Disclaimer: Yeah, if I owned Naruto, Sasuke would roast me. And I like living.

Thank you to yukino89, Melikalilly, and Neon-Panda for their reviews! They inspired me! LOL However, only ONE of them actually told me which Prologue they preferred! So, for Neon-Panda, here is the next chapter in the alternate story line! And this chapter is longer too! XD

Warnings: Implied homosexuality =D

Rating: PG

Thoughts
Kyuubi
~~~~~o~~~~~ Scene change, time break, etc…

Chapter 1: Sentaku o Suru ni wa

Giggles and laughter echoed through the darkness, waking a young man with golden hair.
"The host is dead!" a hushed voice said.
"Then Kyuubi is free!" another voice said excitedly.
"Kyuubi does not wish to be free yet," a more serious voice said slowly.
The laughter disappeared.
As if the silence was his cue, the young man slowly opened his blue eyes, only to be met by more darkness.
But what was darkness?
The absence of light, a voice seemed to whisper.
After a moment, he realized he was floating.
But that was wrong, wasn't it? Shouldn't there be a floor?
But what was a floor? He wasn't quite sure.
Before he could think about it anymore, a floor appeared under him so he was lying instead of floating.
As soon as the floor touched his skin, he realized he was naked. Once again, as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he was confused. Like before, a robe materialized on him before he could think about it too deeply.
Him? What was him?
"You," the serious voice from before said.
Ah. So he was the "him." But who was he?
"Try to remember," the voice instructed gently.
When he tried to recall, he cried out in pain, immediately shying away from the brief flash of memory.
"Naruto," he gasped out, finally remembering how to speak. "I'm Naruto."
"That's right. You're Naruto, the host of Kyuubi," the voice said.
"Who is Kyuubi? And who are you?" Naruto asked slowly, struggling to a sitting position.
A beautiful white-haired woman with eyes as black as a starless night appeared in front of him, a white fox tail twitching behind her.
"Kyuubi is the one inside you. And I am Inari."
Naruto stared at her for a moment, noticing the white fox ears that almost blended into her hair before looking around him.
"Where am I? And where did all the voices go?" he asked.
"You are nowhere and anywhere, and everywhere in between, a place for questions and regrets to be resolved. And the voices have hidden in nothingness," Inari replied.
For some reason, this made perfect sense to Naruto. But he realized that wasn't the answer he really wanted.
"Why am I here?" he asked carefully.
"To make a choice."
Well, that was very helpful.
Don't be sarcastic, Kit. She answers the questions asked of her, the whispering voice from before said.
"Who was that?" Naruto asked, quickly looking around.
"That was Kyuubi, speaking inside of you," Inari said.
"Do you really have to answer any question asked of you?"
"No, I only answer the questions I wish to. But I rarely answer an unasked question."
Naruto took this as a hint to continue asking his questions.
"Am I dead? Is that how I got here?" he asked, remembering the quick flash of memory from before.
"Yes, you died. But dying is not enough to grant you an audience with me."
"Then how did I get here?" Naruto asked, perplexed.
"A nine-tailed fox has nine chances at life. Once they die, they can request an audience with me by sacrificing one of their chances, or "tails," as we call them. Figuratively speaking, of course. And if their spirit is true, I will grant their request and give them another chance," Inari explained.
"But I'm not a fox, so how could I get an audience with you?"
"You are not a fox, but Kyuubi is and she used her last two tails so that you both could have another chance."
Naruto was floored by this new information. The one inside him, Kyuubi, had given him one of her chances at life?
No, I have to concentrate. Think about this later.
"What choice am I here to make?" he continued questioning.
"To try again or to move on."
"Try again at what?"
"At your life, though it is up to you whether you will continue with your original goal or another."
"And where would I move on to?"
"The afterlife."
"But how can I choose if I can't remember anything?"
"Search your heart and it will guide the way," she replied cryptically.
Naruto sighed. All these obscure hints were causing a headache to form between his eyes.
Search my heart? Does she mean my feelings?
Obviously, Kit, Kyuubi drawled.
Naruto ignored the voice and concentrated, trying to untangle his chaotic emotions.
"There was something…important…that I had to do…But it feels like I failed," he said slowly. "I need to fix it, but it's like I'm torn in two, unable to decide if I should…"
His voice faltered to a stop as the thought disappeared like a tear in the ocean.
"If you should what?" Inari asked. Surprised murmurs sounded as the darkness rippled and curious eyes began appearing.
"Inari-sama asked a question!" a musical voice whispered.
"Something big must be coming!" another said breathlessly.
Naruto ignored the whispers, focusing on the question.
The pain from before threatened to well back up but he quickly squashed it, somehow knowing it wasn't time yet to face it.
"I don't know," he said slowly. "It's like I'm standing at a fork in the path and I can't see the path that led me there. But it's important that I finish it. One way or the other, even if it's the last thing I do. It's the most important thing in the world," he finished, conviction lacing his voice.
"In order to do this, you will have to regain your memories," Inari said gently. "And even then, you will have to endure even more pain to complete your journey."
Naruto winced at the thought of remembering. But hey, all he'd ever known was pain, so what was a little more?
Confusion furrowed his brow as this thought popped into his mind. He hated knowing these things, but not having the memories to go with them.
"I still have to do it," he answered firmly, ignoring the fact he wasn't sure what "it" was.
"Oh, I like him! He has the true spirit of a fox!" a voice said.
"That's awfully brave of him," another voice said dreamily."If only he was interested in females…" yet another said, her disappointment evident.
"Wh-what!" he sputtered.
"It will all be clear once you remember," Inari said, her laughter as pure and clear as a bell. A hushed silence fell as everyone stopped to listen until the last echo faded. "But remember, this choice cannot be undone. You must be certain."
"I'm sure," Naruto said, determination written on his face.
"Then the choice has been made. You have chosen to finish the path that was cut short. May your journey be filled with happiness and success," Inari declared as magic filled the air.
"Chotto matte kudasai, Obaa-san," a pleasant, yet empty-sounding voice called.
A young woman greatly resembling Inari appeared by her side, bowing respectfully.
"My child, how kind of you to grace us with your presence. As you can see, we are about to send him back," Inari said, slight disapproval in her voice as the magic dissipated.
"Hai, Obaa-san. Please excuse my rudeness for interrupting. But I have Seen this boy's past and all his possible futures, and it is time for me to leave this Sanctuary and journey into life once more."
Inari stared at the woman's bowed head curiously. "Rise, my child. I believe introductions are in order."
As the girl rose, Naruto stared in awe. She was beautiful, yet it was a cold beauty, as if all the warmth and life had left her long ago. But her eyes, a cold, frozen blue, seemed to have gained new life as they met his.
"Naruto, this is my granddaughter, Myobu. Myobu, as you know, this is Uzumaki Naruto, host to Kyuubi no Youkou."
Myobu cupped Naruto's cheek, her eyes filling with a tenderness that confused Naruto.
"So much pain and suffering…" she whispered. "How has your soul remained so pure?"
"I don't know," Naruto said, pushing the words past the lump in his throat. Her gentle touch, so rare in his previous life, brought tears to his eyes. He fought them down, then continued. "I don't know, but I don't feel that pure."
"No," she said thoughtfully, slowly withdrawing her hand. "Now, there is a stain upon it. It is small, so small when one considers how very much you suffered. But that stain could grow. You are so strong, so pure, but even the purest being can be corrupted if hurt enough. So, I shall accompany you."
Before Naruto could question her, Myobu turned back to her grandmother. "I come before Inari-sama, offering a tail in exchange for a new life."
"What you petition for is rare indeed. You ask not for a chance at your previous life, or a continuation from the moment of your death, but a completely new life," Inari said.
"Hai, Inari-sama."
"In order for a new body to be created, you must give more than just a tail."
"Hai, Inari-sama. I offer my power of Sight for the duration of this new life. I will be Blind to others' pasts and no longer See their futures. Will this power suffice?"
"This power is one of our greatest and not lightly given. In reward for such sacrifice and selflessness, any body you wish shall be created and your powers of self-healing and poison immunity shall be returned to you," Inari intoned.
"The only body I wish for is the one I have now. I am deeply grateful for your boons and will do my utmost to bring no shame to the Kitsune," Myobu said, bowing deeply. Naruto quickly mimicked her, flustered.
"Then we shall now begin again. The two candidates have chosen to journey back into life. May your journey be filled with happiness and success," Inari once again said, magic filling the air as a circle of fire surrounded Naruto and Myobu.
As the fire flared up, blocking everything from sight, Naruto thought he heard Inari whisper something.
It sounded like…
"Good luck."

