Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
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„blah blah...", speaking
'blah blah...', thinking
'blah blah...', Bijuu talking
'blah blah...', Bijuu thinking
'blah blah...', Jutsu
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Hello everyone and welcome back. I hope you will enjoy this chapter. But let me answer the Reviews so far first.
NaruinoFTW – Thank you very much. I'll do my best.
shadowrgj – Thank you.
– Thanks.
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Please Review and please don't hold back. Tell me if something bothered you, I can handle the truth.
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It was close to three months since the Jonin and his temporary student had left Konoha. Right now the two along with a team from Uzu and the temporary Uzukage were on their way to the Hidden Leaf. Naruto was a bit depressed that Kurami had to stay behind since she was the Clan head of the Kitsune Clan. They had moved to the forest part of Uzushiogakure. The forest around Uzu was enormous, not as big as the one around Konoha but big enough. The Uzumaki Clan even enlarged the island with their seals. After the Clan had moved to Uzu they had given him the Clan tattoo consisting of nine red crescent formed tails surrounding a screaming red fox head making him a honorary member of the Clan. Another new tattoo was added to his back. It showed Kurami in her Kitsune form sleeping under a cherry tree. The black tree went up his whole left side from waist to shoulder, letting pink cherry blossoms snow down his back. Kurami rested on his mid back with her head resting on her front paws. On his right shoulder blade was a small text in a unreadable language. The Kitsune language. The text stated his honor and loyalty to the Kitsune Clan.
I pledge my name and body to the Clan.
We have seen the darkest and the brightest sides of the world.
The world we guard is in constant change and new evil will be born everywhere.
Yet in the darkness we found a beauty that we won't share for anything in the world.
The dreams of the cherry blossoms will keep us going no matter how hard we are hit or how less our numbers are.
The Kitsune Clan stands strong and protect the light.
The pledge was something Kurami had thought of long ago but never brought it to the Clan. Now everyone wore the same pledge on their bodies.
"I feel so empty without Kurami-nee.", Naruto muttered letting his tails drop behind him.
"Stop your whining Na-chan.", Tayuya hit him on the back of his head.
"Oh leave me be Ta-chan. You don't know how it feels when something that has been with you since birth is ripped out of you. Kurami was part of me just like my vampire powers are a part of me.", he growled back hitting her with one of his tails on the head.
The Genin team behind them just watched how their leaders bickered like children. Though the one female member of the team was having a hard time letting her leaders tails out of her sight. She was slowly losing the fight against her inner girl. An audible snap was heard as her reason finally broke.
"KAWAII!", she yelled and grabbed onto Naruto's tails with a full body hug.
The teen stopped in mid step feeling the pressure on two of his tails. He turned his head to look behind himself and gave the Genin a curious look.
"Can I help you Mashiki-chan?", he asked amused watching her snuggle with his tails.
The girl gained a atomic blush and jumped off her Kage and scurried behind her Jonin-sensei. Everyone stared at the girl before they burst out laughing. Mashiki seemed to sink deeper and deeper in her clothes to hide herself.
"Come on now. We are nearly there. I can see the gate already.", Sakura giggled.
"Then I better henge myself. We don't want to give the villagers more ammunition then needed.", the vampire Kitsune sighed.
"Kitsune Release: True Mirage", he muttered and formed a Ram seal.
In a flash of blue fire the old Naruto was back. Without a word Tayuya jumped onto his back and hugged the stuffing out of him.
"Ta-chan please get off me. It's unfitting for a Kage to behave like that.", Naruto commented without loosing his footing.
Tayuya only pouted gaining a snicker from the others but jumped off. The group walked up to the gate to be greeted by Kotetsu and Izumo.
"Hey there Naruto. Who are these people with you?", Kotetsu asked bored.
"Well Sakura my Genin. Tayuya the Uzukage and her Genin team from Uzushiogakure.", the vampire stated with a fanged grin.
"The Uzu...kage? But Uzushiogakure was destroyed in the last war.", Izumo stuttered shocked.
"Sup.", Tayuya gave a lazy wave only to be smacked on the back of her head.
"Stop it Tayuya! I have told you before that you should behave like a Kage not like a simple Shinobi.", Naruto growled.
The gate keepers watched in awe and shock how the Jonin treated the Kage of a dead believed village.
"Now come on. The Hokage is waiting for us. I can feel you watching us old man.", Naruto stated and looked upwards at the last part.
The people gave him a look as if he was crazy but shrugged it off. With that the newcomers walked toward the Hokage tower. While Naruto pondered on when he should give Ino her present, Sakura thought about how strong she had gotten. During her training she had upped her weights to 200 kilos each limb. Her Genjutsu, Medjutsu, Taijutsu and Ninjutsu repertoire had grown rather nice. The members of Uzushiogakure looked around in interest but they also noticed the disgusted looks their Kage got.
"Don't let it bother you. They are not worth it.", he stated calm and continued his walk in silence.
"Naruto?", a voice called making him stop with a soft smile on his face.
A smile that didn't sit well with Tayuya. A blond girl in a purple getup ran up to him.
