Kishimoto-san owns Naruto

Opening theme: Hikari E(3rd opening theme of One Piece)

Chapter 7: Tails of the Past

The morning following Team Death's attack on the Kingfish, the crew was busy recuperating. Inari was proving his worth by using his carpentry skills to repair the damage to the ship. Oda was manning the helm, and Team Naruto was discussing their attackers.

"I wonder how those people found us all the way out here," Lee said, rubbing his arm. Sakura had healed it with her medical Ninjutsu, but it was still sore in spots. "We had lost sight of the Land of Waves long before they came."

"I wish we had an idea why came after us," Hinata said. Last night's attack had her a little nervous.

"It sounded like they were after the Cap'n," Oda said.

"Are they enemies you made, bro?" Inari asked, hammering a board in.

"I never met any of them before last night," Naruto said, "Why were they after me?" They didn't dress like the Akatsuki, so they weren't after the Nine-Tail Fox Spirit…or were they?

"If I were to take a guess," Shikamaru said, "I'd say they were bounty hunters."

Everyone looked at Shikamaru in surprise.

"Bounty hunters?" Sakura asked, "What makes you say that?"

"After Asuma-Sensei was killed, I began to check around," Shikamaru began, "I wanted to know how many of the Hidden Leaf Shinobi have bounties on their heads. So we could have some kind of warning ahead of time. And it turns out that not only did Asuma-Sensei had a bounty, but so does Kakashi-Sensei, Guy-Sensei," Shikamaru gave Naruto a hard look. "And you, posted by a criminal organization."

"Well," Kawazaki said, "I doubt we will have to worry about any bounty hunters where we're going. This reminds me, Naruto. Now is as good a time as any to deal with a monster much closer to home."

Lee looked confused. "What? Are their any monsters on board? Or are you talking about a sea monster, Mr. Kawazaki?"

"No, he's not." Naruto said, his head lowered so his eyes couldn't be seen. He knew this was coming. He knew it was coming but had put it off. But no more. Naruto looked up, his eyes harder than anyone was used to seeing. "What do you guys know about the Nine-Tailed Fox?"

"I-it was a horrible demon that attacked the Village, killing many people," Hinata answered.

Lee continued for her, "The 4th Hokage destroyed the Fox, by means of a forbidden technique, sacrificing his life in the process."

"But that's not the whole story, is it?" Shikamaru asked, having a pretty good idea where this was going.

Naruto shook his head. "No, it's not. The Fourth couldn't kill the Nine-Tails entirely. Instead, he sealed inside a baby born on that day," Naruto began to take off his shirt. "Me."

His chest now bare, Naruto focused his chakra. On his stomach did the 4th Hokage's seal appear.

Lee and Hinata gasped, Shikamaru said nothing, but merely stared at the seal, as if he was committing it to memory. Sakura looked on sadly, having heard it before.

Inari looked utterly flabbergasted. "So…there's a monster inside of you?" He asked.

Naruto nodded.

Shikamaru sighed. "I figured as much." Everyone looked at him. "Three years ago, at the hospital, you told Gaara there was a monster inside of you. Then during your match with Neji, you unleashed some weird chakra. That was the Fox's power wasn't it?"

Naruto was amazed. "Wow…You figured it out from just that?"

"Plus," Continued Shikamaru, "You're being targeted by Akatsuki, and Akatsuki is targeting people with demons within them…like Gaara."

"Ohh!" Lee cried, smacking his fist into his palm, "Of course! That's why Akatsuki is hunting you!" Lee then looked curious. "But does anyone else know about this? About you, Naruto?"

"Sure," Naruto muttered scornfully, "Everyone who was around that day knows. Why do you think all those old (&#s hate me so much? To them I'm no better than that stupid Fox."

Suddenly Hinata had Naruto in a hug. "I'm so sorry…" She whispered, tears streaming down her face. Images of watching Naruto sad childhood flashed through her mind. "I had no idea how bad it was…"

Naruto was a bit surprised by this, but not ungrateful. He patted her back. "It…It's okay. It's not your fault… Thanks." Naruto looked around, trying to figure out what to do next.

Lee gave him a thumbs-up. "We know you're not the Fox. So you should not worry about those old ones! Just ignore them!"

Naruto grinned at Lee enthusiasm. "Don't worry, I have."

"Hold on," Oda spoke up, looking as confused as a sailor ever was. "Th' Hokage's the strongest guy in yer village, right? Town champ, an' all that, right? If he sealed this thing in ya, why do we need ta 'take care of it'?"

"I will explain that," Kawazaki said. He separated Hinata from Naruto. "Step away please. The seal operates on a combination contain/fuse principal. That is, while most of the Fox's chakra is sealed in a pocket dimension in Naruto's soul, a small amount leaks through, constantly being added to Naruto's own supply."

