Author Notes: Welcome back. Please think about reviewing. Enjoy the story.
################$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Previous Night: Naruto and Hana had discussed why the woman had broken in, and it just left the blond feeling betrayed. Why couldn't anyone ever consider that he was in control?
"Don't say that Naruto," Kiba's sister asked him. "It's your first heat, and no one knows much of anything about the Kyuubi. You obviously didn't just shred my brother or pound him into oblivion, so there is no doubt left. Look, we can talk more in the morning if you want." She closed the window behind her and dropped to the ground before going up to her own room. Naruto turned to his lover with sadness in his eyes. He pulled the sheets up to cover the rest of their chests and then wrapped his arms around Kiba and held him close.
"As long as you still love me," he said quietly as a single tear escaped him. Naruto fell asleep once more.
Kiba: It couldn't even be seven yet going by the light outside, but the brunette woke up feeling very calm and rested. He yawned loudly and then tried to stretch his arms, but then he noticed something holding his chest down. In curiosity, Kiba looked and found Naruto holding onto him dearly. He's so cute, the boy thought humorously. It then dawned on him that this was the first time he found something to be cute. Kiba just brushed it off; Naruto was his crush…and his lover too. He settled back down and managed to turn himself to face the blond without waking him from his deep, rhythmic breathing. The Inuzuka heir softly wrapped his arms around Naruto's chest and nuzzled him too, eliciting purr-like noises from him and a small moan here and there. Kiba stroked the blond's hair lovingly and just rested like that for a while. He had nearly fallen asleep again when he heard clicking from his door. Tsume opened it to his annoyance using a key. "Mom!" he whispered loudly.
"Morning," she said quietly. "I'm guessing he's still asleep?" her son nodded. "You two are cute together, you know that? Well, breakfast is in the works, and we're all staying here the whole day unless you guys get a mission or go into the village. When he wakes up, I have new clothes for him," Tsume told him while pointing to the tidy stack on the dresser. "You guys will probably have to go to his apartment and pick up another two sets, but the rest of the day is yours. See ya later," she said while softly shutting the door. Kiba just lay down again, but then Naruto stirred. He moaned quietly as his eyes adjusted to the light.
"Kiba?" he asked a bit incoherently. The blond's eyes were blue once more, and his whisker marks were normal. His brunette was very happy that Naruto could truly hold reign over his own life and not have the Kyuubi rule over such an important aspect as his love life.
"Hey Naruto," Kiba replied quietly and with a smile. He kissed his lover lightly, fully awakening the blond. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, and thanks for last night," the demon container replied as he nuzzled the brunette's neck. "Our heats seem to be gone for the time being."
"And they will be back by the end of the day," Kiba ended for him before claiming the blond's lips. Playfully, he entangled himself and the blond in the sheets as he played with Naruto. Kiba ended up on top of Naruto, the boys' chests held together. He slid his hand down to where he new the Kyuubi's seal resided and traced it lovingly, pouring acceptance and happiness into his mate. Kiba then moved his teeth to Naruto's left ear, lightly chewing on it and drawing sharp breaths from the blond.
"I love you too," he giggled. Kiba stopped with both actions, and they shared a deeper kiss as Naruto held his head, pulling them as close together as possible. The door was cracked open silently, and Tsume looked upon their two bodies so closely intermingled in the sheets…Kiba on top of Naruto? Playing, that's so cute, she thought as she smiled. Kiba softly lifted off and just stared into his lover's mysteriously blue eyes. "Should we go see if your mom and sister are up?" Naruto asked.
"Aw, so soon?" Kiba asked in disappointment. "I wanted to stay with you for a while," he spoke a bit more deviously. The Inuzuka heir used his index finger to wildly rip down the blond's seal, causing him to shiver and arch into hitting their foreheads together. "Ouch!" Kiba hissed. When Naruto moved his head back a little, he looked pissed. "Sorry." His expression dropped, and his instincts commanded his actions as he submissively caressed Naruto's seal and made whimpering noises.
"I forgive you," the blond spoke with a smile as his arms suddenly wrapped around his lover's back. He pulled Kiba down to him, and they shared a kiss. Tsume found the scene to be far too interesting to be left alone, and she kept watching through the doorway. Naruto broke the kiss and took a deep breath through his nose. He cringed and wrinkled his more sensitive nose. "We need a shower," the blond said with a smile and yet being entirely serious. Tsume new their fun was over now, so she just barged right in.
"Good moooo-o-or…ning?" she said loudly before becoming very quiet. Kiba's eyes shot up to her, and Naruto eyed her in horror. They were stuck for a good while until Tsume grinned. "Well, you seem to be enjoying yourselves." Her son and the blond didn't budge an inch. "By the way, I like," she said deviously before turning around and walking out the door, leaving it open. That was too perfect, Tsume thought to herself triumphantly. Maybe now they'll start showing their affection around us and be more secure about it.
"Did she just…" Naruto began asking.
"She was in here earlier," Kiba told him as he looked out the door. "It's like she wants us to just do it in front of her."
"Keep the R-rated up here," Tsume said as she entered their doorway once more. "But yeah, you will see every other pair just smooching it out in broad daylight. In other words, come out of the freaking closet. No one on this estate will hold it against you. In fact, you'll probably receive bed advice from a couple of pairs, and you can share how you met and so on and so forth."
"Just go!" Kiba told her as he put on a completely confounded expression. The woman shrugged and started walking away.
"Wait," Naruto started. Tsume turned around and looked at him. "It's that easy?" he asked, receiving a nod and raised eyebrows in return. "Hm, well, then I guess I'm okay with it. I can actually smell a lot of different scents now. But what about you Kiba?"
"How can you be so easy going?" the brunette asked.
"Simple, I'm accepted here," Naruto responded effortlessly. Both Kiba and his mother froze. "If I can be treated like a person here, that's all I need. I mean, kissing and stuff in the village would be dangerous in a lot of ways, but if your family is so open, then why not take advantage of it?"
"You're a natural-born Inuzuka," Kiba's mother told him with a smile. "Oh, we have to go by Tsunade's later and get a picture of your head." The woman walked over to where the two were still wrapped up and forcefully pulled up the sheets, spinning the two out into exposure. "Get up, take a shower, get dressed, and eat. Chop-chop. After we run by the hospital, the rest of the day is yours."
"Mom!" Kiba yelled as he stood up and desperately pulled at part of the sheet and covered his lower half. "Seriously, you need to learn when and when not to invade privacy. I mean, you don't even know Naruto half as much as you should to do that. And you still shouldn't do that to me either anyway."
