Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto.

Chapter 3: Confrontation

As Naruto and The Hokage ran across Konaha one thought kept running through his mind 'MY APARTMENT IS A MESS.' The greatest ninja he knew was racing him to his apartment and he was worrying about this. Naruto pushed it from his mind and continued watching the Hokage's movements trying to figure out how the older man could jump even farther then he could, after 5 minutes of fruitless observation he decided to just try to beat the old guy there so the race was on.

A short time later Naruto jumped down onto the walkway outside his apartment and whooped he'd beaten the old man here, he was the greatest. "What took you so long?" Naruto spun around to see the Hokage leaning beside the door to his apartment. Walking over Naruto opened the door and stumbling around in the dark lit some candles. The old man looked at him with a questioning look.

"They cut my power off at night." he stated simply.

The old man looked angry for a second then took out a scroll and wrote something on it sticking it back into his pocket. Reaching into his other pocket he pulled out another scroll and lay it on the table. "After we sort through everything and decide what we are taking put it on top of this scroll." Naruto looked down at the scroll blankly but just shrugged and created 3 clones to help them sort everything. As he went into his room and started to put his orange jumpsuits on the table the Hokage stopped him. "Only keep the pants and the blue shirt you wear underneath you can use those when you train."

"What will I wear when I'm doing other stuff then?" Naruto asked as he happily threw the orange coats into the corner.

"Tomorrow you and I are going to work on getting through to the shopkeepers who have been tricking you for years, we can go shopping while we do that." The Hokage answered. A mischievous smile spread across Naruto's face when he heard this.

"We're gonna pull pranks on Konaha?" He said slyly. Sarutobi felt sweat running down him face at this, he could vividly remember some of Naruto's more outspoken pranks, Painting the Hokage Monument, stealing all the toilet paper in Konaha then the next day he unravelled it all and covered Konaha in toilet paper. H vividly remembered that one because before they could clear it all it had started to rain.

"I guess you could look at it like that, but I will be the one tricking the shopkeepers and you will be watching and pointing out people you remember being horrible to you." The Hokage said hastily.

"Okay," Naruto turned around with a smile still on his face and continued sorting trough his things. As they sorted Sarutobi would occasionally tell Naruto to throw essentials out when he saw the shape they were in.

"How do you expect to be a ninja with weapons like these Naruto?" Sarutobi said holding up a kunai with the tip snapped off."

"I can't afford new weapons so I have to scavenge and buy broken ones then try to fix them," Naruto said simply. Sarutobi growled angrily, old and broken weaponry was all donated to second hand Shinobi stores to be given out for free to people who could actually fix them. Sarutobi just collected up all of Naruto's weaponry and realizing that not even one of the items had probably ever been usable tossed them into the garbage pile.

An hour later they had a very small pile on top of the table and Naruto had started looking for a box to put all of it in. Sarutobi smiled and holding his hand above all of it slammed his palm against it saying, "Fuu!" With a puff of smoke everything disappeared into the scroll. Rolling up the scroll Sarutobi threw it to Naruto. "All of your stuff is in there hold your hand on top of the seal release some chakra into it and pull your hand up saying 'Kaihou.'" Naruto pocketed the scroll and stared at the Hokage in awe. "Naruto have you not seen something like that before?"

"Well, yes but only little things like a kunai or a shuriken, can you seal a lot of stuff in a scroll?" Naruto asked excitedly.

"Well the more you want to seal the more complex the seal must be, the simplest storage seal you can make would be able to carry about 20 kunai." Sarutobi said as they walked out the door. Naruto pulled the scroll out of his pocket as they made their way back to the Hokage Tower and surprised Sarutobi when he said.

"Does the seal have to be on a scroll?" Naruto asked as he pocketed it again.

"No but whatever you are making the scroll out of must have chakra imbued into it a and ink is the easiest and most common seal medium except maybe blood but those seals are usually very special and do a distinct job." The Hokage explained. Taking a risk he added, "You know your Father was a seal master, some of the things he did with seals still confound your researchers today." Naruto nearly fell into an alley they were jumping over when he said this but regained his balance.

"I'm still waiting for you to tell me who my parents were old man." As Naruto said this he felt like his heart was being sawed in two he had always hoped they were still alive and had often daydreamed about what a reunion with them would be like but now that dream would never come true.

