Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
Normal Text
'Person thinking'
"Person talking"
"Jinchuriki talking inside his head with Bijuu"
'Bijuu thinking'
"Bijuu talking"
"Bijuu talking inside jinchurki's head"
Chapter 3 - From unbearable pain to unbreakable friendship
For the first two months since moving in, Naruto really enjoyed his new apartment. It was furnished with the essentials – a bed, a bathroom with a shower, a fridge, a stove and a microwave, alongside various shelves and storage spaces for dishes and cooking utensils. There was enough room for all of the things he might need.
His favorite days were the Sundays when his jiji would show up and help him study. He struggled to learn, but his jiji made it feel easy and always motivated him to continue studying. He really liked the stories that the old man would read to him about the great heroes of Konoha and, above all, he liked the story about the Yondaime Hokage and how he was able to defeat the Kyuubi in single combat. Naruto's particular interest towards this story slightly annoyed a certain someone, but in his wisdom, he knew not to hold it against the boy, as the little one simply didn't know any better.
Unfortunately for the little hero, trouble seemed to find him yet again. The landlord started to despise Naruto because, due to him moving there, all other residents except for one had left the premises. The landlord couldn't do much against the boy, because he saw how close he was to the Hokage. As such, deciding to cut his losses, he decided to sell the rest of the property to the village management at a huge discount and looked for business elsewhere. This came with the added challenge that now there was no one to fix the issues at the apartment complex. Naruto became aware of this the moment his hot water stopped coming in, but he couldn't do much about it himself. He told the Hokage about it on his following visit, and the old man decided to try and talk with the other resident of the apartment building, hoping that he or she would be willing to take up the responsibility of managing the complex.
Thus, Sarutobi found himself blushing heavily as he talked with a stunning nineteen-year-old brunette beauty by the name Natsumi Unohana. She was Naruto's neighbor and the only other resident of the apartment complex. Hearing about their joint predicament, Natsumi readily accepted the new responsibilities, seeing them as a great opportunity to explore the possibility of a career change. Of course, the Hokage did not need to know what she did for a living, though she somehow suspected that he already knew.
Natsumi used to be a permanent resident of the red-lights district, but, after somehow managing to buy her way out of being the kidnapped sex-slave that she was when she first arrived, she chose to live away from the establishment of her employ in the hopes that one day she would find the means to start a more acceptable enterprise. That said, she did not hold anything against her peers or her current profession. She just felt that she was meant for more than just providing the pleasures of the flesh to the rich and powerful (and sleezy). She couldn't put her finger on it, but deep down she knew that she was meant for something more… something better. Being who she was, she was also one of the few in Konoha at the time who could see past the prejudice and ill-intent of the villagers when it came to Naruto. To her, Naruto was an unfortunate boy, one who, just like her and many others, was a victim of circumstances beyond his control. A few times, she watched the boy from a distance and what she saw in his eyes pleased her greatly. She saw in him the same drive to overcome his condition, just like her. This spurred her even more to take on the responsibilities that normally would come to a landlord. After all, birds of a feather, right?
In the days that followed, Natsumi used her wit, charm and the budget provided by the village real-estate subsidy to find the necessary plumbers to fix the issues with the complex. Being the charmer that she was, she was able to negotiate a good price for their services without having to provide any services of her own in return. Once that was done, she decided to finally pay little Naruto a visit. She knocked on his door, hoping to find him at home.
"Coming!" she heard the shout from somewhere in the back of the flat.
Naruto opened the door and for a moment he was a bit flabbergasted at the beauty standing in front of him. Sure, he was just a little boy and knew nothing of love and pleasure, but he understood beauty and could appreciate it nonetheless. It's at this point that Natsumi realized with some amusement that Naruto was not there when the Hokage talked to her about taking over the landlord responsibilities, so she decided to introduce herself.
"Hi, you must be Naruto Uzumaki. I am Natsumi Unohana, your next-door neighbor and the recently appointed landlord. I came by to let you know that we have hot water again. Also, if you run into trouble with the heat or any other issues with the apartment, just stop by and let me know. I am at home during the day on most days so that should be no problem."
"Uh…Hi, Natsumi-chan. It's nice to meet you! You are really pretty! And thanks for taking care of me!"
