Okay, so this chapter took a lot longer than previously anticipated even though parts of it were done back in August. Since then the chapter's original set up and plot have been hacked and slashed to the point that almost none of the original copy exists any longer in this incarnation.
The next three to four chapters are going to be taking place within a single day and night just in different locations and there will be some jumping as we catch up with other characters. Unfortunately, no, the various scenes could not be consolidated into one chapter or else chaos and confusion would run rampant and then my mail box would be overloaded with hate mail. So, yeah, multiple smaller chapters. Bare with it- I will do my utmost to make it worth your while.
Special thanks to Damp, my new editor, who very graciously and bravely puts up with me even when I have no idea what I'm doing.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Chapter Nine
"You're late." The transparent form of the leader of the Akatsuki snapped at the pair entering the deep cave. The bright midmorning sunshine illuminating the area outside did nothing to dispel the damp darkness of the cave engulfing them. "Make preparations immediately."
"The jinchuuriki was more powerful than we expected, umm?" Deidara shrugged, taking off his hat and dismissing the clay bird he had used to transport the unconscious form of the One Tail's host. The Hidden Village in the Sand's red headed leader fell to the ground at the Akatsuki leader's feet with a muffled thud.
The leader formed a seal before stooping and placing one hand on the ground. Immediately the cave began rumbling around them, stirring up dust and smoke as the monstrous King of Hell statue was summoned, rising from the floor in a mass of spiky outcroppings, not stopping until the tallest tip nearly touched the ceiling. Despite the darkness, the statue's face with its multiple closed eyes, gagged mouth and its shackled, beseeching hands stood out in clear relief.
"Good." The Akatsuki leader said, looking the statue over quickly before putting his hands together once again and forming another seal. "Assemble."
One by one, the transparent projected forms of the remaining Akatsuki shimmered into view atop their designated place on the statue's fingers. Deidara and Sasori, the only ones physically present, leapt into their places onto the fingers corresponding to the kanji on their rings. The leader's strange, concentric ringed eyes looked over the group before narrowing.
Two more of the fingers were empty.
If the leader's face could have been seen, all would know that he was frowning unhappily as he stared hard at the two vacancies and put his hands together to form another seal. He disappeared from the cave's floor to reappear on the thumb of the statue's right hand, taking his place for the ceremony.
"Where's Kisame and Itachi, umm?" Deidara asked, blond hair swinging as he peered at the empty right and left ring fingers. Apparently, the Akatsuki leader was not the only one who had noticed that they were short two people.
"Shut up! I want to get this over with!" Sasori ordered irritably.
"Let's begin. This will take three full days- stay aware of your physical selves. Zetsu, have your physical body stand guard outside. Use the one with the greatest range." The leader said, cutting off any further conversation. He put his hands together again, the others following suit, and a hum accompanied by the sound of stone sliding against stone filled the cave as the statue's gag dropped away, the mouth opening to reveal two rows of sharp pointed teeth. A glow formed inside the revealed cavern until it filled the space completely.
The time had come and leader of the Akatsuki concentrated, irritation giving way to mild excitement now that he was one step closer to his ultimate goal. Pretending to follow the Uchiha's plan of world domination and patience had been time well spent and soon, soon it would be time to stop the façade and step forward to create a world of Pein.
'Sealing jutsu: Nine Phantom Dragons Seal!'
The chakra pooling in the statue's mouth spindled out to form nine large serpentine bodies that dove forward and wrapped themselves around Shukaku's vessel, coiling and writhing until the red head's body was lost to sight.
Kyuubi paced around its dais restlessly, its movements frantic as it circled the center, trying to figure out the best course of action concerning the little life growing in Naruto's womb. The demon had been all for aborting the child before it grew anymore and had been trying very hard to do just that but Kisame's constant interference had made the simple task damnably difficult, negating the fox's efforts by providing external support for the little spark, keeping it burning brightly. With Naruto so firmly mired in his depression, he should have remained ignorant of the pregnancy long enough for Kyuubi to dispose of it but that chance had come and gone thanks to Kana.
Oh, that puppy was dead! Kyuubi almost couldn't wait to see the Koma-inu again so that the demon could get its revenge. The stupid over-grown dog wouldn't get up this time, oh no he wouldn't! If Kana had just kept his mouth shut, had not mentioned the infant's existence, this problem would have already been dealt with quickly and quietly! But no, he'd had to go and mention it and though Naruto may not have consciously acknowledged the infant's existence, unconsciously the teenager had already set barriers in place around his womb to block Kyuubi's efforts at abortion. Damn Kana! He was almost as bad as Sasuke!
The demon slowed its pace as another thought occurred to it, carefully padding closer to the spiritual form of the blond where it lay in the middle of the dais. Naruto was sleeping peacefully, for once not plagued by nightmares, his face relaxed and as slack as the rest of his twisted and cracked body. One hand was partially curled over his stomach, the other flung out as if searching for something, and for several long moments Kyuubi simply sat nearby, watching the blonde rest while it thought, eyes occasionally drifting to consider the small flare of unique chakra low in Naruto's belly.
Naruto knew about the baby and was fighting to protect it. This was a significant development and engendered the idea that this development may not be the calamity Kyuubi had assumed it would be. This was the first time in a very long time that Naruto had shown any interest in anything aside from pursuing a way to end his life since Sasuke Uchiha's rejection. Maybe having a child, having someone else to care for and concentrate on, was the very thing Naruto needed to climb out of his depression and heal. The possibility wove its way through the demon's mind, creating other colorful thoughts in its wake.
Could the baby be a blessing in disguise? Could this be the rallying point for Naruto's spirit Kyuubi had been pushing him to find? Once they got him properly fed, the blond would improve substantially physically which would pave the way for better mental health. Naruto would make a good parent- no one was capable of empathizing and understanding like the blonde could…
The fox stared at its vessel's spirit, feeling hope swell within its breast before it could contain the sensation, its eyes suddenly hot and prickling. They could do this! The baby's safety would be Naruto's top priority and the blonde would have to listen to the demon about leaving then. They'd leave this all behind and forget that Konoha and Sasuke Uchiha ever existed! Kyuubi's thoughts spun wildly in its excitement, tail lashing wildly. They'd carve out a home, just the three of them… well, maybe four. Five, maximum. The fox inwardly grumbled but wasn't foolish enough to believe that Naruto wouldn't need a human caretaker or two of some sort. Big mouth aside, Kisame had been proving…useful in this particular area, a fact that made the demon's mind boggle and if the former Mist ninja continued to care for Naruto with the same efficiency he had been, all would be well. This baby could be Naruto's life line….
…Or be the very rope he hung himself with.
Frustrated, Kyuubi wiped at the tears in the corner of its eyes with its forepaw and tried to stamp out the insidious hopeful feeling, forcing itself to be realistic. The demon knew that most of the blonde's despair came from fear- fear of hope, fear of being wanted, fear of wanting to live, fear of being loved- but also knew that overcoming any of those fears once seeded was incredibly difficult for even a healthy person and Naruto was anything but healthy in mind or body and it handicapped him severely against making any real progress on his own. The blonde had been so completely wrung out that he was head blind in Konoha, and had needed some sort of caretaker desperately. If someone had just noticed earlier that he needed some help much of the condition he was currently in could have easily been avoided.
What would happen if Naruto did manage to crawl out of his depression to have the baby but then fell right back in? The demon seriously doubted even a baby would be able to pull him out and it bet, in all honesty, that the infant's demands would make the situation worse. Naruto wouldn't survive a second round of deep depression, Kyuubi was sure, and that meant that the baby, completely dependent on Naruto for care, would die right along with them. Even if the blonde didn't pursue suicide and forced himself to live for the child, there were many other ways to escape reality and Kyuubi honestly didn't know which possible situation would be worse: Naruto killing them all physically or killing them all little by little as he turned completely to substance abuse and neglected his child.