"She's your mother," Naruto responded as though he was talking to an overly immature child. "She already gave birth to you, so there's nothing she hasn't seen unless you count the hair." Tsume and Kiba both turned to him. They were both surprised with how open he was to this. The blond lay on his back with his legs bent a bit from being tossed and with his head turned toward the two. "Just live with it. I never had parents, so I'll take this over being alone any day." Kiba's jaw had dropped, and his mother was both a bit surprised and a bit…impressed.
"Are you brain-dead?" Kiba asked with a blush on. How could his crush not feel violated by this?
"Nice form," his mother commented, making Naruto grimace, and making Kiba turn fiery red in embarrassment, and nearly making him drop his cover. "You sure know how to pick 'em Kiba. Strong, talented, fit, and same height, all qualities of a worthy partner." The blond now felt a bit embarrassed. "Well, we all have our limits. You both actually have very sexy bodies. Don't get the wrong idea; they're for people of your age, not me. Now go on, cleaning you need." Naruto quickly got out of the bed and took Kiba by the wrist. The brunette dropped the sheet and followed his mate to his mother's bathroom. When they entered Tsume's bedroom though, they spotted Kurumaru standing awake in his cramped cage.
"I smell you two mated again," he spoke lowly and with a small growl. Naruto felt afraid of the beastly dog, but Kyuubi backed him up. "You should feel privileged to be able to take him, a high-ranking family member, honored in fact. I marked you, and normally that would mean you are my property so to speak, but it seems you refused it. Listen carefully Fox-Brat; enjoy claiming him while you can…because after Tsume let's you unceremoniously mark me as my punishment, we'll have a true contest to see who is the alpha. When I beat you to a pulp, you'll be lucky if I let Kiba take you…ever." A tear fell from Naruto's eye, but Kyuubi seethed with rage. He began putting his influence on Naruto's body, and the blond's chakra level skyrocketed. Kurumaru recoiled.
"You would deny my vessel his love?" Kyuubi asked through a now heavily whiskered and red-eyed Naruto. He let go of Kiba's hand as his own grew claws. "You'd best watch yourself…pup. If you dare to interfere and hurt Naruto, you will have me to deal with." Tsume stood at the doorway in fright.
"Back down Kurumaru, now!" she yelled. Kyuubi turned to her. "Let go of Naruto."
"Ah, so you are Kiba's mother," he spoke. He sniffed the air deeply. "You should be ashamed dog," Kyuubi told Kurumaru. "Your female master has far more testosterone than you do. What a pity. The strongest male dog in the entire clan is more of a woman than the very woman who keeps a lock on him. Tisk tisk." Kurumaru became furious and launched at the cage door, actually breaking it. "Hmm, not entirely weak," Kyuubi spoke as the black wolf shot toward him. He merely used a finger and launched the dog into Tsume who managed to catch him and stay balanced. "Watch yourself little doggy, or the big mean fox will come and tear up your play pen."
"You conniving son of a bitch!" Kurumaru growled at Kyuubi. Tsume used a syringe and quickly sedated him. "I'll…get you…for this," he breathed before losing consciousness. Kyuubi merely scoffed. Tsume looked at him in fright masked with seriousness. The fox merely looked back at her expressionlessly.
"Naruto?" Kiba asked with tears in his eyes. Kyuubi turned to him with a look of concern on. It was in fact the demon fox, not his best friend, and his aura scared the Inuzuka. "Let him go," he said sorrowfully. "Give him back!" Kiba tried to punch him, but Kyuubi lightly caught the fist and looked at him in concern.
"You can bring him back," he replied. "As Naruto will fight for you against that dog, you should prove your worthiness to me. Fight me; take him back." Kiba froze. It wasn't said maniacally or suggesting of it being hopeless, but he felt hopeless. This was a demon he was up against. He collapsed on his knees begging the red-eyed demon to let Naruto go. "What?" the fox asked. "Did you think I would hurt you, my vessel's one love and only rope holding him to sanity? Nay Kiba." The boy's face rose. "Bringing him back is easy. Suppress my chakra, without that tag. If you truly love him, then your chakra would adapt to his and his to yours. They become so close that they are unique yet indistinguishable. If you're worthy and truly love him, then taking him from me should be easy. Let your chakra combine with his and together push me aside. If you don't try, I could always destroy you for breaking his heart." That last part didn't even matter. Kiba's hand inched toward the glowing seal, but he stopped just short of it. "Even if you could release me, it would require a complex jutsu, not mere formless chakra," Kyuubi told him. The brunette allowed his fingers to rest on the seal. It was warm, and he felt the chakra coursing around it. Kiba closed his eyes and forced himself into a meditative state. A wave of chakra shot into the seal, and it slowly started reverting to black. "Just so you know, I would have let him go anyway, but that dog of yours had best learn that Naruto is here to stay. If he marks Naruto, I will mark him, and he can't beat me." The last words sounded more like Naruto, and Kyuubi made him smile as he drifted back into his cage. Kiba opened his eyes and watched as the red orbs changed back to blue. Naruto fell forward into his arms, but he quickly regained consciousness, fearfully I might add.
"Kiba, what's going on?" Naruto asked. He stumbled backwards and fell on his behind shaking in fear. The blond curled up on himself, holding his knees close to him with his arms as he sat against the wall. "Are you alright?" He was still looking directly at Kiba, but the fear in those blue orbs was overwhelming. "Please tell me he didn't do anything. God, how many are dead?"
"None Naruto," Tsume told him. The boy turned to her in surprise and shock. "From what I observed, the Kyuubi took over, proved his strength to Kurumaru, and then told Kiba to take you back from him."
"W-what?" the blond asked. Kiba used all fours to go over to him. He sat next to his partner. One observing this from an outside angle would just be stopped by the fact that they were stark naked, but Kiba provided Naruto comfort in what ways he could. "All I remember is seeing that big black dog and getting frightened, and then…black, but I could feel Kyuubi. He was angry, and then…sorry?"
"I made your Uke take you back from me," Kyuubi told him calmly. "It was a simple chakra suppression, nothing serious. I told him to both prove himself worthy and prove his love to be true. All I did was strengthen your bond, and give that psychopathic dog a warning he won't soon forget. No one was hurt, and no one has hurt you yet, so just ease back into security."
"It's fine Naruto," Kiba said as he put his hand on the blond's shoulder. "You and I are both safe, and Mom is too. Nothing happened at all. Just calm down." Naruto's eyes dulled almost completely. If one thought he was depressed before, he or she'd be doubly convinced now. "Hey, doesn't this prove that even if Kyuubi gets control, he won't do anything?" Kiba asked. Naruto felt the effects of those words, and he lifted his head. "This means the fox can't be all bad."
