WARNING: I can finally say that this chapter contains smut and yaoi!!! Happy!!! I feel I must note that if the smut was not written by me but by Cassandra Incognito so if you like the smut please show your appreciation by going and reading some of her stories.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Naruto, I don't own Kyuubi, I don't own the smut for this chapter, and I still don't own penguin.

NOTE OF THANKS: This story was only made it here because of my beta kawaiicrimsonkitsune, so if enjoy reading this chapter I suggest you to her page for some good stories. Also, because I can't thank her enough, Cassandra Incognito wrote the smut for this chapter and I am in her debt, so go and read her stories. Everyone loves reviews so leave these wonderful people one or two!

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Trust. It's such a simple word to describe something so complex. I want him to trust me!

Trust. I can say the word, but I long to know the feeling, I want to have the feeling returned. I know him so well, and yet he is as strange as a word spoken in a foreign tongue. Am I such a familiar stranger to him as well? If that is so then how can I expect him to trust me? He asked to be left in peace, so he could think. For the time being I will respect his wish, but I have spent too long in such distant closeness that my restrain wouldn't last for long.

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Calm water pooled by the smoothed rocks to the side of the river. It lazily lapped at Naruto's tan bare feet. His head was pillowed by a bed of soft green grass and his eyes gazed unseeing up at the cottony clouds that were strewn across the sky like the remnants of a child's art project. The soft breeze ruffled his hair like a mother's caring hands.

"Perhaps Kuro, no, Kyuubi isn't as bad as I thought. I mean he did lie to me, but at least he told me. He decided to be honest, and he has always been there for me. He saved me more then once. Perhaps I should give him another chance" The genin thought to himself.

Unbeknown to the blond the same breeze that played so lovingly across his face had blown his scent deep within the dark forest and had attracted with its sweet breath a less benevolent occupant of the ancient trees.

From the shadow of the forest's edge something watched its distracted prey and its eyes gleaming with reflected light. On velveteen paws it crept towards the young man whose mind danced with a far away song. The predators muscles rippled beneath its silky midnight coat, a soft growl escaped its drawn lips. Even the low rumble failed to alert the target of his impending doom.

Whether by luck or simply because fate wasn't done with him yet, Naruto's clear blue eyes snapped into focus. His trained senses alerted him to the presence of his ill intended guest. His body tensed and he sprang to his feet in preparation to fight. His response came too late. The deadly visitor lunged towards the terrified nin.

The blond cried out as the razor-like claws tore across his stomach in a swipe that would have gutted him if he hadn't jumped back. His hand instinctively moved to press his bleeding wound, but despite the pressure his blood slipped through his figures adding a pale red stain to the gentle river.

Kuro who sat on a sun bathed rock not far down stream watched in
fascination the playful swirls of red that mingled and danced with the water. But fascination turned to horror as the uniquely metallic scent of blood rose from the
water. Kuro's dark eyes grew wide. His stomach curled in a giant knot as a growl emanated deep within his throat. He knew this scent, and it belonged to a certain blond shinobi that he cherished above all others, his Naruto.

Kuro's form flickered upstream, his passing all but untraceable. Not far beyond the bend in the river he found the source of the rivers red vein. Hands pressed over his stomach, with a freely bleeding wound on his arm, Naruto knelt in the shallows on the far side of the river. It was then that Kuro saw the attacker.

The giant feline crouched with predatory grace on the bank of the river. His orb-like eyes held the whimpering Naruto captive and a hungry snarl tore from the huge cat's mouth. Kuro felt rage consume his entire being. The wounded blond belonged to him and him alone. His shape rippled becoming more fox-like and less human.

As he lunged only traces of the man called Kuro remained. It was Kyuubi that knocked the panther to the ground. It was Kyuubi whose claws were stained the deepest of reds as he ripped out the throat of the great beast beneath him spilling the ruby red blood onto the emerald grass, the very life force draining from his foe. But it was Kuro turned and walked across the river towards his injured mate.

The blond looked up, his face pale with blood lose, and fainted. Kuro dove forward catching Naruto in his already blood soaked arms. Gently the man laid him on the grass beside the river. The younger ninja's breathing was shallow and caught with each painful breathe inhaled.

Carefully Kuro placed his hands over the blond's lithe form, an eerie green glow flickering over his fingers. His body remained perfectly still as his graceful hands danced up and down Naruto's injured form. Slowly the ninja's flesh began to knit back together, leaving only the lightest pink lines where once life threatening gashes had once lain. The blonds' breathing became rhythmic and deep as he slipped into a light slumber. Kuro smiled and laid down beside Naruto, wrapping him in his arms heedless of the blood that caked both his own form and that of the softly whimpering figure of the blond he held.