~~~~~o~~~~~o~~~~~o~~~~~o~~~~~o~~~~~~o~~~~~~o~~~~~~

Translations:

Sentaku o Suru ni wa = To Make a Choice
Kit = Baby fox
Chotto matte kudasai = Please wait a moment.
Obaa-san = Grandmother (respectful)
Hai = Yes
Kyuubi no Youkou = Crimson Kyuubi (I liked it better than Kitsune or Youko. It seems to fit better.)

A/N: I choose the names and looks for certain reasons. I first came across the name Myobu and it's meaning (celestial fox) in I'll Fight for You by Aikat3ryn3 and became curious about other names that could have fox in their meaning. Through research, I found a goddess named Inari who was often depicted as a woman riding astride a white fox, though later, people began portraying her as a shape-shifting fox. So, the fox with the most power in my story became Inari, who transforms into a white fox (thus the hair color). Which is why Myobu, who is descended from her, is also a white fox. All in all, I'm not stealing Myobu from Aikat3ryn3 (the personality is completely different), so please don't flame me if you've read her story.
And the reason Myobu switched from Obaa-san when she first appeared to Inari-sama later is because of the role Inari was playing. When Myobu first spoke, she was speaking to Inari as a grandchild. But when she was petitioning Inari, she used a formal title because Inari would be considered a superior in that situation instead of just a family member. Also, the whole thing about powers and such will be explained later in the story. Sorry if all that confused you!
Ja ne!
~MikoAmaya