"That fox is like me," Tsume finally spoke up. "He's protective of Naruto, which might be confused for trying to save his own skin, he encourages you to love him and yet makes sure you are right for him, and he actually doesn't resort to violence unless he's attacked. It makes me wonder: why did he attack that night? Kyuubi seems…there's no word for it, but he's not evil."
"No one's dead," Naruto commented distantly. "He gained control, but he did nothing. Why?"
"Because you're my kit and I like you so much," Kyuubi told him. Well, that answer worked for Naruto. "If I broke out of you, you'd still be just as abandoned, and then we'd both be out of a person to talk to. As long as you're alive, I'll stick with you."
"You alright?" Tsume asked as she leaned down and lovingly ran one hand through his blond spikes. Naruto nodded. "Kiba, go use the other shower. You both need some time to think." Her son nodded, but he took one last look back at Naruto before leaving the room. "Well, I guess things are looking up," the woman said caringly. "I can't imagine how scared you were, but you're here, and that's what counts. I'll keep Kurumaru away for a good while, but after your head's fixed, we need to train you, seriously. With some dumb luck and enough training, you'll be able to make Kurumaru submit. When that's done, I'm sure Kyuubi can tell you how to mark Kurumaru. At that point, all your problems will disappear, but it'll be tough."
"If it means being able to give that sadistic bastard a piece of my mind, then train away Tsume-San," Naruto replied with a smile. He then got up and entered her bathroom, locking the door behind him.
It was twenty minutes later when both boys came out and got their clothes, but neither paid the other any mind, yet. Naruto and Kiba went downstairs to see two plates of eggs, bacon, and hash browns with a glass of milk next to each plate. Neither Tsume nor Hana was present. It was like a thick fog had descended over the two as they picked at their food. After five minutes, Kiba worked up the nerve to try and break the ice.
"What did Mom tell you?" he asked quietly. Naruto's previously swirling hand stopped swishing the scrambled eggs around. He raised his head and smiled a bit though.
"She said she'll train me to the bone so I can stand up to Kurumaru without Kyuubi's help," the blond replied happily. His expression quickly changed however. "I'm guessing you're not okay with this anymore."
"What do you mean?" the brunette asked.
"I lost control, completely, and I don't know what all happened between Kyuubi and you, but I'm guessing it wasn't anything good," Naruto said with regret swimming through his eyes. "Do you want me to leave?" The question was so abrupt, and it threw Kiba for a loop.
"No, stay here Naruto," he said quietly. "Kyuubi took control, yes, but he didn't do a thing with it. What he said to me…means something personally. He told me to prove myself worthy, prove that it was love driving me. After I suppressed him using our combined chakra, the last thing he said was that he would have let you go anyway. Kyuubi told me to fight for you like you will for me, and now I get it. You're special Naruto, in a lot of ways, and this is what it means to truly treasure your love. I won't abandon you just because I met what's inside you. Besides, he's nice. Do you want to leave?"
"No," Naruto said with a tear in his eye. "It just seems like no matter what I do, something threatens everyone I care about. I want to stay with you Kiba. I'm just uncertain of what that will do." In his distant talking, Naruto hadn't noticed his mate rising and walking over to him. Kiba kneeled down and took the blond's chin in his hand, surprising Naruto.
"The worst possible situation already occurred," the brunette told him. "Nothing is left that can happen. I love you Naruto." Kiba softly connected their lips, and Naruto held his head to make him feel secure in them being so close. "I won't leave Naruto."
"And I won't if you don't want me to," the blond replied softly. He hugged Kiba tightly, letting all of the fear just drain from his body as he held his closest friend. The brunette hugged him back, and he nuzzled Naruto as well, reassuring him of his security. "I guess we should finish your sister's cooking before it gets cold," the blond said more lightly and with a smile. They quickly sat down and devoured the rest of their meals. When they stepped out the door, Tsume, Shen, and Akamaru were waiting for them.
"Okay, off to Tsunade's," Tsume spoke happily. Akamaru climbed into Kiba's sweatshirt, and Shen rubbed himself against Naruto, making pleasant sounds as though he was a cat. The white and grey dog's coat was very soft, and Naruto pet him behind the ears before they left the Inuzuka estate. "You guys smell much better. Are you feeling fine?"
"Ya, no itches, not too hot…we're pretty fine right now," Kiba told her. "The heats come back though."
"But if you had no one to be with you, it'd be far worse," his mother replied. "The ones who wait it out are truly the toughest, because self pleasure just doesn't get rid of it. You'd feel better long enough to get to sleep, but the next day would be terrible all over again. By the way, Gino says he's sorry for what Mido nearly did." Kiba looked up. "I can hardly believe those two ended up together. Mido's an ass, and Gino is like his complete opposite."
"Maybe they balance each other," Naruto spoke up. Tsume and Kiba turned to him. "One's all fury, and the other's all nice and compassionate. Opposites attract sometimes, but it can be hard to get it to work."
"You'd make a good love doctor," Tsume said flatly. Kiba would have laughed if not for her tone. They made it to the village and moved onto the hospital. Tsunade was about to enter when she saw the group.
"How're you feeling Naruto?" she asked. The blond just smiled at her. "Well, up to the examination room." Tsunade hated wasting time, and so they walked at double pace to the second floor. "Sit. Lay back. Try not to move at all, and keep your eyes shut too," she told Naruto. His MRI went off without a problem, and the pictures the Godaime received were nice and clear. "Well, Kyuubi's been working hard," she said. "The crack is only half as long, and it isn't wide at all now. Come back again either later tonight or tomorrow morning so I can keep good track. Otherwise, keep the back of your head protected, but the fainting spells should have subsided completely now." This news was very pleasing. "Now, I do have just one thing to ask you Naruto. Kiba, Tsume, it might be better if you left for just a bit." Naruto's mate felt unnerved, but his mother began pulling him out of the room.
"I'll be fine Kiba," the blond said as he waved. The brunette closed the door, and the whiskered boy and Tsunade were left alone. "So, what it is?" he asked courteously for once.
"Naruto, do you think you're losing control over the Kyuubi?" the woman asked concernedly. The boy froze. "The whole village felt a giant chakra spike earlier. I know it was you." The woman's voice remained calm and reassuring, but Naruto was becoming more and more afraid as this went on. "Please tell me the truth Naruto. You're a valuable ninja and a personal friend to a lot of people. Nothing bad will happen if you say yes." Naruto sat on the table and stared blankly into the tile floor.