"I have something back in the Tower for you that will explain everything, it is for you from your Mother and Father. Now you said that your monthly allowance was small so I am going to have my lawyers and accountants working to figure out how much you were losing out on as well as figure out how much the shopkeepers were tricking you out of okay but it will take a while." When the Old Man was finished he was practically growling and Naruto laughed at this.

"You don't have to you know." Naruto said when the laughter subsided.

"Yes I do, you deserve none of the treatment you have been through and this is only one small part of what is your due, it is also justice, a lot of people are going to pay for the crimes they have committed against you." The Hokage said as they jumped through the window back into his office. Sarutobi walked over to his desk and rang the bell. "the 4 ANBU agents walked in and reported that there tasks were complete leaving the reports and the scrolls on the desk they left the office.

Sarutobi picked up the scroll and handed it to Naruto, "Your Father gave that to me the night he died, I am going to take you to your room then come back here and go through all this paperwork. I will talk to you about what is in the scroll tomorrow morning okay." The old man came around and putting a arm around his shoulders walked him to his room down the hall then left.

Naruto stared at the scroll in his hands then sat down on the bed in the room to the left and taking a deep breath opened it up to find a letter from his father.

Dear Naruto, if you are reading this then it means both your mother and I died sealing the Kyubi into tonight. Or we are reading this laughing our heads off at the fact that the infallible 4th Hokage thought he would fail to defeat some silly demonic fox. Not very funny I know but all humour aside I do not know how much you know or how old you are but I am your father and my name is Minato Namikaze Yondaime Hokage of the Hidden Leaf. I do not know if you hate me for what I may be forced to do to you tonight but, I cannot ask any other person to make this sacrifice. If we are indeed dead then you will be without my protection and I will not be able to keep you safe from my enemies. This scroll is very special your mother and I have spent 9 months making it for you intending to give it to you on your 6th birthday so that you would have the choice of being a ninja or not, (Your mother wanted to get you a chefs hat so you would have options.) This scroll has everything you will need to become the best ninja you can be it has books written by your mother an I combining our knowledge to create the best collection of our clans techniques so that nothing would be lost. Inside are books solely written on Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, Fuinjutsu and Kinjutsu, and Kenjutsu. It contains training tools and training schedules and also the key to the Namikaze compound so that you will have somewhere nice to live. I have also included two of my special kunai and all of my research into the Hiraishin no Jutsu inside in case you find my technique useful. Well your mother is beating me over the head so that she can have her turn at this scroll so this is goodbye for now but know this a part of us will always be with you.

Dear Naruto, since your Dad already explained everything I'm just going to get to the point. I am your mother Kushina Uzimaki, and the first thing I must tell you is that We love you with all our hearts. I do not know how you are feeling as you read this but know this we gave our lives to give you life, and though I hope you never are faced into a situation like ours I hope that you can one day find someone you are willing to do the same for. If you feel like we abandoned you I know there is nothing I can say except that I love you very very much and wish I could be there to hug you and tell you how wrong you are. This village is a very special place and many have given their lives to protect it and though it may mean leaving you behind we must do the same so that you will have a place to grow up in. None of what has happened or will happen is your fault and if you do not believe that then I hope that one day you will. Now down to business I have also made my contribution to this package, inside you will find enough food stored to feed you for a month while you follow the training schedule we have created for you, I felt that you should be given then chance to say that you miss your mother's cooking if the worst should happen. I have also included my families swords that Minato has actually altered to use with his Hiraishin no Jutsu in battle you can cover the seals up if you do not wish to use his jutsu but they will server you as well as they served me. I have to go now the Kyubi will be here in a few short hours and we need to give this to your godfather Jiraiya so that he can give it to you when you are ready to receive it, We love you very much.

Minato Namekaze and Kushina Uzimaki Konaha's Yellow Flash and Red Hot-Blooded Habanero.

Naruto stared down at the tear stains covering the scroll in his hands as he added new ones to them. Before rolling it up he noticed the seals along the bottom of the scroll and resolved to check them out in the morning. He placed it on the table beside the bed and lay down trying to process how much everything had changed over the last two days but was so exhausted that he fell asleep almost immediately.