"Hey there Ino-chan.", the teen greeted her with a big smile.
"So how was training?", she asked eager to learn something from him.
"Well Sakura might give you a run for your money but from what I see I would say that Asuma upped your training like I told him to.", Naruto grinned making her blush.
"I know and I will beat Sakura with no problem.", Ino cheered gaining a scowl from said girl.
"in your dreams Ino!", she shouted making Naruto groan at her volume.
"Please refrain for yelling around me Sakura-san.", the vampire sighed and rubbed his ear.
"Sorry sensei.", the girl pouted and stepped aside.
Ino only rose an eyebrow how Sakura stepped down like that but shrugged it off as Naruto taming her during the trip. Naruto pulled a package from the inside of his leather jacket and handed it to the blond girl.
"A small gift from my hometown.", he smiled and she unwrapped the package.
Inside was a set six pointed Shuriken with crescent formed blades and a set of special Senbon needles.
"Thank you Naruto.", she smiled and gave him a hug.
The teen returned the hug with pleasure but ended it sooner the both wanted to. He pushed her away gently and gave her a gentle smile.
"I'm sorry Ino but I have to bring the Uzukage and her team to the old man so they can register themselves for the Chunin Exam.", he sighed and released the hug despite what his heart wanted him to do.
Ino only nodded dumbfounded. She also knew that Uzushiogakure was destroyed but she shrugged it off as one of the many wonders of Naruto Uzumaki.
"See you later then Naruto-kun.", Ino waved as the group walked away.
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"It's good to see you again Tayuya-chan.", Sarutobi smiled at the young woman before him.
"It's been a while old man.", she waved witch a cheeky smile.
"Naruto is really a bad influence on you.", he sighed and rubbed his temple.
The two Uzumaki grinned at him.
"Well let's get serious for once.", Naruto sighed and waved the Genin team and their sensei to his side.
"This is team Sakumo. Sakumo Hirano is one of our best Jonin in Uzushiogakure and a S-Class Shinobi. His team consists of Seiki Tobimaru, Mashiki Ayuna and Uzumaki Mikado. They graduated about a year ago and were specially selected for this exam to represent the strength of the rebuild Uzushiogakure.", Naruto introduced the team making them bow when they were introduced.
"Well then welcome to Konoha. I guess you will stay in the Golden Leaf Hotel.", the Hokage nodded at the group.
"No we will stay at Na-chan's place.", Tayuya pouted and grabbed his arm pressing it against her chest.
"I have no problem housing the Uzukage and her team in my compound for the time of the Chunin Exam.", the vampire stated firm not bothered by her behavior.
"I see that Sakura has really flourished under your care.", Sarutobi smiled making the Genin blush in embarrassment.
"Yes she has come a long way. Her abilities are now equal to that of a mid Chunin but I would suggest her to take an apprenticeship under Tsunade. I've rarely seen anyone with such raw talent for Medjutsu like she has.", the Jonin explained calm putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Thank you sensei.", she bowed slightly.
"That's good to hear. From today on Team 7 is reinstated. You should go and meet up with Kakashi and Sasuke. They are at Training Ground 7.", the Hokage explained.
"Thank you Hokage-sama.", Sakura bowed and left the office.
"So how did it go with the ritual?", the Hokage changed the topic once again.
"Kurami-nee is free and moved on to the next world.", the Kitsune explained not wanting anyone to know the truth about her whereabouts outside of Uzushiogakure.
"That's sad to hear. I'm sorry Naruto-kun.", Hiruzen sighed and lit his pipe.
"Don't worry about it. She is in a better place.", the teen sighed.
The Uzu group only watched in silence. They knew that Naruto didn't trust anyone with Kurami's whereabouts.
"Did anything else happen during your journey?", the old man asked a bit eager to hear more about his surrogate grandson.
"Well...", Naruto sighed and looked at his comrades.
"Don't worry Naruto. I've put up a silencing barrier around the office and the ANBU here are my most trusted guards. Nothing will leave this office.", the man assured his Jonin.
With a sigh the teen let the illusion around him drop revealing his new fox features. Sarutobi only whistled and took a deep breath from his pipe.
"Looks good on you kiddo.", he grinned releasing the smoke from his lungs.
"Don't even start old man.", Naruto sighed and scratched his itching ear.
"So how did it come to that?", the Hokage continued.
"With the extraction of Kurami-nee I was turned into a Kitsune demon. So right now I'm a Kitsune vampire.", the vampire explained letting his tails wave behind him.
Just like he anticipated Mashiki clamped his tail again making everyone laugh. The ANBU hiding in the shadows fell out of their hiding places and laughed. Neko even struggled with herself not to hug the Kitsune vampire.
"Would you please release my tail Mashiki-chan?", he asked calm making his ears twitch.
That was it and Neko also jumped him with a squeal. Not to be outmatched by the two Tayuya also jumped in and snuggled against him. While the girls hugging the stuffing out of their blood drinking pillow the males laughed their asses off at Naruto's unnerved expression.