At this, Natsumi felt a bit taken aback because his choice of words triggered some maternal instincts that she did not realize she had. 'Oh, I am definitely claiming this little cutie as my own! Look at him, he's so adorable!' Thinking this, she decided to give into her newly discovered impulses and resolved to ensure that Naruto would want for nothing as long as she was around. So lost in her thoughts she was that she didn't even realize she was staring at Naruto. This made the little boy fidget uncomfortably and he decided to break the tension.
"Umm… Do you want to come in? I have milk and cookies!"
Woken from her momentary daze, Natsumi answered "I appreciate the thought but I will have to decline this time. I am getting ready for work and I don't want to be late."
"Oh… But it's almost evening. Do you work at night?"
"Yes, unfortunately I do. But that is why I am easy to find during the day if you need anything, so it's a win-win!"
"Umm, I guess. Well, I hope you have a great day at work! Thanks for stopping by!"
After saying their goodbyes, Naruto and Natsumi parted ways, with the former going back to reading (or rather struggling to read) and Natsumi getting ready for another night in the red-lights district.
October soon came and, by this point, many of the villagers became aware of Naruto's new lodging situation. Naruto knew that he was not welcome in the village, especially on his birthday, so he decided to stay put in his apartment, hoping that he will be ignored and thus, for once, avoid the bullying.
Having the stories of the Yondaime and his battle with the Kyuubi fresh in his mind, knowing that today was the Kyuubi festival, and realizing that this was the day that he was most at risk of being bullied, Naruto's eyes snapped open and, without realizing, he thought out loud.
"Do they think I am somehow related to the Kyuubi? Maybe it's the whisker marks. They do make me look a bit different. A bit… foxy… NO WAY. This is impossible. But, if Jiji knew, he would tell me, right?"
At this thought Naruto's breathing became erratic, as he was about to have a panic attack. He remembered the last time he went through a similar experience however and soon took control of his breathing. He slowed it down and tried to calm himself down as well. He succeeded, albeit only partially.
'Ok, well, I will just hide in here. Maybe the villagers will just forget about me. I'll keep the lights off too, so they won't get any ideas.' Having decided this he turned the lights off when evening came and went to bed…
Midnight. A door is busted open. A window is broken. 10 men, in their drunken stupor barge in to find their quarry. A young blond little beast startled from its sleep. One of the men snags the blanket and another grabs the little devil by his hair laughing in delirious extasy enjoying with an insane pleasure every single one of the demon's screams and pleadings for mercy. The other eight, like predators, wait for the signal to strike.
And then it starts. A punch, a kick, then more and more, and more until all that's left of the little critter is a mess of broken bones and blood all over. Nine of the ten walk away, enjoying the sweet taste of retribution against the demon that ruined their families. The tenth, a former shinobi, now retired because of an accident sustained on the night of the Kyuubi's attack stands behind, kunai in hand.
"You will die today, and it won't be pretty. I will make sure you die slowly and painfully."
With that, he plunged the kunai into the the little demon's belly, knowing that, while he didn't strike a vital spot, the boy will bleed to death, in a slow and painful way.
"Good riddance." The man said, spitting on the boy's face.
On his way out the man just dropped the kunai and made his way home to wash away the blood.
'Where am I?'
Those were the first thoughts that came to Naruto's mind as he woke up in a damp place, that looked a lot like a sewer. He looked down and noticed that his feet were ankle deep in water but he didn't feel wet.
'Huh, that's weird…' he thought. He then looked around and noticed that behind him there was nothing and in front there seemed to be a path. Deciding that he had nothing better to do, he started walking forward.
As he progressed, he felt a certain pressure coming from the other end, like there was a presence there, powerful and dominating. He was afraid for a moment and then his fear, just like so many times before, was cast aside and the only thing left was determination.
Step by step he made his way towards the presence. Soon enough he found himself in front of a tall golden cage with a tag in the middle that said "Seal".
'I guess reading really is useful' Naruto thought.
He tried to peak behind the bars of the cage but he saw only darkness.
"Is anybody there?" Naruto shouted, curious to see what was behind. He did not dare go past the bars. All his instincts told him that going in there would be a grave mistake.
