AN: Alas, Naruto is still not for sale, so I cannot buy it... And I may not be updating quite as often now, because I am getting a certain game (Oblivion, if anyone cares), and I will be spending a lot of time playing that. Fear not, for I shall not abandon this story. I hate it when authors begin great stories and then slow the updates to a crawl and then quit, so I shall not inflict that pain on any of you. I am rather absent-minded, so if I don't post for more than a week, send me a message or something. It's possible that I may have forgotten to post or (Heaven forbid) write the next chapter, and feedback is the sole reason I write this, as I make absolutely no money off of it. Also, if the dialogue in this chapter sounds weird, it's because I find it difficult to fit things I want coming up later in the story without setting them up through dialogue, but Kyuubi is hard to write for, and I had to go back and rewrite some of this because I forgot to make Naruto depressed (Yes, I am that forgetful). Enjoy! -demonicnargles
"Speech"
thought / talking in mind
"Demon speech"
Demon thought / talking in mind
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Kyuubi jumped from tree to tree, heading back to his normal training area. Although team 7 had passed the test, Kyuubi could tell that Kakashi had been holding back. The only technique the jounin had used was whatever had buried Sasuke. Other than that, Kakashi had only used taijutsu. I need to get stronger. I need to be able to defend myself against these humans, because if I am ever found out...
He arrived at the training area, stopping in front of the posts that seemed to be in every area. And I still need to buy those weights, and that clothing. But no one will sell to me. I need to find a way. Kyuubi began sprinting to the east edge of the field. If he couldn't use weights yet, then he would just have to run faster.
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Naruto opened his eyes. It was dark, but he could faintly see the outlines of a hallway lined with doors. Naruto stood up, wiping off the muck that had been on the floor. Just great. Where am I? Naruto looked around. He didn't recognize this place, though it seemed strangely familiar. Then he noticed a light up ahead. Or, rather, a dim orange glow. Is there a fire in here? I don't smell anything... Naruto walked towards the light, which came from around the corner at one end of the hall. The other end was so far away as to be out of sight in this darkness. Naruto pressed himself against the wall and looked around the corner.
There was a huge room, which was mostly filled by an almost equally large cage. Inside the cage, Naruto saw a large, glowing figure. He had only seen a painting of it once, in an old history book. He had looked in the book a long time ago, when he was still an obnoxious kid. He only looked because it was in the 'forbidden' part of the library. The caption of the picture had read, 'Kyuubi no kitsune.'
Naruto stared at the giant nine-tailed fox. It seemed to be occupied with something. It stared towards the ceiling, almost like it was looking past it. A long trail of chakra reached out of the cage and around another corner. Naruto stepped out into the open. The fox didn't react. Naruto followed the chakra around the corner. The chakra ended at a large chair, where it gathered in the seat.
Naruto walked back to the room with the cage. The fox hadn't moved at all. Naruto looked at the ceiling. There was nothing on it. He looked back at the fox. It was still staring intently at the ceiling, completely ignoring him. Or maybe it just didn't notice him. Naruto looked back up. He tried to focus past the ceiling. He felt a strange sensation, like he was expanding beyond the walls of the place.
The room vanished.
He saw trees rushing past him. He saw his hands pump at his sides, and heard his ragged breathing. But he felt nothing. He wasn't trying to run. He tried to look down at his body, but his head wouldn't move. His body kept running until it reached a large tree. His hand reached out and touched the tree, and then his body turned and began running the other way. He could tell from the sound of his breathing that he should be dead tired. But he didn't feel tired. He could tell when he saw the tree's move that he should feel a breeze. But he didn't. It was like something else was controlling his body.
He tried to pull back into the place he had been before, and he felt a strange constriction, like he was being pushed into a box too small to fit him. Suddenly he was back in the giant room with the cage. He looked at the fox demon, Kyuubi. It still stared at the ceiling with the same intensity. Kyuubi is controlling the body. But if I'm not in my body, where am I?
Naruto looked past the ceiling again. His body was still running. What was he to do? He didn't mind watching life this way. In fact, it might be preferable to actually living it. If something or someone showed up, and he didn't want to listen to their hurtful remarks, he could go back to the strange room. This is going to be really boring if all Kyuubi, at least, I think it's Kyuubi, does is run. Trees continued to rush by him. Naruto sighed. At least, he sighed as much as you can when you don't have a body, anyway.
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Kyuubi spun around, drawing a kunai. Someone was here. Watching him. He had heard their breathing, but for some reason, he couldn't tell where it had come from. He sniffed the air. Nothing. He listened intently. Nothing. He couldn't sense anything, even with his enhanced senses. But a skilled ninja might be able to hide the signs of their presence. Why'd he stop all the sudden? At the sound of the voice, Kyuubi dodged to the side and turned to face the other way. No one was there. And again, he couldn't tell where the sound had come from.