A few moments later he opened is eyes and realized something was wrong, he was no longer in the room. Looking around he realized he was in some kind of broken down sewage plant. Looking around he finally became aware of a huge cage that completely dominated the wall in front of him. Naruto moved closer to it and realized the entire cage/wall was actually a door being held shut by a piece of paper at eyes level that had the word seal on it, he could see that a seal was radiating out from the designs around the word that continued off the paper and covered every since bar of the door. Looking at the paper he realized with a cold flash where he was, looking up he glared defiantly at the darkness beyond the bars, "I know your there Nine Tails, and I know you probably want to rip out my guts or something but I want to ask you something. As Naruto stood there watching two burning eyes appeared each easily as large as him, as he watched fire rushed from those eyes forming the 9 Tailed Fox.

As he moved closer to the bars Naruto realized he could feel the fox moving around in the cage, could feel the swish of tails through the air, the feet stomping through leaking water, the head that had to duck to avoid the ceiling. Finally the fox lowered its head down to his level and stared at him. "WHAT DO YOU WANT KIT." the fox rumbled.

"Why, why did you have to kill them?" Tears fell anew down Naruto's cheeks as every dream of seeing them again burned away in his mind, strangely the water in his mind seemed to grow deeper and the little light available dimmed.

"DO YOU THINK I CHOSE TO DO IT, FIRE COUNTRY IS MY DOMAIN I MADE MY DEN HERE YOU WERE ALL UNDER MY PROTECTION. I WAS FORCED TO DESTROY YOU." The fox said unhappily.

Naruto stared up at the fox in shock, with the sense that seemed to allow him to sense everything in this place he could tell the fix was telling the truth. "Who forced you?" Naruto asked amazed that anyone could control the behemoth in the cage.

"THAT ACCURSED ANCESTOR OF YOUR RIVAL, MADARA UCHIHA TOOK CONTROL OF MY MIND TO KILL THE WOOD USER AND DESTROY HIS VILLAGE BUT MADARA FAILED. NEARLY 70 YEARS LATER HE RETURNED AND CAUGHT ME AGAIN BUT YOUR FATHER STOPPED HIM AND RIPPING MY ESSENCE IN HALF, HE AND YOUR MOTHER THEN SEALED MY SEALED MY YANG ENERGY IN YOU AND TOOK MY YIN ENERGY WITH THEM INTO THE BELLY OF A DEATH GOD." The fox sounded actually sounded like he respected his parents as he talked about them.

"It just occurred to me but why are you not ripping me in half right now?" Naruto asked not scared at all but still curious."

"THIS SEAL ON THE GATED HAS TWO FOCUSES, THE PAPER LIMITS MY ABILITY TO CONTROL MY CHAKRA OR AFFECT YOUR BODY, IT ALSO REGULATES THE AMOUNT OF MY CHAKRA THAT MIXES WITH YOURS. THE KEY UNDERNEATH IT KEEPS ME CAGED AND STOPS ME FROM COMPLETELY POSSESSING YOU. BUT I DON'T THINK YOU HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT." The fox said thoughtfully, he looked down at Naruto and happiness seemed to radiate from every hair on his body.

"Why do you look so happy and why do you say I don't have to worry about you possessing me." Naruto asked curiosity burning in his voice.

"I HAVE BEEN IN HERE FOR 13 YEARS KIT THOUGH I EXPERIANCE EVERYTHING YOU EXPERIANCE IT IS NOT THE SAME AS FINALLY HAVING SOMEONE TO TALK TO, PLUS YOU TREAT ME NOT AS A MONSTER BUT AS A EQUAL. YOU ARE NOT COWERING IN FEAR YOU STAND THERE STRAIGHT AND PROUD. PLUS I HAVE SEEN YOUR PRANKS AND THE FOX IN ME LOVED THEM, SPECIALLY WHEN YOU TEEPEED THE ENTIRE VILLAGE." Naruto and 9 Tails laughed at this and all the stress drained from Naruto as he once again felt the truth in the fox.

"So what did you mean by that seal limits your ability to affect my body, you sound like you have experimented already." The fox suddenly looked away shifting on his feet.

The fox deflected his question before answering, "DO YOU KNOW WHY WE TAILED BEASTS ARE SEEN AS NOTHING MORE THEN BEASTS, WHEN WE ARE HOSTLESS WE ARE GO MADE WE ARE MADE OF PURE CHAKRA AND IT IS AGONY TO EXIST LIKE THAT. I HAVE AFFECTED YOUR BODY Naruto, I HAVE WORKED VERY HARD TO TRY AND KEEP US ALIVE." As he said this He held his hand up an opened it revealing a golden ball of energy in his fist.