Kyuubi felt the tears come again and this time didn't bother to wipe them away, filled with remorse. Naruto had been fixated on the missing brunet for so long that Sasuke's name was the only thing that had really registered with the blonde after the brunette came back even though Sasuke had no desire to see Naruto. For that very reason, Kyuubi had encouraged Naruto's feelings toward the Uchiha in an effort to pull Naruto back from the brink, using the brunet as a life line to keep the blond from slipping any further away after Iruka's and Kakashi's betrayal. Things hadn't turned out that way, had gone horrifically wrong and backfired spectacularly, turning Naruto into the young, suicidal teenager he was today.
Would parenthood save the blonde or would it destroy him so badly that not even Kyuubi could cobble him back together again?
Stifling the sob trying to push its way through the demon's chest, Kyuubi wiped again at its eyes and tried to regain control of itself. Now was not the time to dwell on the past! In front of them stretched an uncertain future and decisions needed to be made before much longer. Kyuubi needed answers-fast- and, ignoring the guilt that stabbed through the fox's heart, the demon raised a paw and extended it toward Naruto's sleeping form.
As soon as the demon's paw got within a few inches of the blonde's spirit, a barrier flared to life, crackling weakly against the thick pads of the massive appendage. Kyuubi could easily overwhelm the meager protection with little effort but knew that, once force was used, it would tarnish the relationship between the demon and its vessel. The fox endured the biting sensation, its paw trembling as it fought against the instinctive urge to push through the irritating obstacle, and concentrated on what it had to do. Summoning a trickle of its chakra, frowning over the golden hue to its energy, the fox let its chakra leak out around the barrier.
Naruto blinked up at the unfamiliar ceiling, confusion over his whereabouts making his heart speed up as he slowly sat up and looked around. The floor beneath him was carpeted in a soft powder blue fabric that matched the cushion on the seat of the white rocking chair in the corner behind him. The four walls of the small room were also a matching blue as was the ruffled skirt hiding the legs of the white crib from view on the opposite side of the room.
Wait, crib?
"Hello Kit." A figure appeared on the far side of the crib, leaning against the railing lightly. The person was tall with a slim build, and long red-gold hair that did nothing to give away the individual's gender. The face was neither male nor female yet had characteristics of both, looking too effeminate to be purely male yet too masculine to be purely female. Gold eyes watched him and the wide mouth below them with its too thin lips smiled at him in a familiar manner. Even if the person hadn't said anything, the blonde still would have known the entity was Kyuubi.
Calming, Naruto stood and walked over to the demon, immediately being enveloped in a strong hug when he reached the other. Warmth poured over him, making him feel special and good, flooding him with calm serenity as Kyuubi wrapped its arms around him tightly, clinging to him with a fierceness that was nearly desperate.
"Kit." Kyuubi clung tighter, hands roaming over Naruto's back, fingers trailing idly through his hair. "Kit, we need to talk."
"Okay." Naruto said, again perplexedly looking around the room, not understanding why they were meeting in such an odd dream when they could have just as easily talked on the demon's dais. Movement in the crib caught his attention and, curious, the blond pushed away enough from the demon to peer inside.
"It's a baby. Hey, baby." He reached inside to gently brush a fingertip against one of the chubby cheeks, unable to keep from smiling as the infant's head immediately turned in his direction, lips moving as it searched for a breast to suckle. Fascinated, Naruto leaned into the crib further, ignoring Kyuubi's hands as they looped around his waist and pressed against his stomach, the fox spooning against his back and molding to it. Kyuubi was not normally this touchy feely when they dreamed together but his suspicion over the action soon dissipated, swept away as a new wave of calmness washed over him. Content once more, Naruto relaxed, lounging heavily against the crib railing while he carefully touched the strands of downy dark hair decorating the nearly bald head of the sleeping infant below him.
The blonde looked over his shoulder to ask a question and nearly smacked his face into Kyuubi's since the fox had rested its chin on his shoulder. Recovering from the surprise, Naruto spoke in a low whisper. "Do you think I can pick her up? Do you think her mom will be mad?"
The demon hesitated, looking unsure, its arms tightening slightly on his waist while gold eyes widened and alternated between looking at Naruto and down at the infant. "I do not know if that is a wise idea. Maybe after we talk?"
Naruto nodded but felt his lower lip jut forward slightly, his shoulders slumping in disappointment. The compulsion to touch the infant was still there, making his hand itch with the urge but he resisted and meekly allowed Kyuubi to lead him by the hand away from the crib and over to the rocking chair, throwing glances over his shoulder at the sleeping baby all the way.
Instead of pushing Naruto down into the chair, the fox sat first then pulled Naruto onto its lap, arms once again settling around the blonde's waist as Kyuubi rested its chin among the blonde spikes atop Naruto's head. Though as a human the fox was physically smaller than he, Naruto felt completely surrounded, protected, as if he was a child being pulled into a parent's lap. It felt good and he smiled slightly, turning his head to the left, instinctively searching for a heartbeat in the demon's chest even though he knew there wouldn't be one.
"What did you want to talk about?" Naruto asked at length when the demon did not immediately begin the conversation. The blonde settled against the fox and folded his hands over Kyuubi's, blue eyes sweeping through the room again a second time before closing.
The fox inhaled then exhaled slowly before speaking, the action striking the blonde as extremely odd since Kyuubi had no reason to breathe. "Kit, we need to decide what we want to do about the immediate future now that we have some time to do it."
"The future?" Naruto blinked and frowned, tensing as a diffused sense of terror tried to overwhelm him. He began shaking, no longer feeling even remotely safe, and wrapped his arms around himself for comfort as a sharp ache welled up in his chest.
"Shh. Nothing to fear." Kyuubi's hands unclasped from around his waist and began rubbing up and down Naruto's arms, gradually making the shaking slow. The fox pressed one of its palms over his heart and the blonde was sure that the demon was checking his heart rate. "There is no reason to be afraid, Kit. We literally have all options open to us! It's a time to be excited not afraid."
"Can't-" The single word came out choked and broken as Naruto's throat seemed to swell shut, breaking off further communication. He was shivering again, persistent terror gripping his muscles and making them rebel despite the calm pooling in his chest directly beneath the warm press of Kyuubi's hand.
"Calm down, Kit. Breathe- that's right." The demon cooed gently, lips brushing against the shell of Naruto's ear and making the flesh tingle. It was distracting and the foreign sensation helped chase back the fear still making him tremble, still choking him. "In and out, Naruto, in and out. Good, good."
The blonde eventually calmed and the effort needed to make the strange mind numbing fear recede left him feeling spent. He slumped back against the fox and felt Kyuubi shift behind him to accommodate his frame, enfolding the blond within its arms. Seconds later, the pair began rocking slowly back and forth as the fox used its foot to set the chair in motion.
"Can't go back." Naruto said in a whisper, tilting his head back to look at the other with wide, haunted eyes.
Kyuubi blinked slowly then its mouth settled into a firm line, the demon's eyes narrowing slightly, golden orbs fierce. "No, we will never go back to Konoha again, Kit. Forget that place- for us it no longer exists!"
Naruto flinched at the name of his former village but reflexively glared weakly up at the fox at the insult to his homeland.
"No, Kit," The demon said, lips twisting down in a stern frown. "Konoha doesn't deserve any loyalty you may feel toward it. The village you grew up in is not the same one your father gave his life for-"
"My father?" Naruto interrupted, frowning, his puzzlement over the statement evident on his face. "What does my father have to do with this? The Yondaime sealed you…" He paused, waiting for the fox to explain or elaborate, eyes getting rounder as the seconds stretched by.