After shouting his question, at first nothing happened. Then, something in the darkness started to shift. A large eye, easily the size of an adult male opened. Red iris with slit pupil. Then the presence rose, mighty and regal, with nine tails gracefully swaying behind it. To Naruto, the being looked like a big, dark orange fox with long rabbit-like ears. He also noticed the black fur extending from its eyes all the way to the tips of the ears. The entity looked down upon the child who, much to the being's surprise, had a look of wonder and no hint of fear.
With a booming voice, the being questioned "You are not afraid of me."
"Umm, Should I be?"
At this the being thrusted its front right paw forward, though it looked more like a human hand than an animal paw, with claws extended, aiming at the little boy outside the cage. Naruto, surprised and terrified, rushed back and stumbled, falling on his butt, breathing heavily.
"That will teach you to be afraid, boy."
After a few moments, Naruto calmed himself down. He noticed that, after that initial attack, the being did not move an inch, as if it was studying him. Steeling himself, Naruto decided to ask him, or it some questions.
"Do you want me to fear you, Kyuubi?"
"So, you know who I am."
"Well, it wasn't hard to guess. You look a lot like in the picture book that Jiji read to me from."
"So, I am in a picture book for human children. What an honor..." Responded the Kyuubi sarcastically.
"Umm… so is this a dream? I mean, you're supposed to be dead." Immediately, Naruto realized this was the wrong choice of words because at his question, the Kyuubi rose even taller and growled at him angrily.
"I am the greatest of the tailed beasts, boy! Do you really think I would be that easy to kill?! I cannot be killed! I am the mightiest of the nine! A force of nature beyond your comprehension!"
At his words the cage trembled and winds flew all around Naruto, putting even more pressure on him. He felt his knees shake in fear at the killing intent that the tailed beast exuded. After this rant, yet another moment of silence followed and Naruto felt like the Kyuubi was studying him, yet again.
"So, we are not in a dream and you really are the Kyuubi. Then where are we?"
"We are in what is called a mindscape. Would you like me to spell that for you?" asked the Kyuubi sarcastically.
Naruto somehow did not catch the Kyuubi's sarcasm and responded with an innocent grin on his face "Umm, that would actually be nice! I just learned how to read and write, so that would really help! I never heard of this word before!"
Naruto's response completely shattered the Kyuubi's mask of royal opulence. The tailed beast just stood there flabbergasted for a second, after which his booming laughter could be heard throughout the mindscape. Naruto didn't know what to make of the Kyuubi's reactions. One second he was dark and imposing and violent, and the next he was laughing like he heard the best joke in the world. This made Naruto think that the Kyuubi is laughing at his expense and it irritated him greatly.
Pointing angrily at the Kyuubi, Naruto asked "Hey, what are you laughing at? It's not funny!"
Calming down, the Kyuubi replied somewhat teasingly "Oh it IS funny. You are so CUTE when you don't get sarcasm." As he replied he made a gesture with his fingers showing how small the boy was.
"Wha-what is sarcasm? Stop using big words! I'm still a little boy!"
This made the Kyuubi laugh even harder, at which Naruto just crossed his arms and looked away with an irritated look on his face.
A few moments later, the Kyuubi's voice calmed down and Naruto felt as if the beast wanted his attention. He looked back at it, no Him, curious to hear what he had to say.
"I am afraid we have an urgent problem to fix."
"What urgent problem?"
"Oh, so you know what urgent means, eh?" The Kyuubi just could not pass the chance to tease his jailer.
"Stop making fun of me! Anyway, what's this problem?"
"You, or rather, we, are dying."
"Wait, what? What do you mean? And didn't you just say that you can't die?"
"I cannot die, but if you die, I will temporarily be destroyed and I don't know how long it will take me to reform. I don't want to take my chances…"
"So, that attack at my house, with the villagers… and the one that stabbed me at the end… "
"All true, unfortunately…"
Naruto's expression changed to one of grief and hopelessness. Sighing, he asked "So, what can we do? I guess you were the one that healed me all those times before, huh? No wonder people looked at me weird."
"Yes, I am the reason you heal so fast. And, for what it's worth, I am sorry for being the cause of your torment. I did not wish that upon you. Or anyone else for that matter."