"This morning…Kyuubi fully took over," Naruto finally told her quietly and solemnly. The woman's expression fell. "It happened when Tsume-San's dog, Kurumaru, said he'd beat the crap out of me someday and forbid me from being with Kiba ever again." Tsunade became both frightened and shocked at this. "Ya, we're together, but please don't tell anyone. The Inuzuka family goes into heat every spring, and Kyuubi said that now that I'm old enough, I will too. I'll be honest; I've been kinda…crushing on him for a while. Kiba told me he loved me, and things have progressed from there. But his family is part dog, and I didn't know there were rules about things like dominance and family rank."
"Wait," Tsunade started. "What does this have to do with the Kyuubi? I mean, I am concerned, but is this relevant?" Naruto nodded. "Then go on."
"Kurumaru said he'd challenge me to a fight for dominance, between him and me," the blond continued. He held his own arms tightly. "He said…if I lost…I'd be lucky if he allowed Kiba to top me…ever." The Hokage both blushed and paled. A: Naruto, the most oblivious and hyperactive boy in the village, was openly talking about his sexual relationship with another guy. B: he was talking about losing that relationship entirely if he lost a physical battle with the Inuzuka's strongest dog. "He said I should enjoy…claiming Kiba…while I still can, but it's not like that." Tears rolled from his eyes. "I just want to be with him, to be accepted, but I'm gonna lose everything." Tsunade sat next to him and rubbed his back reassuringly. "I was really scared, but then Kyuubi just possessed my body. I didn't know what was going on, because I couldn't see, but I could feel him. When I woke up, I was in Kiba's arms. I backed away out of fear, and I was so sure that he had killed Kurumaru or Kiba's mom. Nothing was broken though. Tsume-San and Kurumaru were both uninjured, and Kiba just held me like I had nearly died."
"Wait, he had control, but he didn't do anything?" the Hokage asked. Naruto nodded as he sobbed. "Naruto, how well do you know the fox? Even though he is sealed inside you, I know you can talk to him."
"He never talks about his past," the blond started. "He normally just lounges around or taunts me when I do something stupid, but he has a soft side too. Kyuubi comforted me when I thought I had blown my chance of being with Kiba, and he did that a couple times before when I would have a really bad set of nightmares. He gives me advice sometimes, but otherwise, it isn't like he's raging and fighting the seal. Kyuubi said I'm his kit, and he'll stay with me as long as I'm alive."
"Do you believe him?" Tsunade asked. Naruto nodded. "Just let me look over the seal really quick. Just lay back and pull your shirts up." The blond did as she asked. Tsunade used an overhead light to get a good look. "The base seal is completely intact, but the eight signs have suffered deterioration."
"When I fought Sasuke at the Valley of the End, I discovered a new power," Naruto told her. "I was surrounded by really thick red chakra, and I was suddenly a lot faster, a lot stronger too. This chakra could form things though. I could stretch it like an arm, and I could grasp Sasuke's body and throw him into a cliff with a hand-like thing, but I noticed something right before I lost to the Curse Mark. This chakra, it burned, and I lost all the feeling in my left hand. My whole body just felt like needles were running through it. After our attacks connected, Sasuke broke through and struck his hand into my stomach. There was a dark chakra surrounding his hand, and after that, I lost consciousness."
"You should have told me sooner," Tsunade told him calmly. "You were severely injured in many places when you came back, and I noticed the chakra scarring, but I didn't think it would be like this. If the signs completely erode, which is a very long way off, whenever Kyuubi's chakra enters your body, it will become harmful. Do you want me to fortify the seal a bit?"
"I…I guess," Naruto told her as though he didn't know what this would entail. "What will that do though?"
"Well, nothing except make sure that your safety is well maintained," the Hokage replied. "I need a team of ANBU though, because my chakra isn't anywhere near as strong as the Fourth Hokage's was. Maybe after we get another image of your head tomorrow. Does that sound alright?" Naruto nodded. The woman had merely been looking over the seal and had only touched the weakened signs, but she lightly traced the swirl pattern out of wonder, and Naruto let a tiny moan escape him before he bit his lip. Tsunade stopped immediately. "Does that…feel good Naruto?" she asked awkwardly. "Like…more than just a hug or a tickle?"
"Ya actually," the whiskered boy told her embarrassingly as he got up. "If you can, keep the contact there to a minimum. It…does certain things when it's touched."
"Like what?"
"I'd rather not say."
"Ah, it arouses you and makes you feel better than you thought possible," Tsunade said flatly. Naruto turned away from her awkwardly. "The Inuzuka clan markings do the same thing. Well, the bad news is that contact is required to fix up those signs."
"As long as you don't just keep rubbing it, I'll be fine," Naruto told her quietly. His lower regions began answering the seal's calls, and Tsunade turned and pretended to do paperwork. The fox-boy used these couple of seconds to fix his problem. "I guess this changes things…me being with Kiba," he spoke quietly. Tsunade turned to him with a curious look.
"How do you think?" she asked.
"You find this revolting I bet," the yellow-haired adolescent told her.
"Not at all believe it or not," the Hokage replied. Naruto picked his head up and looked her in the eyes. "Love is love; just leave it at that. I never thought you'd be one to be into guys, but I could care less as long as you're both happy. Now, other people in the village…yes will find this disgusting, and it's very unfortunate, but that shouldn't get in your way." She paused and cleared her throat before continuing. "Now, have you thought about it…being adopted into Kiba's family?" Naruto smiled.
"If you really can do that, then ya…I'd really like that," the boy answered. "The rest of the village will be happy about that too." Tsunade didn't seem to know what he meant. "They can take my apartment back and start using that part of town. Of course…only if Kiba's mom will actually let me stay on the Inuzuka estate. I won't ask her, because that would just make me greedy. If she really wants me and Kiba to be together, and if she really accepts me, then she'll just ask if I want to stay."
"Sign here…and it's done," Tsunade told Naruto as she handed him a clipboard and a pen. He looked to her as though he didn't quite believe the Hokage. "Read it," she told him with a smile. "Tsume already signed her part, and the Inuzuka clan council has a majority that approves of this. Only one council member was against it, and that was because of his grudge against the fox, but every member's signature is on that paper too. All we need is your consent, and you're family." Naruto teared up as he read it down, and Kyuubi kept telling him to just sign the damned thing. He picked up the pen and signed as best he could. "Now just add Inuzuka to your last name from now on. I hope you're really happy Naruto, and I hope things work out well for you."