Kyuubi remained silent.
"No." Naruto said flatly, his heart racing, his body trembling. "Just- no! The Forth Hokage isn't my father! He can't be my father! The Yondaime was respected and loved by everyone! If he was my father then why did they…? Why did Jiraiya…?"
Though he didn't finish either sentence, the unspoken words hung heavy in the air between them.
"I don't know, Naruto." Kyuubi said quietly, hugging the blonde tightly though Naruto remained stiff and inflexible where he sat. The teenager pulled away and leaned forward, putting his head in his hands to cover his face as his body seemed to shrink in on itself.
"…Was I a bastard?" The blonde asked, tone thick. He sniffled, his thoughts chaotic as he tried to comprehend his life. The world as he knew it was being turned inside out, leaving him lost. If he was the legitimate son of one of the greatest leaders Konoha ever had, then he should have been treated with the utmost respect- the exact opposite of reality. The only logical explanation, then, was that his father had had an affair and that Naruto was an unwanted reminder of that union. "Was I the product of a tryst between him and some whore? I'm really just trash after all?"
"No!" Kyuubi pulled him back roughly and crushed him against its chest. "No, Kit! You are a prince, of that I can promise you! Royal blood runs in your veins on both sides, Naruto, and it's a legacy that you and all your children's children can claim."
The fox tilted his chin up but Naruto couldn't bear to look the other in the eye. He instead looked off to the side and down, locking on the detail work covering the slats of the crib, tracing the small spirals while his mind scrambled to process what was happening. It was nice of Kyuubi to try and cheer him up but this was a bit much…
"Ask Itachi." The fox said suddenly, challengingly. "What I say is true, Kit, and Itachi can verify it. Ask him who your parents are and he'll tell you."
Blue eyes continued to follow the delicate carvings in the wood upward and to the side as the lines made patterns along the crib railing. "Why would Itachi know?"
"Because he knew them before you were born…" Kyuubi paused and forced him to meet its gaze. Gold eyes seemed to bore into blue with an intensity that was almost frightening while the fox asked in a voice full of concern, "Naruto, how much do you remember about your early childhood? What's the earliest age you can remember?"
Still reeling, Naruto remained silent even as he tried to think about the fox's question. He frowned trying hard to focus but the only things that came to mind were vague impressions from when he was six, the memories grown muddied and dim from time. Beyond that there was nothing- it was simply blank. He didn't know what the hell this had to do with Kyuubi or the baby…
Kyuubi had mentioned plans for the future. As if pulled by invisible strings, Naruto's eyes sought out the crib, a sense of panic fluttering inside him. Oh, God no… Please, please, no…!
"The baby…" His lips felt stiff and his tongue swollen, his throat thick. The fox started at his statement and Naruto had to swallow to keep the choking sensation at bay so he could finish talking. He had to know- one way or the other, he had to know. "Whose is it?"
The demon shifted, body suddenly tense and uncomfortable to lay against. A sharp inhale followed by a tired exhale preceded Kyuubi's answer. "I don't…"
"WHOSE BABY IS THIS?!" Naruto screamed, launching himself out of the demon's grip to spin around and stare at the fox. He balled his fists at his side, trembling, not even noticing the tears that ran down his cheeks as he faced Kyuubi, betrayal and despair warring inside him. Swallowing thickly, he repeated his question at a softer volume but was unable to mask the evident horror at the situation in his tone.
"Yours." The fox said quietly but then added on in a rush, pushing quickly out of the rocking chair and reaching out to him. "The baby is yours but only if you want it! Say the word, Kit, and it won't be a problem any longer."
Naruto felt his mouth work but no sound came out. He stumbled backwards, one hand out to keep the other back while he continued to retreat, eyes darting from the crib to Kyuubi. Stunned and dazed, he was incapable of doing anything more than attempt to keep his footing as the room seemed to spin, an effect from his thoughts being so scattered in so many different directions. He lost the battle, sinking to the carpeted floor as his knees gave way beneath him, and Naruto stared up at the fox blankly, his vision becoming fuzzy around the edges.
"Kit?" He barely registered Kyuubi's concerned voice, or the hands that cupped his cheeks. "Naruto, say something please. Kit? Please?"
Calmness spread through him again, emanating from where the fox touched him, and the emotion was so out of place amongst the shock, panic and fear gripping him that he came back to himself fairly quickly. A sense of tranquility pulled at him and he felt himself sinking into the placidness and false composure that was trying to mask the anxiety roiling inside him.
"You're drugging me…" There was a sense of lassitude stealing through his body, robbing him of coordination and movement before he could even realize the trap. His mouth didn't want to cooperate when he spoke, making it difficult to get out the accusation. As it was, his words were thick and slow, his tone soft, and his attempt to communicate the betrayal he felt fell short.
"Yes, I am." The fox confirmed, keeping its hands firmly against the blonde's skin. Naruto tried to glare up at Kyuubi but couldn't manage it with the other's face so close, expression pinched with worry and concern. "Kit…"
Resisting fingers awkwardly pressed against the demon's lips, effectively cutting the other off while Naruto struggled to ask a question. "Who's… the father..?"
"Sasuke." The immediate name was muffled slightly by the blonde's fingers but Kyuubi gave the answer with no hint of shame or wrongdoing in its voice or expression. In fact, there was almost a note of…pride?… in the fox's tone and suddenly Naruto needed to use the fingers that were still covering the demon's mouth to clutch at Kyuubi's hand on his cheek. Despite the fox's attempts to calm him, the effort was suddenly not enough, wasn't nearly enough, and the sound of the air leaving his lungs in a rush was swallowed by the sound of his blood roaring in his ears. He felt his eyes widen but couldn't see as his vision became spotty, Kyuubi and the room steadily fuzzing out. Naruto's body began to list to the side and the blonde's stomach clenched painfully, heaving almost violently, making him wonder if he'd be sick before he passed out.
"Kit?!" Kyuubi's voice was soft and urgent, pulling Naruto back from the grey edge of unconsciousness he was so dangerously treading.
"Why?" He felt his mouth forming the word with difficulty but was barely aware of what he was saying. He felt considerably light headed and, as the loaded question's meaning penetrated, the blonde realized that he was no longer on the carpet but cradled in the fox's arms, sitting on its lap once more.
"Because it was what you wanted." It was said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world and maybe, for the demon, it was. "You loved him and wanted him as your mate."
Naruto felt his mouth work but no sound came out as he stared up in open horror at the fox. Kyuubi merely blinked at him, lips gradually turning down in a frown when the blonde remained silent.
"Isn't that what you wanted?" The demon asked, uncertainty creeping into its voice for the first time. "Weren't you working all the time he was away so that you would be useful to him, so that he would want you for a mate? Didn't you want him to father your pups?"
Naruto continued to stare at the fox, tears leaking slowly over his cheeks. "So you slept with Sasuke? You got me pregnant with the child of the man who thinks I'm disgusting and doesn't want anything to do with me? That Sasuke?! Do you have any idea what you've done?!"
His voice, soft in the beginning, was now filled with panicked hysteria, making him nearly scream the words. Whatever trickery or magic Kyuubi had been using to keep him content and pliant up to this point was quickly drowned out by the swelling tide of rage and fear rising within his turbulent mind.
"I…" The fox visibly groped for words, expression concerned and uncertain as the full magnitude of the ramifications of its deeds sunk in. "I wanted to make you happy. I wanted to give you what you wanted so that you could move on and look for a new mate…"
God, what if the baby hated him just like its father? Turning away from Kyuubi, Naruto whimpered, screwing his eyes tightly shut and fisting his hair, tugging the strands harshly, uncaring as they flittered to the floor around him like a golden snow fall. It would be fitting, not being loved by even his own child. It would just prove what he had always feared, that he really wasn't worth anyone's affections… What if he couldn't take care of it? What if Sasuke wouldn't accept it? What if not even the Uchiha name could protect it from the blind wrath of Konoha's populous?