As Naruto slipped back into consciousness the first thing he noticed was that the deep wounds that had caused him to black out were mended and the next was the savory smell of cooking meat that hung in the air. He sat up and looked around to discover a warm fire with a black pot neatly suspended over it. Apparently Kuro had managed to find some dry firewood. Across the serene river knelt Kuro, knife in hand, scraping at something. Naruto shuddered as he remembered the demon that had burst from the seemly harmless husk that was Kuro's body. As if called by Naruto's thoughts the man across the way lifted his eyes to meet his small lovers.

"You're awake, good. The food is almost ready." Kuro stated. Naruto nodded and suppressed a shudder as he again remember how Kuro had become Kyuubi, but this time the memory caused Naruto to feel something unexpected. It caused him to feel safe. He watched silently as his protector walked across the river, careful not to let his feet dip below the surface, and moved to stir the contents of the pot.

"What is it?" Naruto questioned, strolling over to observe the stewing pot.

"Panther." Kuro stated a grin playing across his lips. Naruto look aghast and Kuro raised a delicate eyebrow at him.

"Wouldn't you rather eat mission food?" The blond asked, warily observing the bubbling mixture in the pot.

The wrinkling of Kuro's nose said quite plainly what he thought of the idea. Remembering the tasteless so-called food that Konoha provide for the mission, Naruto found he had to agree. Still Naruto had to hold back a slight chuckle observing the amusing expression Kuro had on his face. With a sigh the blond sat down.

'Perhaps eating what would have been my killer isn't so bad. In fact I believe it holds a bit of poetic justice.' The blond thought to himself as he cautiously dipped his spoon into the stew. Letting out a surprised squeal and moan Naruto licked his lips. The warm soup was surprisingly good, true it was no ramen, but it was certainly better then that nutrient packed stuff that both he and Kuro had stashed in their packs.

A quick glance around the camp sight revealed that Kuro had moved both sets of packs upstream, but the fact that only the cooking gear was unpacked suggested that Kuro didn't intended to stay the night here.

"We're moving?" The younger-nin asked in-between spoonfuls. Kuro nodded and gestured to the thing he'd been working on that still lay across the river.

"The smell of food will bring more predators, we will move so that we don't
become the prey again." Even as he said we Naruto knew that Kuro wasn't talking about himself. The redhead had been anything but the prey in the earlier encounter.

"What were you working on?" The blond asked gesturing across the river.

"I was preparing the skin to be sent to a tanner's to be finished and turned into a throw or a rug. Or perhaps a fur lined cloak. Whatever you prefer." Kuro shrugged as if it made little difference to him.

"I prefer that it is left here to rot." Naruto said indignantly.

"If that is what you wish, but it would be a waste. The panther had a lovely coat." Kuro shrugged and Naruto glared at the offending fur as if it had personally affronted him. Despite his previous complaint Naruto made no comment when, after dinner had been cleared, Kuro carefully folded the skin and took it with them. The pair made their way silently down the river past the rock that they had laid on till they came to clearing, not unlike the one they had just left. As night fell it promised to be bitterly cold again despite the warmth of the day.

As Kuro laid out the one set of blankets Naruto decided that the wind was even colder down by the water.

"Do we have enough wood for a fire?" The blond asked shivering as the cold began to seep beneath his clothes.

"And draw more animals? I don't fancy finding out how big moths grow in this forest." Kuro said, his voice serious, as he didn't even take the effort to look up. The image of giant bloodthirsty moths brought Naruto to Kuro's side.

"But I'm cold!" The blond whined as he pressed against the man's warmth. His innocent blue eyes giving a pleading stare at Kuro.

"You don't need a fire to keep warm Naruto. I thought you would have learned that little fact by now." The fox said with a grin. - - - - - - WARNING!!! BEGINNING OF YAOI HOT SMUTTINESS!!!!- - - - -

The blond let out a small "epp" of surprise as he felt a hand shift behind his back and pull him closer into the intoxicating warmth of the invigorating redhead.

"Or do I need to teach you again?" A large blush stained the cheeks of the shivering genin.

"I've learned that! Kyu, but I wouldn't't mind a little reminder." Naruto admitted, hiding his face into the crook of the Kuro's body.

"Kyu?"

"Yeah. I figured I should call you by your actual name now. Since well… you know, since I found out." A large smile spread across the redhead's cheeks.

"So you're ok with me being the demon that inhabited your body since you were born?"

"No! Not yet. But I'm learning. You have yet to lie to me Kyu, and you've saved me numerous times, and I'm beginning to see the reasoning behind your attack on the village. I forgive you, but I don't trust you." Naruto said making eye contact with the man he once considered to be a monster, a beast.