"Thanks so much Tsunade No Baachan," the boy said quietly as he hugged her fiercely. The woman was surprised, but Naruto's tears made her stay. He smiled as he cried out of joy. "I can have a family. Thank you so much," Naruto whispered. "I'm sorry. I just…"
"Shhh," Tsunade hushed him calmly. "You're welcome Naruto, and it's fine. I know how hard you've had it. Enjoy your new family; the Inuzukas are good people, and they're very accepting. If you want to make arrangements to sell your apartment, I'll help you out. Otherwise, you won't get a decent deal." Naruto huffed lightly when she said this. "Ya, and I know about how the sales clerks overprice you on clothing. Don't worry, that apartment is worth about five-thousand Ryou, and you'll get every bit of it."
"Why can't you be this nice all the time Tsunade-Sama?" the boy asked after he let go of her. The woman was stunned by his sudden respect.
"Well, the paperwork doesn't help, and you're usually too hyper and disrespectful," the Hokage told him. Naruto's expression suddenly dropped. "If you can be this respectful to me, especially on something as…awkward as your love life, then why not always?" The boy thought about it before smiling lightly.
"Ya, you're right Tsunade-Sama; I'll try harder," Naruto told her. He wiped away the last of his tears before exiting the examination room. Kiba and Tsume were sitting next to each other on the bench, and they looked up at him. "Hey…Mom," the boy spoke quietly with a small smile. Tsume was frozen, but her expression gradually lifted. Tsunade was right behind Naruto holding up the clipboard and paper to show her. Kiba was a bit oblivious at first, but then he got up and hugged Naruto fiercely as his mom did too. It was a very emotional moment for the whole bunch, and the Hokage just stood there smiling at her work.
"So he's really family now?" Kiba asked wondrously. Tsunade nodded. "Thanks so much Lady Tsunade." Tsume lightly rubbed one thumb over Naruto's whisker marks, and she smiled like she did when she held newly born Kiba in her arms. "I just can't believe it. Now we're technically brothers. That's so cool. But wait…does that mean he can stay at our place Mom?" the boy asked. Tsume turned to Kiba, and she looked between the two. Naruto didn't seem like he cared either way, but this was him trying to be courteous.
"Of course he's staying," the woman told them. "What kind of stepmother would I be if I left him alone in that apartment in the middle of nowhere? No, Naruto's a permanent resident of our house." The blond hugged her extremely tightly, and he buried his face in her stomach.
"You don't have to call yourself my stepmom," the boy told her as he smiled up at her with tears in his eyes. "I never had a mom, so it isn't like you're my new mom. Thank you so much. I promise I'll behave, and I'll help around the house and stuff."
"Whoa, calm down Naruto," Tsume told him. The boy stopped speaking and just smiled up at her. "As long as you're happy being a part of the family, nothing else really matters. A chore or two, but I don't require anything major. Now, give your brother a hug too." Naruto didn't need to be told twice, and he nearly squeezed the life out of the brunette. "Anything we should know Tsunade?" Tsume asked as her first son was being strangled.
"He's healing up well, but bring him back again either tonight or tomorrow morning, but I won't keep you," the Hokage replied as she took the clipboard and walked off. "I'll see you soon Naruto Inuzuka!" she called. That name rang in Naruto's mind like the bells of a cathedral.
"I don't know about you guys, but I think lunch is in order, on me," Tsume said happily. Kiba and Naruto looked at each other before smiling. "I know a good place." The woman mainly took the lead so that her tears would not show, and she stealthily got rid of each one. They eventually made it to Tsume's aforementioned eatery. "Curry time!" the woman yelled. "Just let me do the talking, and act really courteous Naruto. I'm sure we can change a few minds here or there."
"Okay," the blond replied with a smile. Tsume got them a booth, and a waitress brought them menus. Naruto made sure to smile at her, but she didn't seem to care whether or not he was there. "Did I do something wrong?" Naruto asked his new mom as the woman walked away.
"Nah, she didn't seem to care," the woman replied. "She seems to be ticked about her shoes though. Those have got to be pinching her a lot; you did fine. Now, the Szechuan is really good, but stay away from the spring rolls. They know how to fry up a fish really well, and their duck is fantastic. I'd recommend the medium green curry chicken for a first try Naruto. How hungry are you Kiba?"
"Not very, maybe just a few cuts of teriyaki fish over steamed rice for me," he replied. "I'll just take a Sprite for a drink." (It's my fic. Sodas exist. Live with it.)
"Oh, may I have one too?" Naruto asked all too happily. Tsume smiled and nodded. The waitress was coming back too. "Hello ma'am." The woman merely looked at him once. "If you need some money for a properly fitting pair of shoes, here's some," Naruto offered. Tsume was surprised, and the waitress looked at him like the boy was nuts.
"What makes you think my shoes are too tight?" she asked with a hint of annoyance.
"Well, you just seem a bit irritable, and your feet are swollen," the blond told her while still holding out twenty Ryou. Tsume was on the verge of fainting, and Kiba was still trying to process the information. The waitress gave him a small smile though.
"You're really sharp, but I have a paycheck coming," the waitress replied. "I've had these for two years now, and I feel like they're crushing my feet in. Keep your money, but thank you for offering. Hey, you're that Naruto kid." The expressions of the other three dropped. This woman really hadn't realized this until now? Naruto was ready to run if he had to. "You're a lot nicer than everyone says." She wiggled her hand in his hair, and the boy smiled in relief. "Oh, before my boss thinks I'm shirking, what would you all like?"
"Sprites all around, medium green curry for Naruto, the teriyaki fish special for Kiba, and a plate of extra hot red curry shrimp for me," Tsume told her as the woman wrote it down. "By the way, thanks for not just running us out of here, and I hope your feet feel better next time we see you."
"You're welcome, and thank you too. Your drinks will be here in a couple of minutes, and your food should be out here in about fifteen to twenty minutes. You guys came on a good day. Normally the place is pretty full."
"Okay," Naruto replied. The woman smiled at him again before walking to the kitchen. "She seems really nice. She's pretty too." That lost comment was a bit awkward to hear for both Kiba and Tsume as well.
"Well, that just goes to show that some people can be a lot more accepting," the Inuzuka mistress explained. "Now, what did you mean by pretty?"
"Oh, well, she just looks good I guess. Her hair looks good long, and her face isn't all scarred up," Naruto responded. It seemed like this was all just innocent words that looked bad. "Hey, I didn't mean it like that Kiba." Tsume turned to her son and saw that he looked depressed. "Why would I go after someone I don't know when I have a good friend like you?"
"She's 'prettier,'" the boy replied jealously and girlishly.
"Kiba," Naruto sort of whined. "What do you want me to say? She's not ugly? That's just awkward. Come on, you know I won't just up and leave over happening to see some girl who might have slightly better looks than some other girls. Here's an example: a lot of guys think Ino is sexy because she's slim; I don't. Besides, looks aren't everything."
