful, slender woman with curled red locks and a deep red kimono adorned with elegant black dragons, tied together with a black obi. "Yes kit, that's right...and from now on – !power stance! – OKAASAN WILL PERSONALLY TEAR APART ANYONE WHO HURTS HER KIT!" ...(scary womanly wrath). And thus more scary laughter ensued.

...

Naruto sighed as he watched his new Okaasan proclaim death to the rest of world, to the point where her head was too big for the cage; at least he now knew where his hyper activeness came from.

"...now how did you know I was a woman, kit?"

Naruto jumped, he hadn't realized she had stopped laughing. "Erm...I just did...you just have a very feminine aura about you."

"HA! Finally, someone who realises!"

"Wha--?"

"People always think it is a man that's top dog, they don't realise it's a woman who rules them all!" she laughed.

"Aaa! Please don't laugh again!"

"Hmm...come here, kit."

Naruto placed his hands upon the bars of the cage, looking up and seeing the kanji for 'seal' written on a slip of paper stuck to the bars. Kyuubi took his hand and pulled him through the gap in the bars. Suddenly it felt as though the pressure had increased a significant amount, Naruto thought the floor would crack under his feet. He looked up at Kyuubi, who had a knowing smile on her face.

"What you're feeling is the pressure of the seal...it is what keeps me in here, inside of you." Naruto blinked, how could someone stand this constant weight, 'I suppose you would get used to it,' he thought. Kyuubi knelt down in front of Naruto, taking him gently be the shoulders. "Naruto-kun, listen to me...I want to make sure you are safe from now on. I'm sorry that you suffer because of me and wish the villagers wouldn't take my mistake out on you. I didn't intentionally mean for this to happen; I had been hunting for food for my kits and had left my mate with them, I was not too far out when I smelt blood in the air and heard the sound of my mate howling – tears welled up in Kyuubi's bright red eyes – by the time I got back they were...they were already dead."

Naruto stood ridged with shock, watching the great Kyuubi No Kitsune break down in front of him. "I-in a fit of rage and upon seeing a Konoha headband on the ground, I charged in the villages direction, hell bent on getting my revenge not thinking that I was about to make hundreds of other families suffer for the sake of the few I wanted to kill...and even now I haven't killed the one I wanted to." Her voice died to a low whisper, silent tears still steaming down his face as anger glowed in her eyes.

Naruto placed his arms around her, his won rage consuming him. The ninja had made Kyuubi suffer and brought the attack upon the village, and in turn had made him suffer. His initial thought was to hate them, despise them and make them suffer like he had; a spark of rage surged through his heart, but quickly dissipated. He realises he would be no better than those who had murdered Kyuubi's family and those who had attacked him.

"I will kill him. That man who destroyed everything I had...Madara Uchiha." She spat the name with utmost venom. Naruto's mind whirled as he tried to remember who Madara Uchiha was; he had heard that name before. "Isn't he the one who founded the Uchiha clan?" Kyuubi nodded. "But he's been dead for ages; he was killed at the Valley of the End by Hashirama Senju, the first Hokage, he was dead before you attacked the village."

"No...you're wrong...Madara's body was destroyed, but his soul was indestructible, it endured the pain of death and went to take another body. For years it wondered until it came across the body of a young man who was dying, the boy's soul had left the body and Madara was there to claim it. He is still alive, but I know not of what he looks like; only that the boy was an Uchiha."

Naruto stood stunned. Madara Uchiha was still was still alive. "Does anybody else know?"

"I doubt even a handful of people know. And even if they did find out its highly unlikely that they would live very long." said Kyuubi. "Madara is a master of time, almost a God in human form."

"So he...he can't be killed?" asked Naruto perturbed.

Kyuubi gave a grunted laugh. "Everything can be killed...even me – although it's highly unlikely." Naruto rolled his eyes. "I would rip his head off, if I knew he wouldn't go and find another body...even though the initial feeling of ripping his head off would be nice."

Naruto giggled...despite the conversation being on the subject of the feelings of brutal murder. Kyuubi smiled, baring her fangs and pulled Naruto into a gentle hug. "Naruto-kun, I'm not sure why you are here right now or what happened to you but I'm glad that you came. You have to go back, kit...don't say anything...you have to; but I'll still be able to talk to you and...I will train you – Naruto's eyes widened – I will make sure you become a strong ninja; I won't let you suffer anymore."

Naruto buried his face in Kyuubi's chest (AN: O-o ha, I'm sure she's thrilled...NO, bad pervy brain). "Really Okaasan? You won't leave me alone, not like everyone else?"

"I promise, kit. I won't leave you. Ha, you'd have a tough time getting rid of me anyway...now, you have to go, I have a feeling the view will be nice when you wake up, I can sense it." Kyuubi's expression became distant, with a major pervy grin.

Major sweat-drop time for Naruto. 'I'm pretty sure our versions of nice will differ completely.' He thought.

"Oh, I don't know about that." said Kyuubi.

Naruto jumped back from her. "How did you --?"