Sobbing, Naruto struggled out of Kyuubi's grasp and lurched unsteadily to his feet. He began pacing, turning jerkily after a few steps to retrace his path, constantly in danger of falling over as he did so. He kept a wide berth from the fox still sitting on the floor, growing increasingly more agitated despite being in motion as his already chaotic thoughts swirled in useless circles. Naruto wiped at his eyes to stop the tears, making small wounded noises when his efforts proved in vain.
"When?" The blond demanded without warning, rounding on the fox, ignoring the way Kyuubi was staring at him oddly. "When did you hijack my body and have sex with Sasuke?"
"I don't know how much time has passed since we arrived here." The demon said slowly, golden eyes large as they followed the blonde's frantic pacing. "But it was the same day you went shopping."
A vague memory surfaced, the faces of the people he had met and talked to that day swirling quickly across his vision, indistinct pleasant feelings easing through him at the same time. For some reason the idea that he had been in Sasuke's house nagged at him and that, at some point in the evening, he had run into Sakura, as well.
Naruto came to an abrupt stop and limply sank to the floor, his legs folding under him as sorrow and grief filled him, robbing him of his strength as another thought occurred to the blonde. Sasuke had willingly had sex with Kyuubi. Considering that appearing as himself could prove fatal, Kyuubi would have altered Naruto's appearance to blend in which meant that Sasuke had been willing to have sex with someone the brunet didn't know. Rather than attempt a relationship with someone who knew him, Sasuke had preferred to knock up a complete stranger.
Disappointment and anger seemed to claw at Naruto's heart, making his chest ache as the blond realized that all his worrying and fear over Sasuke accepting his love had been a complete and utter waste of time.
It was selfish and petty, but in the blonde's mind an idea was born in the ensuing moment of emptiness that followed in the wake of this new realization. As unclean as Naruto was, his heart had been pure, his love limitless, his devotion total. He had been willing to do anything to make Sasuke happy and had dedicated all he was in order to make the brunet's dreams come true. Naruto had trained and studied and had endured unimaginable cruelty after Sasuke left all for the Uchiha's sake but maybe the Uchiha had never been worthy of any of it, not if Sasuke thought so little of who he got with child, not if the container was of little consequence so long as she was willing…
"You don't have to have it, Kit." Kyuubi's voice was too close for comfort and it startled the blond from his thoughts. He hadn't even realized that the fox had moved, too preoccupied with his revelation about Sasuke.
"What?" He looked up at the demon standing next to him, blue eyes blinking rapidly as he tried to refocus. Too many emotionally charged surprises in such quick succession were taking their toll on his mind, affecting his ability to comprehend and process information. He felt burnt out and the urge to sleep sucked at him enticingly. Just a little nap and then he'd be able to deal with all this.
Kyuubi knelt slowly beside him, somehow seeming to loom over Naruto as it did so. "I said, you don't have to have the baby if you don't want to."
Though the blonde's thoughts were disjointed and fractured and made thinking coherently nearly impossible, he knew dimly that now was not the time to be making any important decisions. He needed time to think before he said anything, and, more importantly, he needed to do it alone. Naruto watched the fox's mouth continue to move, unable to make sense of what was being said, and at that moment he wanted nothing more than for Kyuubi to leave him alone for a while, not only in dream but also in reality. Naruto wasn't all there anymore- he could feel the empty spaces in his memory and they outnumbered the parts that were whole- and the demon's sheltering protective drive was only making those empty spots grow and dissolve what was still there. It was like a very thick fog had taken residence in Naruto's brain, making it difficult to remember anything beyond vague impressions.
He was disappearing on a fundamental level, and as he sat watching Kyuubi become more and more concerned, Naruto could feel his core self slowly being eroded away. His memories of Konoha. His former friends located there. The years he had spent as part of Team Seven. They were all faded, were dim, and seemed like an awful dream but they hadn't been. He was losing it all just like he had lost any memories from his first few years of life and though it all hurt, he didn't want everything he had experienced to fade away into nothingness.
How long had it been since he assumed control of his body completely and not just dictated from the background what they should do while Kyuubi carried out the action? Naruto tried to concentrate on the question to find a definitive answer, but could only think that it had been a very long time. The more Konoha had abused him, the further Naruto had retreated into Kyuubi's cage; Sasuke's rejection had simply been the straw that broke the camel's back.
As inadvertent as it may be, Naruto was being consumed by the fox's power.
"I need…" His tongue didn't want to move and neither did his lips, making his words come out slurred and softer than intended. "Some space. Need to…out." He wasn't making sense even to himself, he couldn't find the right words and it frustrated him greatly. Feeling a pang of guilt, he looked up into gold eyes and forced out exactly what he wanted. "You need to pull back."
Kyuubi blinked, looking perplexed for a moment before the meaning sunk in. "You want me to contain myself behind the seal again, like before?"
"Decide," Why was it so difficult to talk?! He wasn't just sleepy, his body was incredibly stiff and cold, as if he had been out in the snow. It even hurt to move his eyes as he looked pointedly at the crib and its contents, both nearly forgotten even though they were only several feet away. "On my own… about baby."
The fox looked insulted and hurt but nodded nonetheless in a sympathetic manner. "I can't, um, pull back completely but I will try as much as possible."
Naruto blinked, struggling to push aside the instant suspicion that appeared in his mind. Regardless of the occasional misunderstanding, Kyuubi was supportive to the bitter end. He nodded once and let his eyes slip close, brow furrowing as he concentrated. He had to wake up or the temptation to stay would undo his conviction to take control of his body again and he pushed, forcing himself to rouse fully into the waking world.
* * *
The first sensation he was aware of was a painful tingling that ran from the top of head all the way down to his toes. It was akin to the pins and needles feeling one experiences when blood flow is suddenly returned to a limb after it has been cut off for an extended period except that this wasn't just confined to a single extremity. His whole body felt as if it was being stabbed by thousands of tiny needles and it stole his breath away, making him gasp once before he sank his teeth into his lower lip to keep quiet. Wherever he was, Naruto could sense that he wasn't alone and, afraid, he did not want to attract unwanted attention if he could help it. He writhed silently, struggling to keep his movements controlled until it passed, leaving him aching and throbbing in time to his heart beat.
"Hey, there Hime-sama." A familiar voice asked from somewhere above him. It wasn't Kisame's or Itachi's voice and this knowledge made panic flare inside Naruto. He tried to move, to get away or yell for help, but the signals seemed to get lost inside him, making the movements incomplete and jerky. The person continued conversationally, as if Naruto wasn't trying to crawl away right beneath their nose. "Pally says that your attendants are recovering well and should be up later."
'What?' Alarm shot through him and he concentrated on opening his eyes. It wasn't working though and he made small frustrated noises until suddenly there was slight pressure against his upper eyelids, the skin being gently pulled back and pinned until he could see.
"Hi." Kana peered down at him and offered a small shy smile. The barkeep's fingers blotted out a large portion of the upper range of Naruto's field of vision but the blonde didn't complain since he couldn't keep his eyelids open on his own. Beyond Kana was the sky, the hazy blue diluted by the pinks and purples of sunset, and the moment Naruto recognized it he became aware of a familiar ticklish sensation against his hands that wasn't remotely pleasant. Why were they outside on the grass? What had happened to the two Akatsuki members while he slept?