"Sorry. I guess I got carried away," Naruto's crush replied with a small smile. "Thanks." The waitress was now returning with their drinks. "Thanks a lot miss," the brunette told her. She gave them another small smile before walking away again. "I still can't believe we're brothers now Naruto. You get to see the rest of the family too. When we see Mido again, don't let him get under your skin. Gino will be a ton nicer though." Kiba took a drink before setting his large glass down. "You can have some too Akamaru." The white dog poked his head out and took a small sip, but he just went back to lounging.
"It'll be fun meeting everyone," Tsume began. "Kiba's uncles are all funny and jokesters. Don't try to understand Larry's jokes though; you'll lose brain function." Kiba started laughing.
"Ya, I remember when Hana busted him thinking he had made a dirty joke," the brunette started. "She beat the crap out of him before she let him talk, and it turned out he was actually talking about the difference between a head of cabbage and a watermelon. She nearly had a stroke before it made sense to her." The dog-boy had tears rolling from his eyes from the pain of laughter. Tsume was suppressing her giggles as best she could though.
"Ya, she tried writing it all down, drawing pictures," Kiba's mother began.
"And she even got out a cabbage and a watermelon and started measuring them," Kiba said before they both burst out laughing. Naruto found the concept of Hana, a very smart doctor having to measure two so unrelated objects to be funny, but all he got was a giggle.
"Would you guys mind keeping it down a bit?" a man in the next booth asked. Kiba and Tsume covered their mouths with their hands and slowly reeled themselves back down. "Thank you."
"This family must be one crazy bunch," Naruto stated humorously. The two nodded their heads quickly. "I hope I fit in."
"I…wouldn't worry…too much about that," Tsume told him between a couple of suppressed laughs. "Acceptance is our main policy, so you shouldn't have a problem." The three took a long sip from their drinks before sighing and winding down. "You should be able to start training after tomorrow."
"Why does Kurumaru hate me so much anyway?" Naruto asked her. "He just singles me out."
"I hate to tell you this Naruto," Tsume began, "but Kurumaru thinks you're trying to take dominance of the family by stepping in and being Kiba's partner. Now, I know that isn't your aim, but Kuru's always been obsessive over position. In our family, we have fights for personal dominance. A challenge must be issued, and unless you accept, you are immediately realized as having lost the challenge. These duels must be witnessed by at least ten other Inuzukas so as to make sure there was no ambush and no foul play. Now, when someone loses a challenge, the victor has the option of leaving things at that…or marking the defeated. It is a hormonal mark, which means everyone in our family can smell it at all times. Now, by tradition, the marked must submit to the rule of his dominant or alpha. If you lost, you'd have to willingly submit yourself to Kurumaru's mark, and passed that would be his decision. But there are certain things that an alpha cannot do, and those are senseless harm to the marked, forbidding outside contact, and denying daily needs. Otherwise, you'd be his property until you beat him, thereby refusing and erasing the mark. I can train you to be fast and strong enough, but fighting Kurumaru is fighting a big cheater. Cheap shots, tricks, and wild tactics are what he uses to fight, and you have to learn to be ready for them, even trick him back with them. With enough training time, willpower, and a pinch of luck, you'll be able to beat him without sustaining heavy injury, but walking away with just a few minor scratches and bruises is an impossibility at your age and skill level."
"He said…he wouldn't let me be with Kiba once he beat me," Naruto told her sorrowfully. "Can he do that?" Tsume took a deep breath before nodding. The blond put on a very determined look. "Then I'll just have to train twice as hard."
"That's the spirit," his new mom told him with a small smile. "You're already quick on your feet, so we'll need to work on your upper-body strength. Your taijutsu needs some refining, but the basics are all there. The other major thing we need to work on is your use of your instincts in a fight. Smell and hearing are much more valuable than sight when it comes to fighting wild opponents. You won't have the time to turn and look, but if you can hear the attack coming, you won't have to waste time; you'll be able to pop him right in the jaw as he passes by. Oh, here's our food. I'll explain it more when we actually start training."
"Wow!" Naruto exclaimed as a large latter of noodles, chicken, roasted veggies, and green curry was put in front of him. "It smells awesome."
"It looks awesome," Kiba added as his own plate was put in front of him. He didn't pay it any mind.
"Thank you," Tsume said to their waitress with a small laugh and a smile. She took in a deep breath through her nose, and a tear rolled from her eye. "Mmm, hotter than Hell, just how I like it. Dig in boys." The waitress left the bill and walked off. Naruto seemed enchanted by the smell of his own curry, but Kiba had already jumped into his fish happily. The blond finally took in a forkful and was hooked. Ten minutes later, he dropped his fork onto an empty plate and sighed. Tsume followed him not ten seconds later, and Kiba was done a while before them anyway. "Did you guys like it?" she asked with the strain of burning spices in her throat. Naruto and Kiba both nodded. "No one's looking, but get a taste of what the other had." She was looking back towards the kitchen to make sure no one came by. "You have twenty seconds, go." Kiba leaned over to his blond partner and stole his lips like a super sweet candy. He swirled his tongue around Naruto's mouth, gaining the spicy flavor of the curry as he went. The blond countered him and entered his mouth in return, enjoying the teriyaki combining with Kiba's natural taste. "Okay, love fest is over," their mother stated quietly. Kiba broke off immediately, and Tsume put the money down. "Not bad, thirty-eight Ryou for three people is pretty good. You had to have the fish though Kiba?"
"I wasn't in the mood for a huge meal," her son replied with a shrug. "Here, five from me for the tip." The brunette placed down the cash, and Naruto added another two. The three walked out happy as clams, and they went all the way back to the Inuzuka estate to give Hana the good news. "Hey Sis," Kiba called as he opened the door.
"Hey Bro, Naruto, Mom," the woman called from her microscope. "Mom, Yuki's got another weird skin condition. I'm gonna need some help scrubbing her down. She's just too afraid of water; she doesn't keep herself clean enough to avoid this."
"Damn, not again," Tsume whined. "I'll deal with that later, but say hello to your new brother in the meantime," she said as she walked up the stairs to her room. Hana froze before slowly picking her head up and looking at the two.
"Hey Neechan," Naruto said a bit timidly as he waved lightly. Hana was stunned, but she went over and hugged him tightly.
"You are going to have so much fun in this family," she said as she held him tightly. "Hey, no problems left for ya."
"Well, except Kurumaru," the blond corrected her. Hana stopped, and her expression became more solemn. "It's okay though; Mom is gonna teach me how to beat him." Hana smiled and gave him a small nuggie. (I don't know how to spell the word "N-oo-g-I," but if you find it in a slang dictionary or whatever, just send it to me. You know what I mean anyway.)