"What is that." The fox looked at him sadly as he said this.

"THIS IS ABOUT 3 YEARS WORTH OF YOUR LIFE ENERGY, I HAVE SPENT 13 YEARS SIPHONING THIS FROM YOUR BODY TO MAKE YOU SMALLER DUMBER AND SLOWER THEN EVERYNONE AROUND YOU, I HPED TO MAKE YOU LESS OF A THREAT TO THOSE AROUND YOU BY DOING THIS BUT I FAILED AND WHEN I TRIED TO RETURN IT THE SEAL STOPPED ME IT SEEMED TO THINK I WAS TRYING TO INJECT MY CHAKRA INTO YOU." Naruto could only stare in shock as he beheld his own life energy. Then a calculating look appeared in his eye.

"You said that you will never seek to possess my body?" Naruto asked carefully.

"YES AND NO, I WILL NEVER DO SO WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION, WHICH DOESN'T MATTER ANYWAYS SINCE I DO NOT HAVE THAT MUCH CONTROL, WHY DO YOU ASK?" The Kyubi looked down at Naruto curiosity now burning in his voice.

Naruto worded his next question very carefully, "How else could you affect my body if the seal was gone?"

The Kyubi's ears perked up. "I COULD RETURN YOUR LIFE ENERGY TO YOU AND ALSO INCREASE ALL YOUR SENSES TO RIVAL A NINJA DOG'S I COULD GIVE YOU ACCESS TO ALL MY CHAKRA THOUGH YOUR BODY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO HANDLE THAT KIND OF POWER FOR A FEW YEARS THOUGH IF I KEPT A SLOW CYCLE OF IT RUNNING THROUGH YOUR BODY YOU WOULD ADAPT FASTER I SUPPOSE. I COULD ALSO MADE YOIU HARDER TO KILL BY MAKING YOUR BONES HARDER. I COULD DISPELL GENJUTSU CAST ON YOU AND HELP YOU CAST NINJUTSU SO POWERFUL YOU COULD TAKE OUT A KAGE, I CAN COMPLETELY WITHDRAW MY POWER TO INCREASE YOUR ABILITY TO CONTROL YOUR CHAKRA." Naruto's ears visibly perked up at this and he inched closer to the seal.

"So you would rather stay here then free yourself from my body?" Naruto asked skeptically disbelief colouring his voice.

"THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY FOR ME TO EXIST IN THE MATERIAL WORLD WITHOUT SUCCUMBING TO THE INSANITY BUT THAT WAY WILL NEVER BE OPEN TO ME IT WAS LOST LONG AGO." The Kyubi said sadly.

Naruto walked up to the seal and looked at it hard before making a decision "I'll make a deal with you, I will remove this seal but you must swear to help me protect anyone I deem worth protecting, you must lend me your power or contain it within your self when I say to and with your help I will figure out someway to return the rest of your essence to you.

"YES I SWEAR IT, I SWEAR ON GOD HIMSELF THAT I WILL NEVER BETRAY YOU!"

The Kyubi screamed this in joy and as Naruto felt truth ring out throughout the world that he had come to understand was his mind he ripped the seal off of the door. When he did this the ball in the Kyubi's hand flared and started to slowly dim.

"IT IS DONE I AM BOUND NO LONGER, BY THE TIME YOU RETURN TO YOUR SCHOOL AS A GRADUATE ALL OF YOUR LIFE ENERGY WILL BE RETURNED TO YOU, BUT KIT UNDERSTAND RETURNING 3 YEARS OF LIFE ENERGY IN ONE MONTH IS GOING TO HURT." The Kyubi cautioned.

Naruto shad started to walk away preparing to leave his own mind but stopped and looked at the Kyubi with eyes that could freeze the underworld. "And understand this if you ever double cross me, I will throw you down and crush you with my bare hands." With that Naruto faded away and was soon sleeping quietly.

The Kyubi chuckled, "I BELIEVE YOU KIT, STRANGE AS IT IS I BELIEVE YOU."

Poll on my profile important for next chapter.

Thanks for reviews, the scroll/lettr from parents was fing hard to start and the kyubi conversation went as planned my kyubi is not a evil sadistic bastard, so accept that and move on.