As if he could read the blonde's mind, Kana answered. "As a vessel for a nature deity, you have very special um… appetite needs that weren't being met. It made the other two…" He faltered, frowning as he searched for the right word. "Sick…? No wait- don't cry! They're okay! Everyone's okay so please stop crying! Please?"
He hadn't been aware he'd started crying until Kana asked him to stop but now that he knew he was crying, Naruto couldn't seem to make it stop. His felt his eyelids pull against the brunet's hold in a strong urge to blink the tears away but could only let the world become distorted as he looked through the unwanted pooling moisture. Naruto had made Kisame and Itachi sick? How? Had he done something or was it his mere presence that had made them ill?
Kana made a frustrated noise and released his hold, allowing Naruto's eyes to close again. Cloth rustled and seconds later the jinchuuriki felt himself being lifted and maneuvered into a sitting position on the bar tender's lap. It left the blonde gasping and panting as his seemingly raw skin protested angrily, provoking small whimpers and other unidentified sounds as Naruto shifted in the vain attempt to get comfortable.
"Wait- let me…Sorry! Sorry, sorry, sorry!" Kana said but the words weren't helping and panic stirred again as pain and fear swelled. He did not know what the bartender's motives were and Naruto did not want to be alone in the other's presence long enough to find out. At that moment, more than anything, he wanted Itachi and Kisame. Even if the blonde had to stay isolated in another room or sleep on the floor like a pet or remain in a secluded closet- any of it was fine so long as Naruto could be near the Akatsuki pair and away from Kana. Despite the pain it caused, Naruto pushed at Kana and tried to get his legs under him so that he could escape but his attempts proved useless and, exhausted, Naruto could only lay limply, listening to his rapid heart rate slow down as sleep tried to suck him back under.
Kana's long fingers seemed to engulf the blonde's slimmer ones, Naruto felt his own hands taken and his arms wrapped lightly around his torso as the bartender repositioned them. Satisfied, Kana hugged him, molding his larger frame snugly against the jinchuuriki's smaller one, making Naruto acutely aware of the other male more than he ever wanted to be. Kana's body was like a furnace and it radiated warmth in a way no human's could have, the heat not only flowing into Naruto's form but also into the air around them. It explained why the blonde didn't feel cold even though he could hear the crash of the ocean close by.
"You're so tiny, too tiny to have a baby safely." Kana muttered aloud though Naruto doubted the other was talking to him. "Stop playing human and just feed properly."
Apparently the brunet was indeed addressing the blond though Kana's words weren't making any sense. What did the barkeep mean, feed? Wasn't that what the tube from earlier had been for? And playing human? Sure he was a monster but… Naruto's heart was suddenly galloping in his chest, sleep a distant memory as fear gripped him in iron jaws. Did Kana know about the Kyuubi? Did he know that Naruto was a monster?! If so why was the brunet still holding him and not immediately tossing him away as something unclean?
Fearing some sort of new cruelty, Naruto flexed his hands, the wash of adrenaline making him shake helping him get control of his body. He was having flashbacks of their last meeting and the memories of the searing heat of Kana's touch urged him onward as Naruto tried to pull his hands free without directly touching Kana's skin. He needed to find the Akatsuki pair and get far away from the bartender as fast as possible!
"Tiny and boney!" Kana said irritably, shifting underneath the blonde to counteract Naruto's movements, putting him right back where he had been. "Can't you just… Ai-sama, please, just drop your shields again so I can feed you. Once we do that, you can go see the other two."
'Shields?' Naruto wondered numbly. He had no idea what Kana was talking about but maybe Kyuubi did. The blonde called out to the fox, repeating the brunet's words.
The puppy is referring to, for lack of a better word, your aura. Think of it like metaphysical armor surrounding your body. The fox's voice was faint, proving that it was indeed trying to reduce its presence in his head, forcing Naruto to concentrate to hear it. When you woke, your shields strengthened automatically and your fear of Kana is reinforcing them. He is right about feeding, though, so try and calm down. You don't have to be defenseless just relax your guard enough to let him feed you then toss his ass back out.
But what is he feeding me? The very vivid image of Kana feeding him pieces of raw meat from a freshly killed small animal flashed across Naruto's mind and he had to swallow thickly.
Just relax and let him. Open wide and say 'ah.'
'What?' Frustrated, the blonde pressed for further answers. But that doesn't-
A dull thump sounded from the demon's prison and Naruto was positive that it was because Kyuubi had pounded its fist against the floor of its metaphysical prison in frustration. The fox was firm when it answered him. Kit- Naruto- you cannot be around humans until you do this! Let him feed you and you'll understand better than any explanation I could give you.
Is it going to hurt? He wondered, feeling foolish and pathetic.
…No, Kit, it won't hurt you or the baby. It was said gently and reassuringly, easing a tightness in Naruto's chest that the blonde hadn't been aware of. That's right, relax. Deep cleansing breath in, exhale. It's okay! Kyuubi cried, rushing to calm Naruto when the blonde tensed up because Kana was moving his body, turning Naruto around. It's okay, no harm. He's trying to make you more comfortable. Breathe in, out. Good, great Kit, listen to me and ignore him. Concentrate on your breathing.
The fox's voice dropped to a low murmur, becoming background noise as Naruto did as he was told, listening to the air move in and out of his lungs steadily. Focused on his task, it was easy for the blonde to ignore Kana as the barkeep loosely took his hands again and pulled the sleeves of his shirt down, exposing Naruto's wrists and urging the bared area upward. Hot breath washed over the sensitive area, sending small shivers down Naruto's spine and messing up his concentration, making him jerk instinctively at Kana's grip, trying to get away. The bartender froze and though his hold remained loose, he did not release the blonde, merely made soothing noises as a calloused thumb swept over the skin of Naruto's inner wrist. Neither gesture made the blonde comfortable, however, and immediately other memories of being pinned down and helpless stirred within Naruto, panicking him.
"Don't touch me! Let me go!" The jinchuuriki screamed thinly, tugging harshly against Kana's hand, trying to pull the other's fingers within distance of his teeth.
'Not again! Not again!' The thought ran rampant through his mind, quickly becoming his only focus, drowning out both Kyuubi's disembodied voice and Kana's pleas to calm down. Naruto bit and scratched at Kana's hands until he was suddenly released and the blonde immediately raked his clawed fingers across Kana's face and chest before tumbling out of the other's lap, screaming and sobbing hysterically as he tried to make his legs work while Kana howled in pain behind him.
As soon as Naruto was on his feet, he knew that his legs wouldn't hold him long enough to make it to the Akatsuki pair. Shaky, stumbling steps were all he was capable of and, heedless of the uneven terrain, he put as much space as possible between himself and Kana while internally he called for the fox, begging and pleading for help. His head was killing him and as his legs failed he clutched at his temples in a futile effort to make his memories of Jiraiya settle again so that he could bury them in the back of his mind. Spent, he felt his body tip over into rough sand and began coughing as the coarse particles went up his nose and down his throat.
'So much for taking control.' He thought bitterly, awkwardly getting an arm under himself to roll onto his side so that he could breathe without inhaling more cold sand as he continued to cough. The memories were receding, going back to their dark pit and leaving him feeling raw both physically and emotionally. Was he going to be like this forever? Was this what he had to look forward to for the rest of his life? He was a mess, completely and utterly incapable of controlling himself in even the most benign situations. Naruto couldn't live like this- he'd rather let himself slip away completely and let Kyuubi have his body than continue. It wasn't like he'd been doing anything memorable with it anyway in the fifteen years he'd had it. Hokage… Who had he been kidding? Proving himself to Sasuke, making the Uchiha love him as much as Naruto loved him, having Sasuke's babies and being a happy family…? Pure insanity. If what Kyuubi said was true and he was the son of the greatest Hokage in history, then it would be better if Naruto was dead, being such a disgrace. The Forth was probably turning over in his grave…
Something twisted sharply and painfully in his middle, distracting him from his thoughts and he curled up as much as he was able, hands moving to cover the area as the sensation continued.