"Ya, if anyone can teach people to beat Kuru, it's her," Hana replied. "I can only do it with help, but I was never formally trained. Don't worry; you can do it. I'm rooting for ya. Even if you lose, we can make his life Hellish until he backs off, but I'm sure you'd love the satisfaction of seeing him in absolute terror when you beat though." Naruto nodded. "I thought so. Well, welcome to the family."
"Thanks Hana-Neesan," the blond said respectfully. Shen and Raija came over to him and started rubbing against him and circling. "What are they doing?" Naruto asked in confusion.
"Accepting you into the family," Hana replied. "Don't expect it from Kurumaru though. He doesn't act soft with anyone. Okay Shen, Raija, give him some room for now."
"As you wish," Shen replied. He had a lighter voice than Kurumaru by far, and his overall look was much more calming. "Congratulations Naruto. You know, you really do smell partly like a fox. I guess I know why Kurumaru is so agitated by your presence. He loves chasing down foxes, but he isn't allowed to just chase you down and tear you open."
"That's…reassuring," Naruto said with a gulp. "You have a really soft coat Shen," the blond spoke as he pet the massive dog. Raija started whining for attention, and Naruto complied. "And you have beautiful eyes." The darker dog grinned as his ears were scratched. "You guys are a lot nicer than Kurumaru, so why doesn't Mom just give him obedience training?" All of them stopped.
"The problem with that is that Kurumaru behaves perfectly out in the field and has no obedience problems," Hana told him. "And pack dominance is as serious an issue as he makes it, so we can't control him on that point. Once you beat him though, he'll acknowledge you and back down. He'll dislike it, but once he notices things really haven't changed, he won't mind you. Now, the rest of the day is for you to spend, but you might want to go get all of your clothes from your house Naruto."
"Oh right," the blond started. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Five clones appeared at his command. "Okay, get my clothes, toothbrush and stuff, and I guess my writing supplies," Naruto commanded them. The five shot out the door and were gone. "Is there anything you want to do Kiba?"
"We could go introduce you to some of the family members or go meditate," the brunette replied.
"We'll have a family event this weekend anyway, so go with the meditation and light training," Hana replied. "I'll see ya later…little bro," she said towards Naruto. He blushed and smiled before walking out the door with Kiba in tow. They found the hill from the day before and found comfortable spots. Naruto almost immediately entered his meditative state, but Kiba was having a much harder time. He felt like he was really close, but his sense of smell kept distracting his thoughts. The Inuzuka finally just plugged his nose, and he fell into a state between consciousness and unconsciousness. His chakra began fluctuating like Naruto's, and Kiba could feel the flow as it coursed through and from him.
"This is amazing," he said from within his mind. "Naruto said he could shape it. I wonder." Kiba focused on making basic shapes, but they were always a bit fuzzy. His thoughts focused on Naruto, and eventually the blond's wispy form appeared before him. "Naruto?" Kiba asked. The figure merely shook its head. Kiba knew why too. It wasn't Naruto; it was his image of Naruto, his knowledge. The ghostly Naruto faded away, and now Kiba felt a bit lonely. He wanted a place to sit, and a tree and patch of grass appeared. "This is so awesome." His curiosity made him sit down against the tree, and it felt real. Eventually curiosity got the better of him, and Kiba walked up the side of it. While this was completely interesting, Kiba's thoughts were fixated on his crush, and his body followed his mind. Without his knowledge, Kiba linked his chakra to Naruto's, and the blond and the Kyuubi both felt his presence mingle with theirs.
"Someone is here," the fox told a now concerned Naruto. "I don't tend to travel into people's minds, so I don't know who this is. Be careful Naruto." The blond was forming weapons with his chakra, practicing with them, and then changing them. He increased the level of his mental training by adding weights and hanging from the ceiling just outside of Kyuubi's cage. This mental form was sweating, but Naruto would wake up feeling perfectly fine.
Kiba could barely see in these catacombs, so he pictured a lantern and formed one with his chakra. "Naruto?" he called. "Ghah, everything is all wet," he noticed. Some unknown force pulled him down a hallway, and he couldn't help but feel anxious as he followed, the pull becoming stronger and stronger. Kiba rounded one last corner and came upon an awesome sight. "Whoa, it's huge." Naruto and Kyuubi had heard him, and they immediately knew who it was.
"Kiba?" Naruto asked from his upside-down perch. "What are you doing here?" he asked as his weights and weapons disappeared and he fell to the ground. The blond landed gracefully on his two feet, and his brunette couldn't help but look surprised. "How'd you even get in here?" Naruto kept looking back up at the cage.
"I don't really know," Kiba answered him hesitantly. "I finally got into the meditative state, and I tried forming stuff with my chakra, but I'm not very good. All I could really think about was you and how good you must be at it, and now I'm here. What is this place anyway, and why's that huge cage right there?" He looked at the center of the cage and saw the single tag holding it shut. "A seal? Is this?"
"Kiba, you're in my mind, my body," Naruto told him. The brunette looked shocked. "As per that cage…I think you already know," he said more quietly, almost regretfully. "You can show yourself." Kyuubi was truly unsure of whether or not to trust Naruto's decision, but he slowly revealed his full-size fox form. Kiba fell back in fear.
"Th-that's…the K-Kyuubi?" he asked frightfully as he pointed at the enormous creature behind the bars. "Naruto, this is what's inside you?"
"I'm sorry Kiba," the blond told him. "Kyuu, mind shrinking a bit? Maybe going human form?" The giant fox nodded his head, and red chakra surrounded his body as he turned into a man about a foot and a half taller than Naruto. Nine red tails swished behind the man with calm, red eyes and red hair. He wore a simple blue silk robe that hid his bodily features, but his skin was just a bit lighter than Naruto's. It wasn't Gaara-pale skin, but it was much lighter. "Kiba, meet the Nine-Tailed Fox," Naruto said calmly as he looked into the floor and insecurely held his left arm to his side with his right hand.
"Hello again Kiba," the fox-man spoke calmly. His voice was exactly the same as when he was speaking directly through Naruto, and that much reassured Kiba. "You already knew I existed inside Naruto's seal, so don't let my true form bother you. I can't go outside these bars, so you're safe too. Just promise me you won't up and run away simply because you met me okay?"
"Are you alright Kiba?" Naruto asked as he kneeled down to his mate. The brunette still wore a look of awe and slight fear, but he took Naruto's hand and got himself up. "We can leave if you want to." Kiba shook his head.