A thoughtful look crossed the redhead's face. He gave a slight smile, moving down to capture the pink lips of the blond he had come to adore.

"That's enough, for now." He whispered breathy, pressing his firm lips against the soft plump ones before him.

Naruto cautiously returned the man's affections, moving nervously against the man holding him. His hands, grasping the material of his shirt as he let out a high-pitched squeal. A wandering hand had moved down to caress his bottom, pinching one of the taunt cheeks, causing the blond to squeak in protest. Jumping at his chance the redhead thrust his tongue forward, capturing the genin's with ease.

The blond moaned into the kiss, inciting a low growl from the throat of the older man. Kuro explored the mouth of the mewling nin, caressing the soft organ with his own hot appendage. The older nin slowly allowed his hand to drift up the back of the shuddering teen. Cautiously he lifted the young mans shirt and raised it over his lithe arms, meeting no resistance.

Breaking from the kiss Kyuubi looked up to greet the most beautiful cerulean eyes he had ever had the privilege to gaze upon. The blond's lids were half open, dark eyelashes fluttered gracefully as he met the lust filled gaze of his Naruto.

"Na-ru-to-kun," Kyuubi drawled out, the words dripping from his lips.

"Y-yes, Kyu?" Naruto all but whimpered.

"You said you wanted a little reminder right?" Kyuubi smirked; as his hand drifted down to caress the slowly forming buldge in the orange pants the blond had adorning his hot little body.

Naruto slowly thought back to the first night he had spent with the man he called Kuro in the forest. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Cold?" Kuro asked, a slight smirk playing on his lips.

"Aren't you? It's freezing!" Naruto cried and a blast of wind tore through the trees to prove his point. Kuro allowed his grin to widen, revealing fanged white teeth to the now dark night. In a single fluid movement he shifted his body closer to his frozen companion.

"There are other ways to keep warm." His voice so low it could barely be heard above the howling wind. The implication however, was not lost to the younger ninja, who was practically curled in his arms. Naruto froze, his mind whirling out of control as lewd images danced through it. His pink tongue flickered out to dampen his dry lips, causing Kuro to think of other lovely things that tongue could be doing, but more of that later, he had to let the little blond come to him willingly first.

"L-like what?" Naruto's voice shook as he tried to play innocent.

Kuro's leer was masked by the night's dark veil and he seemed to have abandoned words as his soft mouth covered Naruto's. The younger man froze but made no sign of disprovle as Kuro's warm body moved to press the frozen nin to the ground. He broke his kiss and look down at the ninja straddling his waist.

"Like this." A soft mouth went to work, as a hot tongue descended down Naruto's cold smooth cheek. One of his long hands traced the outline of the blond's's form through his bulky clothes, while his other hand roughly pulled the zipper on the jacket down. Both hands worked together to shove the bothersome article free from the body.

At first Naruto was still, unsure of how to respond, but soon he found his own hands stripping the clothes off the redhead's burning body and pulling the older man down on top of him. He was whimpering desperately for Kuro's warmth or for Kuro himself, Naruto wasn't even sure at the moment what he wanted. All he knew was that he couldn't get enough of the intoxicating heat curling around his frame.

The red head lowered his hands from tweaking the pink nipples on his
delicious blond's chest down to knead the taunt cheeks of Naruto's ass. Earning him a delightful mewl in response. His devilish tongue snaked forward to taste the soft skin at the junction of the neck of his tempting blond pet. Creating a slick trail from collarbone to jaw, descending down to capture a pink bud. Naruto thrust his hips upward, causing wonderful friction between himself and the man above him.

Both let out a gasp as Naruto continued to roll his hips. Tears of passion as lust sprung from the blond's deep blue eyes as he felt a delicious heat uncoiling in his stomach. He felt the pressure on his body dissipate as the older nin shifted his body off the panting blond.

"Kuro?" He asked, completely dazed and confused.

"Shh, I'm going to warm you up quite nicely." The man said, placing a finger to the plump lips of his new pet.

Unzipping the blonds' pants, he lowered them off of the tan hips in front of him. Tugging the boxers to the ground he grabbed Naruto's erect member, dipping his thumb into the slit of the tip. Naruto managed a groan in acknowledgment, as his hands lowered to work on the man before him. Slipping his fingers into the fold of the pants, slowly tugging the offending material down to the man's knees. He let his hand slip into the older mans pants, hesitantly grabbing hold of the member. Naruto began to caress the sides, allowing his thumb to press forward and massage the slit of the opening, just like the redhead had done for him. He began moving his fingers back and forth to pump the member. Kuro let out an appreciative moan, and began to pump the blond teen faster in thanks.