"Ai-sama!" The shout was followed by heavy footsteps then cursing as the footsteps abruptly vanished and were replaced with the distinctive dull thuds of flesh hitting dirt as Kana apparently fell. "Hey! Ai-sama are you alright?! Are you hurt anywhere? Ai-sama?!"
Naruto heard rather than saw Kana kneel next to him, felt the stir of displaced air that said plainly the bartender had his hands hovering above the jinchuuriki, unsure where was safest to touch. The blonde could not tell the other anything as the pain grew worse, unable to make any sort of verbalization other than the wet hacking sounds as he coughed. The pain increased tenfold, concentrating as his abdominal muscles cramped tightly, an overwhelming urge to push downward seizing him, as if his body knew it could purge itself of the problem if he could just scrape together enough energy to do so.
Kyuubi please… I need your help… He called in confusion as his body convulsed once then began shivering. Please answer me, please…what's happening?! Kyuubi! It hurts…
At first there was no answer, but then he felt the demon stir, the fox's power moving through his frame, pushing out from where it was pooled in the prison of his navel. The familiar burn was sluggish, as though Kyuubi was tired, and more of a mild warming than the normal rush of fiery heat it should have been. The power, too, was less, more a trickle than an overwhelming torrent, startling Naruto with its meagerness as the fox's chakra stubbornly crept throughout his body, taking only enough of the pain away to help him think clearly.
Kyu, are you sick? What's wrong? He demanded, concerned for the fox's well being. Since the demon was essentially a supercharged spirit, it shouldn't have been able to become ill, and this fact continued to pop up in the silence that followed his query. Even if the fox wasn't answering, like a warm caress just beneath his skin, Kyuubi's power continued to crawl through him persistently, giving him enough strength to shift position but not enough to actually get up. The sand gone at last from his lungs, Naruto lay trembling quietly with his eyes closed, wondering how long it would take to crawl back to the temple.
"Ai-sama?" A large hand covering his two where they lay over his stomach startled Naruto, making him jerk and shy away reflexively until he remembered that Kana was with him. The other male had been so quiet that the blonde had forgotten about him, too busy being in pain to spare a thought for the bartender. Kana's skin was so warm against Naruto's it was almost hot, and this made the blonde realize how very cold his body actually was.
"Naruto?" Kana's voice was right above the blonde's ear full of warmth and concern as he spoke. "That's your name, right? Itachi and Kisame call you that when you three are alone. Naruto, Naruto can you hear me?"
It was still odd hearing his name come out of a stranger's mouth and not be spat like a curse though not as startling since as it would have been if Naruto had never left Konoha. Part of him, a deeply hidden part that he had always been afraid to listen to, whispered that this was the way his life should have been. He should not have been feared or treated like trash as he had been in The Village Hidden in the Leaves, his should not have had to endure the things he had survived through. He hadn't done anything to deserve any of it- he was not guilty of some awful sin, he was not a demon, he had done no wrong. He had been the sacrifice to protect everyone from the Kyuubi and in thanks he had been thrown away like trash, something disgusting and vile to be discarded as soon as possible.
The whispering grew louder as it continued, gaining strength as he listened intently, helplessly captivated as all the more hostile ideas he had had over his treatment through the years but had always been afraid to examine were recounted methodically in his own voice. Kyuubi had been saying similar things for years, especially after he was dismissed by his rapist sensei, but Naruto had always ignored the comments since listening would accomplish nothing. His life was crap and it sucked, yes, but there was nothing he could do to change it. He just had to deal with it because this as how it would be until he died.
"Naruto?" Kana said again, this time more urgent. The bartender's large hand wrapped around one of the blonde's and began pulling the resisting appendage away from its resting place, shifting the jinchuuriki in the process. Immediately Naruto's train of thought derailed as pain spiked through him, making him hiss and whimper before he could stop it, his eyes screwing shut tightly in response while trying to tug his arm free from the gentle grasp.
Warm breath flared over the sensitive skin of his inner wrist seconds before soft lips pressed against the area lightly. The sensation was a confusing counterpoint to the pain of his middle cramping again and, curious despite the near agony gripping him, Naruto opened his eyes to watch Kana pull back and bite firmly into the skin of the blonde's wrist.
Though he could feel that Kana hadn't broken the skin, Naruto felt as if his body was under attack and then realized that that was exactly what was happening as he felt an invisible force press against his whole body. It was gentle and coaxing but insistent, gradually becoming firmer as it surrounded him and, startled, Naruto concentrated hard, imagining a wall around his physical form. He added spikes to the barrier and divided his attention between keeping the shield up and trying to yank his arm free of Kana's incredibly strong grip, fighting back instinctively, trying to force the other away. It was useless though, like trying to hold the ocean at bay with only your hands, and Naruto felt each piece fall away as his shields crumbled beneath the relentless assault.
Unprotected, the jinchuuriki's vision became spotty as Kana's power began coursing through him, spreading quickly through his small form. Naruto moaned lowly, teetering on the edge of consciousness as he felt things within him break, the world running in streams of color at every shattering sensation the foreign energy caused. Surprisingly, instead of being painful, there was a feeling of release, as if Kana's power was destroying shackles the blonde hadn't been aware were present, and Naruto very quickly began to await each one eagerly. Each break made him feel light, giddy even, and Naruto was distantly aware that he was giggling quietly as he relaxed against the cool sand underneath him.
Remaining coherent was impossible but he still knew the exact moment the invading energy found Kyuubi. Kana's power had been quietly replacing the familiar demonic chakra within Naruto's body with itself in an alarmingly efficient manner, following the fox's energy like a trail of bread crumbs directly to the source and surrounded it. Naruto thought that his demonic tenant would immediately lash out at the intrusion but throughout the process, the fox remained uncharacteristically quiet- passive even- as it was covered and lost to sight, spurring a sense of panic to spike through him. His alarm was short lived however; Kyuubi was suddenly in motion, rising, its demonic energy crackling like lightning, until the demon stood revealed, roaring in fury before tearing into the golden glowing mass.
The demon consumed it, gulping it down in huge draughts even as the fox swelled in size within its prison to the point that the Nine Tails was almost overflowed with it. Grimacing, Naruto shifted around in a vain attempt to accommodate Kyuubi's new size but quickly abandoned the action when it only seemed to encourage the fox to stretch like an oversized, overfed cat.
It was a familiar normal behavior the demon did fairly often during their conversations with each other but this time it was different and alarming. As Kyuubi stretched languidly, the fox seemed to fill its vessel like a physical substance, filling up the inside of the blonde's body like a hand filling a glove, gently pushing aside Naruto's consciousness as it grew, its growth fed by the foreign energy lining the jinchuuriki's chakra pathways. As easily as Naruto could lift a child from his path, the blonde's control over his body was severed and he was abruptly regulated to the metaphysical back seat as Kyuubi assumed complete control.
And suddenly, inexplicably, he was ravenously hungry, as if his body had been keeping track of every meal he'd ever missed and was now demanding payment. Naruto had never felt anything like it and didn't know how to manage the ungodly hunger that had woken alongside Kyuubi as the demon finally reacted to the invading energy. Kana's chakra, as substantial an amount as it had been, wasn't even a drop in the bucket and Naruto felt his stomach growl fiercely, as if the organ was angry with the blonde. Wave after wave of it rolled through him, confusing him, consuming everything until his world had narrowed down to satiating the mind-numbing hunger gripping him. It was painful, almost agonizingly so, and the blonde looked around helplessly for something to eat but found nothing except sand, surf and…Kana.