That explains while Naruto stunk so much at the academy, Shikamaru thought, He was subconsciously suppressing most of the Fox's power, only allowing a tiny bit to get through. He couldn't perform any techniques because he was too busy holding down the demon.

Kawazaki continued. "The seal maintains this balance, very much like how a dam separates a river from the rest of a valley, letting only manageable amount through. However!" Kawazaki tapped a very faint burn mark on Naruto's abdomen. "The seal has been tampered with! This is causing too much of the Fox's chakra to go into Naruto, more than he can handle, or survive. If actions are not taken, the Fox's power will overpower Naruto, killing him."

Everyone gasped, and Sakura had a vision of Naruto going into the 4-tail state, then 5 tails, then 6, 7, 8, and then… She stopped that train of thought right then and there.

"Isn't there anything we can do?!" Inari asked in a panic.

"No," Kawazaki said calmly, "But that's what I'm here for." He took off his hat and placed his pipe aside. "I am going to do what I can to repair the seal so it doesn't happen."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's good to hear," Sakura said.

But Kawazaki had more to say. "But, after this, I want you to never call upon the Fox's power again. And if you absolutely must, only use a small margin. Do not enter a tailed state!"

Naruto nodded. "Don't worry, I won't." He smiled that Naruto smile. "Besides, I'm so strong now I don't need that stupid fox!"

Kawazaki smiled as well. "That's good to hear. Now lie down so I can get to work."

DATTEBAYO

"What did you say?" Kakashi asked Tsunade, popeyed. Yamato stood beside him, not showing too much surprise, to his credit.

"Uzumaki Kushina is alive. And Naruto's going to find her." Tsunade said, doing her best not to enjoy Kakashi's face.

Kakashi took a step back, effectively floored. "Ms. Kushina…alive, after all this time. How could that be?"

"That's why I called you two in here," Tsunade said, "You two are the only ones I can trust on this matter." She waved a folder in her hands. "According to this report from the Leaf Military Police Corps, on the day Kushina was reported dead, four rogue members of the Uchiha Clan attempted to kill Naruto…but failed, because Kushina fought them."

"Four allegedly rogue Uchihas," Yamato said, and Tsunade and Kakashi looked at him questioningly. "Kushina… After the Fox's attack, a gap between her and the rest of the Village formed. She loved Naruto the way only a mother can, and the Village...you know."

Tsunade closed her eyes for a moment. "They hated him like poison. I can see why that would make things tense for Kushina. When Minato died, he was all she had left. But what does that have to do with the Uchiha Clan?"

Yamato continued. "In the first days after the Fox's attack, there was much debate on what to do with Naruto. While most wanted to have him killed, and 'finish what the 4th Lord started', others were pushing for him to be trained as secret weapon for the Village. One of those was Uchiha Fugaku."

Tsunade smirked. "I bet Kushina didn't like that."

"She hospitalized the most of the counsel, save the 3rd Hokage," Kakashi said dryly,("That's how Danzo lost his arm," put in Yamato) "After that, there was no more talk about Naruto's future. No one wanted to antagonize Kushina." A thought occurred to him. "I see where you're going with this, Tenzo. You think Fugaku orchestrated the incident to kill Kushina and take Naruto."

"Yes, sir." Yamato replied. "Except it didn't work. What should have been a quiet assassination snowballed into an uproar not seen after the Fox's attack one year before. Kushina supposedly died, and so did her assailants soon after from mortal wounds she caused them. In theory…"

"Speculation aside," Tsunade said, "None of that explains how Kushina could be alive, unless… Kakashi!"

The Copy Ninja stood to attention. "Yes, ma'am?"

"That space-time technique you used on the mission to rescue the Kazekage, is it unique to the Mangekyou Sharingan? Or can it be done by the regular Sharingan?"

Kakashi thought for a moment, and gave the Princess a helpless shrug. "I don't know. I learned a few things about the Sharingan from the Uchiha Clan after what happened to Obito, but I've always felt as though they've held out on me. I certainly didn't know about the Mangekyou Sharingan until after I fought Itachi three years ago."

Tsunade thought for a moment before speaking. "I think…that when those Uchihas attacked Kushina, they found she was too powerful, too impossibly strong to be killed outright. So, they might have used a space-time technique to send her away, and then lied to everyone that she was died."

"But where could she be sent to?" Kakashi asked, "She wouldn't let anyone- or anything- keep her away from Naruto."

"That's what worries me." Tsunade replied. "I got received a message from Sakura on their progress- and where Kushina is. What kind of place is it to hold Kushina… What is Kaiju Island…?"

DATTEBAYO

Two weeks later, Oda's voice rang all about the Kingfish.

"Laaannnd ho!"

They were now at the place of nightmares made real…Kaiju Island, the Land of Monsters.