"Who's there?" he asked the air. Silence settled over the training area. Kyuubi heard what sounded like a whistle, and hurled a kunai at the sound. A small bird, skewered by the blade, fell to the ground, guilty only of trying to sing. Kyuubi tensed his muscles, waiting for any hint of another presence. No one could stay silent forever.
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Naruto realized what was going on. He may not have been the brightest ninja, but he saw that every time he tried to make a sound, Kyuubi reacted. Maybe Kyuubi could hear him. He decided to test this theory. This is way better than dealing with the villagers. Naruto frowned, realizing that what he really wanted was to be friends with Kyuubi. It may be better than no friends, but... a demon? Man, my life sucks...
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Hello, Kyuubi.
Kyuubi flinched. How could anyone have figured it out? He looked around wildly, but saw no one.
Can't you figure it out? Doesn't my voice sound familiar?
It did sound somewhat familiar, but Kyuubi couldn't think of anyone. "Who are you?" he asked. Then it hit him. His voice is exactly the same as mine. Meaning... "Naruto?"
In the flesh. Well, not really, but you get the picture.
This could be useful, thought Kyuubi. Naruto can help me to act convincingly human. Unless... Unless he tries to take back control of the body! I have hardly any grip on my control at all, since I have to reach way out of the seal to get to the point of control. If he decides to take control, I will be trapped back there again! What can I say to convince him to leave the chair alone? Maybe, if I-
You do realize I can hear all of that, right?
...You can hear my thoughts?
Yes.
...Then I guess all I can do is ask you to let me use your body?
Yeah.
So, can I? Kyuubi hoped for the impossible. Maybe this kid would go back into a coma or whatever. Maybe he would-
Yeah. I like this arrangement better anyway.
Did I hear you correctly? Kyuubi could hardly believe that he could have such good luck. Did you just say what I think you said?
Yes, I did. Everyone hates me, so I don't really want to go out there anymore. Besides, you haven't done anything too bad yet, and it's been... How long have I been gone?
Three days.
Ah. And before you ask, I can help you get your human act down, if you like. Not that I'm probably the best human to ask, but...
But I can't really ask anyone else.
Yeah.
And Naruto? Is there any way that I can buy things? I need to buy some weights and clothing that isn't orange...
What's wrong with orange?
What do you mean, 'What's wrong with orange?'! Any competent ninja would be practically blinded by it before I could sneak up on them!
Oh. Uh... How did you act when you tried to buy the stuff?
Like any other customer. I tried to walk in, and the owners freaked out and told me to go away, so I told them to shove off, and they decided that warranted attacking me, and, yeah...
That won't work. If anything, you basically need to grovel, and offer to pay extra. I've never actually bought anything but ramen, and I only bought that from Ichiraku. The owner there seemed to like me, so...
Grovel! You expect the great demon, Kyuubi no kitsune, to grovel for clothing and hunks of heavy metal!
Yeah.. Unless you want me to try it. I could control the body and do it for you.
Kyuubi considered that for a second. Would you be able to relinquish control of the body after doing that?
...I don't know. I don't really know how I got here in the first place. There's only one way to find out, though...
Kyuubi thought about that. Was he willing to risk his only chance at freedom to spare his pride? It's not worth it. I can't... Then Kyuubi visualized himself grovelling before filthy shopkeepers to be able to buy their goods at an inflated cost. Scratch that. We'll try it. It's a little after noon right now. Why don't we go now? You'll need to go sit in that chair to control the body.
What are we going to do about money, Kyuubi? I never had much, and certainly not enough to buy good weights and clothing...
I've already got that taken care of. Just go sit in the chair before I start doubting my decision.
Naruto returned to the room with the cage, which he now thought to be his mind. He walked around the corner to the chair. As he appoached this time, the reddish-orange chakra pulled back. Naruto sat in the chair.
Nothing happened. What is wrong? Why isn't anything happening? Then Naruto thought of something. He tried to focus past the ceiling. He experienced the strange feeling of expansion as he returned to the real world.
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Naruto sat up, rubbing his head. When Kyuubi had relinquished control, the body had fallen onto the ground and the head had hit a rock. Why am I thinking of my head as 'the head'? Whatever...
We need to work on that transition if we ever have to do that again, kit.
If I can let you control the body again.
Don't remind me. Now get moving! I have to train this body to avoid getting killed by any stupid ninja!
Where's the money you were talking about?
It's under the mattress of your bed. And maybe you should buy several different levels of weights, so that we can increase the weight as our body becomes stronger.
Naruto smiled slightly. Maybe he would have a friend after all. Even if it was a demon...
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End of chapter. Please review!