This surprised Naruto. He never expected him to apologize for anything, to anyone. He quickly realized that he, just like him, was just another victim of things that were out of their control.
"I am sorry you are stuck here too… I kinda wish I lived more but, even if it takes you a while to regain your strength, maybe… maybe it's better that I died. At least that way you'll be free, right?"
The Kyuubi was stunned. Never in his thousands of years of existence did he expect a human to show him such an ultimate gesture of altruism. He could feel that Naruto's decision did not come from nihilism. No, the boy simply felt his sadness, his torment, and just wanted him to be well. He knew pain all too well and simply did not wish it upon another. As he explored the boy's true feelings, the Kyuubi couldn't help the smile that formed on his face as he thought 'Always thinking about the wellbeing of others before your own. Just like dad.' Having made up his mind, he leant forward, so he could be closer to Naruto's eye level (as much as he could anyway). Slowly, he extended a fist through the bars of the cage so as to not scare the boy who was, at this point, staring at him curiously, trying to decipher what was going on in the tailed beasts' mind.
"Neither of us will die today, Naruto. Bump your fist with mine. It will allow me to heal you faster. I won't be able to heal you completely, because the seal is too tight and you already lost a lot of blood, but it will allow you to survive the night and we will figure out the rest in the morning."
Naruto was now in a position similar to the Kyuubi's a moment ago. He looked at the great beast with wide eyes, peering deep into the soul of the magnificent creature standing before him. Having found no deception, he extended his own fist and said "Ok, Kyuubi-san. Let's do this."
The moment their fists connected, neither Naruto nor the Kyuubi could help the chuckle that escaped their throats, for in that moment, both their lives connected. From that day forward they could feel each other's heart and would share each other's burden.
"One more thing before you go. My name is Kurama."
At dawn, Natsumi was making her way back to her house. She had a particularly busy night, with the Kyuubi festival and all… The Kyuubi festival… Naruto's birthday. 'Oh no…'
Natsumi picked up the pace worrying about the little boy that lived next to her. Before she knew it, she was running through the streets desperate to make sure that Naruto was alright. When she arrived at the base of the complex, a feeling of dread overcame her. Instantly she knew something went horribly wrong. She ran with all haste up the stairs to the fourth floor where both she and Naruto resided and what she found there left a nauseating feeling in her stomach. The door to Naruto's apartment was blown off its hinges. The windows broken and in the middle of the flat lay an unconscious Naruto, in a pool of his own blood.
"Oh no. No, no this is not happening. You will NOT die today."
She quickly knelt down to inspect the boy for any life-threatening injuries. Looking him over, she noticed that he had a deep cut in his belly and realized that this is where all the blood must have come from. Miraculously though, the bleeding had stopped but Naruto was still hanging by just a thread. She tenderly picked him up and, with all the strength and speed she could muster, she took him to the hospital.
There she called for a medic. They soon picked him up and placed him in emergency care.
"Ma'am how did you come by him?"
"I live next door to him. I worked the night shift and when I came back, I found his house broken in and he was lying in his own blood, beaten and battered. I just hope he survives. Can I stay with him? He has no one else."
"Please wait outside while we perform the surgery. We will call when we are ready."
"Thank you."
Too many hours have passed before the doctors came out to greet her once more.
"How is he?"
"He will be fine. He lost quite a bit of blood so he will be out for a while. You can stay with him until he recovers if you wish, but I suspect he will be out for at least two days."
"Thank you."
Natsumi made her way into the boy's hospital room. There was a chair and a nightstand by his bed. She took a seat on the chair and gently took Naruto's hand in hers.
"I know you probably don't hear me and I know we haven't really talked much to one another, but I just want you to know that you are not alone. By the time I met you, I had almost given up hope, you know? And then you came, and your eyes had that same fire that used to drive me and, well, I guess it rekindled my fire as well. So, don't you dare give up now. Come back and see that your goals come true."
Having said her piece, she stood there in silence, looking at the monitors that indicated the boy's pulse. It was steady. He was stable. Looking closely at him she realized that he now had a peaceful smile on his face. 'I wonder if he heard me.'