It was a bizarre sensation to feel his body moving but yet not be the one directing it. Growling quietly, Kyuubi levered his body up into a sitting position. Naruto saw Kana as Kyuubi turned to look at the other male, felt the muscles move as the demon effortlessly pulled the blonde's wrist out of the dark haired man's grasp. Naruto tried to push the fox's presence back so that he could shout a warning but the demon shoved his spirit away, putting up a containment barrier so that Naruto could not interfere as it coiled the blonde's limbs beneath his body and shot forward, tackling the bartender into the ground.
They wrestled and though Kana had to outweigh Naruto by a hundred pounds of muscle, he was at a distinct disadvantage in this fight since it was obvious his goal was to subdue and contain. The same could not be said about Kyuubi, who won the struggle and quickly knocked the brunet unconscious.
I never was a fan of fast food. The fox said, settling more comfortably on top of Kana's chest, catching its breath, the sound of the ocean pounding the shore gently in the background.
You can't! Naruto shouted, banging his fists against the walls of his prison. Leave him alone!
No. Kyuubi said flatly as it leaned forward over the bartender, positioning its teeth over the throbbing pulse point along the side of Kana's neck. His previous actions have caused us an incredible amount of trouble that this current act of kindness does little to soothe. He has wronged us and the puppy has to learn that this has consequences.
No! You can't I won't let you! The blonde began throwing himself against the barrier, making it glow and crackle. It was painful but he didn't stop, desperate to prevent the fox from turning him into a cannibal. The very idea should have had him screaming hysterically in protest but as it was, the thought made him salivate, even more so as Kyuubi began teasing the enticing flesh with its tongue. Though not the one in control, Naruto could taste the sweat of Kana's skin, smell the coppery sweetness in the piece of flesh held between his teeth, but beyond it all was something else inside the bartender, something vitally important that was missing in Naruto's body. He needed it and to obtain it all he had to do was bite down, to break the skin and tear the piece of flesh from the brunet's throat in a bloody rush…
Naruto swallowed hard, finding it difficult to keep in mind that Kana was a person and nothing remotely like a dinner entrée. Desperate, Naruto played the one card he knew would have an effect on the demon. You promised you'd pull back! Were you lying? Did you only want to use me, Kyuubi, just like everyone else?!
Kyuubi stilled though it did not release its hold on Kana's throat. Hope bloomed within Naruto and he sagged against the wall of his prison in relief.
Please, please don't do this. Let him go… We'll find something else-
You'll thank me for this later. Kyuubi interrupted, speaking harshly. The barrier around Naruto flared and the blonde cried out as he was thrown back into the center of his prison, directly under a shimmering haze that immediately made him feel lethargic.
No… The blonde slurred, unable to do anything but sprawl on the floor, fighting to keep his eyelids open and failing. I don't want this… If you care for me at all you won't… do… this…
If Kyuubi responded, Naruto never heard it.
The warmth from the blood dripping down the blonde's chin was quickly snatched away by the cold wind blowing off the ocean several feet away from where Kyuubi sat on the beach. Swiping absently at its mouth, the fox turned its face into the breeze, enjoying the caress on Naruto's skin as it rubbed its full belly lazily and pushed its feet into the coarse, bone littered sand, wiggling its toes.
A seagull landed on the sand just out of arms reach, loudly folding its wings. It clacked its beak and cocked its head to the side, eyeballing the blonde as it radiated displeasure.
"It's always the little things you miss." Eyes closed, Kyuubi sighed contentedly, leaning back on its hands as it pushed its fingers into the sand. "But then I'm sure you already know that, don't you, Yondaime?"
The fox smirked, rolling its head to face the seagull, eyes opening to watch the avian's reaction, nearly getting blinded in the process when the bird used its webbed foot to fling sand in the blonde's direction.
"Ingrate." Kyuubi muttered, brushing absently at its eyes. "I could have tied you to the body of a fish, you know. I thought you might prefer being able to fly."
The seagull clacked its beak again and began awkwardly pacing up and down the beach.
"Pfft. Don't give me that." The fox said, sitting forward and dusting its hands together. "Even having your soul bound to a crab is better than being a wayward spirit. At least this way you don't have to rely only on Itachi to see you anymore."
The bird remained silent but it did not cease its restless pacing.
"You're a horrible father." Kyuubi said, amusement draining away. The fox stared out at the gently rolling waves, feeling the push and pull of the water, connected to it as it was to each grain of sand beneath the blonde's body. It was a welcome reconnection, like a body part that had been severed long ago and just now reattached. "It would have been better for Naruto to have died by your hand that day rather than live through the hell you sentenced him to."
The seagull began squawking and launched awkwardly into the air, immediately attacking the fox, using its wings to beat at Kyuubi until the blond grew angry and pinned the bird to the sand.
"Don't you dare get all high and mighty with me, human!" The fox roared, hauling the seagull up to eye level by its neck with a grip that was rough and unyielding. The bird squawked again and Kyuubi tightened its hold to the point of near strangulation as the blonde continued to yell. "I know very well that no life is void of strife, Namikaze, and do not need you to preach to me of life's unfairness! I am ancient! I have witnessed countless civilizations rise and fall!" Kyuubi shook the bird for emphasis, blue eyes narrowing down into slits, its voice quieting down into a hiss that was somehow more menacing than its screaming had been. "We all must endure suffering. We all must sacrifice. But do tell me, oh great Yondaime, was there some deeply cosmic reason behind Naruto being brutally raped by your pervert sensei?"
The blond spat the last word, unaware that tears leaked from its eyes until the moisture clouded its vision enough to warrant removal. Kyuubi set the silent and limp bird on the sand gently and began to sob, the horror of the memory washing over the fox.
"Everyone is going to pay." Kyuubi growled darkly once it got control of itself again, eyes flashing crimson with rage. Small flashes of chakra flared and died, disturbing the bones littering the beach around the blonde. "Naruto has been Konoha's victim all his life, has been forced to kowtow for his very right to live. Tell me now Minato Namikaze, could you feel it as they tormented him? Did you weep when they shoved metal into his skull and fried away his first few years of life?"
The seagull righted itself and fluffed its feathers, momentarily seeming to double in size until the bird shuttered to settle them all back down. The avian began pacing again in a tight line, occasionally spreading its wings and refolding them until it broke from its well worn path and walked down to the water line to stare out at the ocean.
"It's all gone." Kyuubi said, turning its attention to the water as well, the rolling waves almost hypnotic in the way they moved, the continuous sound of the water becoming white noise. The fox kept its attention on the scenery as it spoke in an attempt to control the emotions roiling around inside it. As a result, Naruto's voice took on such an empty, flat quality that it didn't sound anything like the blond."In an instant, the only happy years he'd known were erased. He does not remember being cared for by Shisui and Itachi and does not have any sense of the heritage that they gave him. Any sense of you and Kushina… The ANBU laughed as they took it. They thought it was fun." Kyuubi's face twisted into something ugly as the fox jerkily scrubbed its hands through Naruto's scraggly blonde hair, concentrating on the area around its ears and temples, fingers furiously searching for some invisible object. "God! I can still feel the electrodes!"
The urge to cry was nearly overwhelming but Kyuubi pushed it away and fed it gently to the fire of revenge steadily burning away in the back of its mind. There would be plenty of time to cry, to mourn, later after the spilled blood of their enemies lay cooling in the dirt. Kyuubi concentrated, locating the familiar cold burn of the chakra signature it had never been able to forget, the one who it had hoped had been killed after summoning the demon and found it easily. Inwardly the fox was struggling with its anticipation over the impending attack it was planning now that they were perfectly able to defend themselves. Naruto's body had been well fed, thanks both to Kana and the less than fortunate abundant sea life frolicking under the ocean's surface before them, but that was no reason to recklessly plunge in.