The two continued their ministrations as Naruto felt himself reaching a
precipice. He wasn't sure what this feeling he was experiencing was. He had never felt this way before, and not even when he had explored his own body did he ever have a feeling quite this intense.

"Kuro! I'm going to-" the words in his mouth were stopped by a swipe of a hungry tongue against his lips. Opening his mouth he allowed the tongue to continue its exploration. Naruto was so incredibly close, just a little more.

The blond screamed calling out into the night, as Kuro followed him into completion. The echoes of their moans drifting off into the night.

Later Naruto curled into the warm arms surrounding his body, hearing a husky whisper of 'are you warm now?' and a hot breath on his ear as he drifted off into a comfortable sleep.
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A blush flushed across Naruto's cheeks as he remembered the hot night, and the safety of the arms around him. A brush of a hand across his crotch sent a moan out of his thoroughly molested lips.

"Ah! Yes! Kyu." The blond said, his body shuddering with want.

"How about I teach you a little something new then, my pet?" Moving to unzip the young mans pants; he pushed the material past tan thighs, kissing the skin revealed. Whimpering with lust the genin shook with pleasure. Tugging the last of the material covering the teen's body, Kyuubi's head descended to lap at his prize.

Naruto let out a squeal of surprise, which melded with a low moan, finally dissolving into whimpers, as he felt the most intense increase in pressure and a coiling of heat spread through his belly, uncurling slowing, and sending wave after wave of pleasure coursing through his body. The teen knew he was coming close.

"Kyu!" Naruto yelled as he came into the red head's mouth. The fox raised his head, licking his lips.

"You taste delicious pet." He said with a smirk. Naruto felt a light blush flutter across his cheeks. He looked absolutely molestable, with his lips rouged from the gentle bites Kyuubi had left, his eye's half lidded with ecstasy, and a light pink shade tinting his cheeks.

Leaning forward, Kyu whispered into the blond's ear.

"Your turn, chibi."

Turning a shade usually reserved for cooked lobsters Naruto slowly nodded, his hands fumbling to remove the demon's pants. Stopping the bumbling hands, Kyuubi removed his pants himself, pushing the offending material off of his body. Gently he cupped the blond's chin in his hands, his mouth molding into the soft ones before him. Naruto pulled away slightly, before lowering his head to reach about waist level. Looking up with bright cerulean eyes, he cautiously licked the tip of the throbbing appendage. Causing a low growl to emanate from Kuro's mouth, as he closed his eyes briefly.

"Dammit brat. Continue before I make you, and… Oh Kami!" Kuro exclaimed. Looking down he saw the most delightful sight. In between his legs a tuft of blond hair emerged, slowly bobbing up and down hesitantly. A light grip on the teen's hair proved to egg him on, as he continued his ministrations.

"Naruto, look at me." Kuro demanded in a soft voice.

The teen raised his eyes to make contact with the man in front of him, still licking and bobbing his head.

'Gods, I'm not going to last very long with that hot little mouth on me.' Kyuubi tensed before releasing a steady stream into the awaiting mouth on him. A small excess dripped out of the corner of the blonds' mouth, causing the man to shudder in delight. Reaching down he delved into the genin's mouth, enjoying his taste mixed in with the tantalizing mixture that made up Naruto.

The blond sighed into the kiss, finding himself safe and complete in the arms of his once inhabitant, now lover. Cuddling closer to the warmth the man provided Naruto shifted his head under the chin of the man and began to slowly drift off into sleep, not even waking when he was shifted up in a tree, and lowered into a sleeping bag, with a hot body following. He barely even stirred as a pale arm snaked around his waist to pull him closer.

Smiling at the serene blond, Kuro tucked a stray blond hair out of the teens face, and lightly placed a kiss on his forehead, before he pulled the blond closer and he himself drifted off into sleep.

AN: More thanks to my beta and a smut writer!!! This chapter is up only because of them, so they deserve much more then a one mention. My new power cord is here and I this make me happy because now I don't have to share a computer!!! I hope you like this chapter; the next chapter will be up next weekend!

PLEASE READ:

I need help with the ending of this story. You have three endings to choose form. The first is you're typical happily ever after. The second involves the question of how long a mortal can entertain a demon, and doesn't end on terribly happy note. The third involves Itachi and the Akatsuki, and things never end happily if they are involved. So now you vote!

For the Happy Ending vote: T

For the Bored Demon vote: L

For the Akatsuki: M

You have one week to vote so hurry fast! Oh and a note of the number of votes, one per account unless you inform me of that you are sharing an account then its one vote per person. If you vote twice I'll just count the first vote and not the second. Thanks for your help.

-Morana