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I don't own Naruto, but I do own the pencil stuck behind my ear. I also own this story, so NO STICKY FINGERS!

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The fox ran and ran, but the mindscape never vanished. He slowed to a walk and let out a furious howl. Kyuubi quieted down and made his way back to the site of sealing. The gate was wide open, and the five year old brat nowhere to be seen. "Must've been pulled out by one of the medics…" Kyuubi approached the gate cautiously. "He pulled the seal off…so WHY AM I STILL HERE??" Howled the furious fox. He paced back and forth. "Have I been too hasty? Is it possible that the seal was still too strong?" As he passed the open gate, the tiniest flutter of white caught his eye. Getting closer, Kyuubi could see the smallest scrap of seal still stuck on the busted opening. He rushed forward with a furious roar, intending to gnaw off every bit of paper from the gate until he was free. However, it was clear that the seal was not going to come off to the demon fox. No sooner had he opened his mouth to bite the seal than he was blasted backwards. He shook himself off with a snarl and sat down to think it over. He would have to try to convince the brat to remove that remainder of the seal. "Of course, I'll have to build up his trust again…I don't think I'll be getting out any time soon, blast it!" Kyuubi settled himself into a more comfortable position to wait for an opportunity to call the kid back to the mindscape.

Junko had finally managed to wake Naruto from his horrid nightmare. The chakra had receded back and he had been crying on her shoulder for the past five minutes, saying something about Kyuubi and the seal. She took his shoulders and looked the little boy straight in the eye. "Naruto…what happened? What about the fox?"

Naruto calmed down and looked at her. His eyes reminded Junko of a hunted animal. "Kyuubi…he said …'Take off the seal to wake up,' h-he told me that people would b-be nice to me if he was gone, and I-"

Junko paled. "You removed the seal?? What happened then?!?"

Naruto looked down. "He y-yelled at me and hit my shoulder and ran off…he s-said something about the mindscape going away…but when you woke me up, the mindscape was still there."

Junko looked a little puzzled. "So did the demon escape?"

Naruto hiccupped once and shook his head. "I can feel him. He's angry. He wants to talk to me again."

Junko rubbed her head, worried. "Do you want to talk to him? Are you afraid he's going to hurt you?"

Naruto gave a small grin. "He won't hurt me. He knows that I'm the only one who can free him now."

"What??" This was not the normal way a boy not even eligible to be in the academy yet should think. He was acting like a spiteful chunin or genin who could tell they had their enemy backed into a corner. Junko stared out the window, a thoughtful look on her face. "If you want to speak with Kyuubi, and he won't hurt you, I guess you can."

Naruto's smile faded. "But I can't just talk to him! I don't know how to get into the mindscape."

Junko smiled. "I'm sure you will figure it out. In the meantime, try to sleep. You're going to stay here until I'm sure that you are completely healthy!" She got up and walked across the room, pausing at the door to look back at him with a kind look before leaving.

Naruto flopped back onto his pillow. He was tired. He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on the mindscape. "If this dumb fox wants to talk, I'll let him talk."

"Hello, Naruto." Naruto opened his eyes to stare right into the gigantic foxes red orbs.

Naruto wasted no time. "You tricked me!! You idiot fox! You hit my shoulder and tried to escape!"

The fox lowered his head in mock regret. "Forgive me, boy, but I was excited to be free. I meant for no harm to come to you."

Naruto snorted disbelievingly. Kyuubi got up and walked over to the busted gate. "Listen, kit. There is a piece of the seal still on the gate. If you removed it—"

"Forget it, you jerk! I'm never setting you free!"

Kyuubi let out a disgusted snort. "Very well. I suppose you still think I intentionally hurt you."

Naruto glared at the fox. "I have a question for you. How do I get in and out of the mindscape without having to be knocked out?"

"How did you get in this time?" inquired the fox, amusement on his face.

"I just kinda…made myself go."

"Soon you'll be able to come here while awake. You just need to practice." Kyuubi found himself enjoying answering the child's question. Having observed the boy for five years, he knew just how undeserved the cruelty towards him was…he shook his head. What was he thinking? Why was he feeling…almost…pitiful for the small mortal? He looked around. The kit had decided to leave the mindscape. He lay down to think. He called the boy here initially to get him to remove the seal. Now, after a talk that lasted less than ten minutes, he found himself wanting to stick around out of curiosity as to how Naruto planned to live his life.

"Hey…Kyuubi?" The fox looked down, startled. Naruto had decided to stick around after all.

"What?"

"Can you tell me about when you attacked Konoha? Like, who killed your mate?"

The fox was taken aback that Naruto actually still believed that story. The truth was that he had been recruited by an Uchiha Madara to help destroy the village. Kyuubi hadn't needed much convincing, however. All of the tailed demons had a serious bone to pick with at least one of the great shinobi nations, although Kyuubi couldn't quite recall what exactly had put any of them, including himself, out with the villages in the first place. A thought occurred to the fox. "Why don't I try to turn this kid against the village? It could do nothing but benefit myself and the other nine bijuu if he were to assist us in destroying the villages." He thought back to the attack five years ago. Several of the ninja had been a lot of trouble to him. It would feel nice to turn a human against them as well. "There were a few of them…a Hatake Kakashi, also known as the Copy Ninja. He's in ANBU, but when he doesn't wear his mask he covers his left eye with his headband. Then I can't recall the names of the others…a woman with purple hair, and orange rectangles on her face…I believe she was the Copy-Nin's teammate."

Naruto looked away. "It's their fault you attacked, so that means it's their fault people are mean to me." When he looked at Kyuubi again, and this time there was fury in his eyes. "Kyuubi, I know why you want to escape, but I'm still not pulling the seal."

Kyuubi narrowed his eyes. "I understand, kit. I guess it would do no harm for me to train you while I am still here."

Naruto was taken aback. Be trained by the demon fox? The strongest of all the demons (or so he said)? He still wasn't sure he could trust this thing that had been, for the past weeks, tricking him. Still, it was not like he had to take up the offer right then and there. His earnest eyes searched Kyuubi's face for any of the wicked smile the fox had had when he tricked him. There was no smile, but…did Kyuubi look…almost kind? He rubbed his eyes disbelievingly, but the look was still there.

"I can see my prospect has shocked you, kit," The fox chuckled. "You see, for the past five years I've been thinking. I know you've had a rough time, and when I first met you I had no intention of becoming your…'friend'. But you're already starting to grow on me. You seem to have the power to cause every one to believe in you. Don't ask me how it works, kit, all I know is that now, looking at you…I feel compelled to be your…can you call it 'friend'?"

Naruto looked at him. This was not the Kyuubi that had tricked him into pulling the seal. This couldn't be! But looking at him…the fox seemed sincere. "Kyuubi…what's the first part of our training?"

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A/N—Heh…I honestly wasn't expecting to have this done the same day as chapter two…But I didn't have anything to do around the house, so…walah! XD

'But, Coriserai! There are only nine Bijuu! Why did Kyuubi say the other nine??'

Muufufufu…that, my friends, will have to wait until later!

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