"All of them will pay, starting with the person who set events in motion, who summoned me to seek vengeance upon the village who wronged him. I will take everything he has built, everything he has amassed, and use it to create a place where Naruto can be happy, where he and his children can be safe."
Now was the time to plan and insure the loyalty of their troops. Speaking of which, the fox really should look in on the Akatsuki pair and find out how close they were to recovering. Almost lazily, Kyuubi crafted and sent a dream to Itachi and Kisame before turning its thoughts back to its vengeance. The fox was nearly at full power and the thought made it shiver in delight over its returned abilities. Soon, there would be no obstacle they would not be able to overcome!
First Madara, then Akatsuki, and, ultimately, Konoha. No one would be spared!
Kyuubi turned its gaze to the sky, expression becoming solemn as it pressed a hand to Naruto's stomach, stroking its fingers fondly over the skin. Now that the blonde's body had the resources to support the growth, the baby had again jumped ahead in its development. The idea that Kisame was going to have a fit over this made the fox smile.
The seagull turned from its study of the ocean and returned to the fox, again stopping just out of grabbing range. The bird raised its head, jutting its chin out as it glared defiantly at the blond, clacking its beak rhythmically. For a moment, the bird was overlaid by a watery transparent image of the Yondaime from the only time Kyuubi had ever met the human, his blue eyes flashing, expression determined, spiky blond hair swaying wildly in the wind but then the apparition was gone, vanished as quickly as it had appeared, and the seagull was just a seagull again.
The fox shook its head, eyes narrowing as the bird's 'words' penetrated its brain. "No, the Konoha you knew is gone and is beyond redemption! They had their chance! You sacrificed your son for their safety and they destroyed Naruto in thanks!"
The seagull squawked, flapping its wings and fluffing its feathers.
"If he returns, it means death." Kyuubi hissed, anger making its power flare, setting the earth below them to trembling, sending a cascade of sand showering down onto the blonde. The fox grimaced and spoke slowly in an effort to force itself to calm down. "If not by his own hand then by someone else's. He wants to die, Namikaze, and would be dead now if those two hadn't interfered. If you guide him back there he will wither and die and everything he suffered through will be for nothing!"
The bird flared its wings again before tucking them tightly against its sides, seeming to shrink in on itself as it looked away, its head drooping.
"It's time to move on." Kyuubi said, grunting softly as the blonde climbed heavily to its feet. It stretched lightly, easing out the kinks in its lower back before absently brushing the sand from its backside. "Let's go round up those two and get moving. I doubt the monks are going to be happy about the mess I made of…"
"Kana!"
"Well that was fast." Kyuubi grumbled quietly, turning toward the source of the horrified cry, craning its neck to look up the slope of the beach at the grassy lip above where Pallas stood beside Kana's still form.
Pallas' golden hair was disheveled, flying freely in the breeze blowing off the water. Her blue eyes kept disappearing as the blonde locks lashed her face and the female shishi had to constantly tear them away in order to see. The nurse's skin was pinched and pale, though from emotion or cold Kyuubi was unsure, and the red tracks her blunt nails made while pushing her hair out of her face stood out starkly.
"No! Kana, wake up!" She screamed, dropping down to the ground and shaking her brother harshly. The anguish in her voice was sharp and piercing, teetering between horrified and grieving as Pallas continued her desperate attempts to rouse the brunet. However, as the seconds dragged by and Kana remained still, Pallas' efforts dwindled and abruptly her knees gave out. She collapsed over her brother's body, crying her eyes out as she stroked his face, her expression flowing through the myriad expected emotions associated with such a situation.
But for a moment during the process, almost too fast and subtle to notice, Pallas looked incredibly relieved.
Startled, Kyuubi's eyebrows shot up into its hairline momentarily before drawing down as realization hit, making the fox smirked knowingly to itself as it began moving up the incline of the beach, automatically adjusting its steps to avoid the remaining trash of its meal. Though Kyuubi had eaten a large number of the fish bones for the inherent nutritional value, there was only so much abuse Naruto's teeth could take, and the remainder stuck out of the sand at random intervals. In fact, only the sandy spot where the blonde had been sitting was completely free of the sharp little staves, making the beach an inhospitable place for humans until the tide came in to wash the mess away.
'Well. My, my, my…' Smiling over its good fortune, Kyuubi glided through the sand with grace and care until it reached the grass where Kana lay and loomed over Pallas as the nurse continued to cry and run her fingers through the brunet's hair. 'Ah, tradition: the gift that keeps on giving.'
The sound of flapping announced that the possessed seagull had joined them and the bird clicked its beak softly at the fox before awkwardly walking away, large webbed feet truly unsuited for the scrubby grassland they stood on. Kyuubi frowned, eyes narrowed as it watched the seagull leave. No matter what the former Yondaime advised, the fox didn't have time to be tactful even if it had felt so inclined.
The fox sighed loudly, dramatically, as it strode forward and bent down to take hold of Kana's ankle only to have its hand knocked away by Pallas.
"Demon!" She hissed, curling her body protectively over that of her brother's. "Mon-"
"Finish that and I will rip your tongue out." Kyuubi cut in harshly, tangling a hand among the other's hair and using it to roughly urge the other back from the brunet.
"How could you?" Pallas sobbed, her nails clawing at Kyuubi's restraining hand while also trying to stop the fox from touching Kana. "He trusted you, he left his family to protect you!"
Annoyed, Kyuubi gripped the silent Koma-inu by the ankle and lifted his legs upward, letting his upper body remain on the ground at an odd angle. "Will you shut up already? Your whining is giving me a headache."
Releasing Pallas, Kyuubi used both hands to lift Kana's larger form up before turning and pitching the limp brunet through the air and into the sea.
"Nooo!" Pallas screamed, lunging helplessly after her brother, tumbling over the lip of grass and dropping to the sand of the beach below. Heedless of the needle sharp bones piercing her skin, the woman managed to scramble across the sand until she was within feet of the waterline before Kyuubi could even blink.
"Stop!"The moment the word left its mouth, the fox knew that it would have consequences from the unintended power contained within it. Shoving down the dueling emotions of excitement and foreboding over this new ability, Kyuubi's borrowed eyes swept down the beach to find Pallas frozen in place, one hand still outstretched toward the sea where Kana had disappeared beneath the waves.
The fox stared, slack jawed as the full impact of this new development hit it. Hastily amending the order to allow the nurse to breath and her heart to beat, Kyuubi gave itself a shake and ordered Pallas to return to the fox's side.
Fascinated, Kyuubi watched as, in jerky movements, Pallas stood, turned around and scaled the embankment. The blonde's eyes were wide and frightened, her breathing quicker than normal, but her feet did not falter in their movement until she was beside the fox.
Kyuubi smiled, the only outward sign of the fierce joy welling up within the possessed blonde, and threw an arm over Pallas' shoulders, hugging the stiff woman tightly in a companionable manner. Turning around, the fox oriented them both in the direction of the temple and ordered the captive Pallas to walk along beside Kyuubi as the fox began moving.
The smile gracing the fox's lips was a sight to behold, one that would have made even the strongest of men run away screaming in terror. It was a small mercy that Pallas could not see it but, to be safe, Kyuubi attempted to contain the giddy triumph swelling inside its heart.
No matter what happened now, the fox would be victorious and there was no power on earth that would be able to change that fact.
From demon to god in hours- things were definitely looking up for Naruto and Kyuubi.
Voice taking on a seductive quality, Kyuubi began to speak, intentionally brushing its lips against the outer shell of Pallas' ear as it did so, delighting in the way the other shivered. "I have a business proposition to discuss with you."
AN: Review please!