"I'm in your mind remember, I know what you're thinking."

Naruto shuddered slightly. "That's kinda weird."

Kyuubi shrugged a playful grin on her face. "Kit, it's time to go, you don't want the Old Man to worry about you, do you?"

Naruto shook his head, and then looked around. "Erm...how do I get out?"

..."Just wake up."

"But --." He began, he was already gone.

Kyuubi released her human...(ish) form and returned to the fox everyone feared. She curled around in her cage, settling with a content sigh, not noticing the two figures in the background.

"It seems we have chosen well, my love," came the ethereal voice of a woman.

"Indeed we have, fair one." came the reply of a deeper more masculine voice.

"I hope we get to speak with him next time...at least before he changes for the first time."

"I also...do you think the others have spoken to them."

"I do not feel they may be ready, like them we will know when the time is right."

--

Itachi smiled at his brother's words and went to ruffle his hair when both brothers heard a groan coming from the bed. Itachi whirled around to face Naruto, who was trying to open his eyes.

"Sasuke, go and get the doctor."

Sasuke nodded and rushed out of the room. Itachi grasped Naruto's hand, rubbed his thumb over the smooth knuckles. "Naruto? Naruto, can you hear me?" Itachi knew it sounded kind of stupid, but he really wanted Naruto to wake up, even if it was only for a little while.

Then it happened. Those beautiful oceanic eyes burst open, staring straight at Itachi. Time had froze. Those shining blue orbs shimmered like mirrors, enabling him to view his reflection, that of a shocked and awestruck boy. Itachi felt his heart beating furiously in his chest; he'd never felt like this before, he couldn't describe it. Was this how it was meant to feel? This...love? Itachi knew one thing...it was brilliant.

He was vaguely aware that Naruto was trying to get his attention, and only after a sharp poke in the side did he shake from his trance.

"Are you okay?"

It was a voice only angels had that serenaded through his ears. "Y-yes, I'm fine." He mumbled. Inner 'Tachi looked positively horrified and burst into a quick and furious rant. 'How could you stutter, baka! He probably thinks you're stupid now, I mean look at those gorgeous eyes, smooth skin, untameable hair...full lips.......hehehe, I feel like a school girl.'

Normal Itachi sighed. "You shouldn't be asking me that, you're the one in hospital."

Naruto's expression quickly went from concerned to shocked to horrified to confused. "Why am I in the hospital?"

"You collapsed a few days ago with the same illness me and my brother had, you've been unconscious since."

Naruto blinked. "That kinda sucks."

Itachi couldn't suppress the small chuckle that escaped him, and couldn't understand it when it turned into a brilliant smile. Naruto sat mesmerized by the sight before him. 'Okaasan was right.'

'I AM ALWAYS RIGHT!'

Naruto ignored the sudden booming voice that he knew was Kyuubi, instead he smiled back at Itachi.

'Ooo! I knew it would be a good view. Hm...it is time to create motherly plans...MWAHAHA!'

'...really worried.' thought Naruto.

He was broken from thought by a lot of people entering the room, including the Sandaime and a little boy he assumed was this other boy's brother.

"Naruto-kun, thank Kami you are awake," said the Hokage, seating himself opposite Itachi.

"Course I'm okay, 'm like a rock, ojiisan!" Naruto cracked his fist against his chest.

The Hokage chuckled. "Even mountains can collapse, Naruto...but still, you do have a will to be reckoned with."

Naruto grinned, which faltered when he saw a doctor approach. "It would be best to run the tests now, Hokage-sama. Uchiha-sama, I'm afraid you will have to wait in your room whilst the tests are done."

Itachi was about to protest, but a quick subtle glance from the Hokage stopped him. "You will be allowed back in later, I'm sure." Itachi looked towards the doctor, who nodded swiftly, afraid of being on the receiving end of the Sharingan.

Itachi stood up, picking Sasuke up as well. He looked back at Naruto, whose eyes were pleading.

"We'll be back soon, Naruto-kun."

Naruto started at the honorific, but nodded. Just as Itachi reached the door he heard Naruto cry, "Wait...what's your name?!"

Itachi turned round and smiled. "It's Itachi, and this is my brother Sasuke." He gestured to the boy in his arms. Naruto smiled and slumped back against the pillows, watching Itachi and Sasuke leave the room. Itachi and Sasuke. Would they be his friends? He hoped so...especially Itachi.

--

AN: In my fic the theory of Madara being reanimated in another body applies, despite the fact that this theory is heavily flawed, I don't care XP Kyuubi is now officially my favourite character, I love HER in all over HER motherly glory XD

Love Psycho – I'm sorry this took so long, I hope you continue reading and appreciate that you haven't come to grate me up like cheese XD

Cake for everyone else who is reading!!

Next chapter - ...He leapt down the embankment and shot towards Sasuke. Although his brother wasn't as fast as he, he was nearing the edge. He wouldn't make it.

Itachi and Sasuke discover and effect of the strange illness – Realization

See ya!