"You really had him in you for all of these years?" Kiba asked. Kyuubi and Naruto both nodded. "Why did you attack the village?" Kyuubi was a bit stunned by this question, but he knew the fate of this relationship actually hung on his answer.
"The Uchiha clan is the only one capable of controlling the Tailed-Beasts," the fox-man started. "I didn't attack of my own free will; Madara Uchiha used a very dark power to control my mind and send me on a rampage into the village. Naruto, you know this power as the Mangekyo Sharingan. Kiba, you have probably guessed by now that I'm not actually trying to break free or kill Naruto, so do you believe me?"
"No one in the village would ever believe this, but yeah…I do," the brunette replied. Kyuubi smiled lightly as he leaned on a bar, and Naruto looked very thankful too. "I guess it kinda gets lonely being stuck inside that cage with no one else around." Kyuubi nodded a bit.
"Ya, but I do have Naruto to talk to, and now I can talk to you from time to time if you ever choose to come back," the fox replied. "I do have a nice room though. Would you like to see it?" Kiba became immediately cautious, but Naruto put his hand on Kiba's left arm.
"He can't hurt us in there even if he tried," the blond told him. "I've been inside his cage several times before. Here, I'll show you." Naruto walked Kiba closer to the cage before letting go of his arm and literally stepping in next to Kyuubi. "If he wanted me dead, this would be his best opportunity, but he isn't even trying. Come on in Kiba." That smile of Naruto's slowly reassured the Inuzuka, and he stepped to the threshold. After taking a few deep breaths, he took an uneventful step into the cage. "See?"
"Now that you're no longer at peeing pants fear level, would you like to see my room?" Kyuubi asked humorously. Kiba stood next to Naruto and nodded. They all walked back a ways, and Kyuubi's chakra lit the lamps on the wall. "This is it, my home inside Naruto's body."
"Whoa, everything's made of silk, and it's all so fancy," Kiba spoke aimlessly. Kyuubi picked him up without warning, scaring the Hell out of Kiba before he was lightly tossed onto the fox's bed. He sat there shaking for a few seconds until Naruto scolded Kyuubi, being tossed next to Kiba in return.
"Now, you don't have to be shy," Kyuubi told them as he changed into a human-sized fox form. "It's much more comfy than the rest of Naruto's mind." He jumped up next to Naruto, and he scratched behind the fox's ears, receiving pleased sounds and a thumping rear leg. "Aaah, you're so good at this Naruto-Kun." Every bit of this was new to Kiba, so he was very hesitant. Naruto stopped scratching Kyuubi and turned to his partner. "Still afraid I see," the fox spoke. "Let's fix that." In a split second, he circled around Kiba and snuggled up in his lap in an slightly smaller form.
"He's kinda cute when he's this small," Kiba noted. "He's a bit bigger than Akamaru, but he isn't heavy at all." He hesitantly rubbed the fox's belly, and he felt warmth, chakra, and the softest fur imaginable.
"Yup," the fox responded. "The lovable Kyuubi can be yours for only a leap of faith and entering the wonderful world of Naruto's mind or call at 1-800-015-LOONY." Kiba and Naruto both giggled a little. "If you ever want to just talk in peace, just come right on into Naruto's mind. I'll be able to tell when it's you now that I have your mental signature. By the way, love the belly rub."
"See?" Naruto asked as he lightly massaged the back of Kyuubi's neck. "He really isn't like what everyone thinks. Kyuubi didn't used to be much of my friend though. We used to only share a word here or there, but now we talk a lot more, and I can borrow some of his chakra if I'm in a really tight spot."
"Ya, having a demon on your side must help a lot like when you fought against Neji," Kiba suggested as he wrapped his index finger in one of Kyuubi's velvety tails. He paused however, and his expression changed. "But when you use too much of it, you get really angry, and it hurts to see you like that."
"If your instincts ever take hold of you pup, you will understand that it isn't exactly a picnic for Naruto either," Kyuubi replied. "A rush of anger is natural, but when that anger hurts others, it causes you to reflect on why you got angry, and it can make you hate yourself. The good thing about it though is that you guys have each other for when something like that actually happens." Kiba and Naruto smiled at each other before sharing a light kiss. "Oh, and if you really need your privacy like when you're out on a mission, you can have a session in here." Both boys turned to him with looks that just asked "are you crazy?" "Demons are a lot more open about things like sex than you humans are. Plus, I've already seen all of the both of you. If you guys are close enough to each other and have an overnight mission during your heats, you can just enter Naruto's mind and come here. I don't have anything to do anyway, so I don't care."
"Kyuubi, you perv," Naruto commented as he gave the fox's head a shake. "You just want to look at us without having to look through my eyes."
"It is a good idea though," Kiba interjected, throwing Naruto for a small loop and pleasing the fox. "Tsunade tends to put you on my team anyway, so we will probably end up with an overnight mission at some point. And the fox does have a point. He was the one pumping me full of pheromones after all. I don't care if we have one witness who's stuck in your head anyway." He smiled deviously before claiming Naruto's lips.
"Another good thing about getting it on in here is that you won't feel physically tired when you're done," Kyuubi added. "You could get in multiple sessions and still have the same amount of physical energy in your body. Oh, but you guys have some company coming going by Naruto's nose. Out you go," The fox said as he went into his human form and threw the two out of his cage effortlessly. Kiba and Naruto snapped awake, Kiba being quite frightened.
"That guy needs to learn personal space," Kiba panted. "Oh great," he said as he saw Mido…and thank Kami Gino, coming up the path. "Hey," the brunette called out. Gino waved to him, but Mido only frowned.
"Hey, you're awake this time Blondie," the redhead commented. Naruto merely smiled back at him, but his very aura was one of arrogance, and it slowly got under Naruto's skin. "Hello…Kiba." Gino elbowed him. "Ugh, sorry about yesterday. My balls still hurt by the way. Ow!" Gino had elbowed him again.
"I'm sorry about him Naruto," the black-haired fifteen-year-old spoke. His voice was much lighter, and he switched the mood almost instantly. "I heard about your head injury. Are you doing alright?"
"Ya," the blond replied. "I'm guessing you're Gino." He wore a Chuunin vest and the normal uniform, but his green eyes and short, black hair stood out. Gino nodded as Naruto stood up. "I hear you guys have been together for a year now?" He nodded. "That's awesome. I was kinda crushing on Kiba for two years before I finally worked up the guts to tell him. Does that make me a wimp?" Naruto asked hesitantly.
"Yes," Mido instantly replied. Gino elbowed him extra hard in the ribs.
"No, it means you valued his friendship," the black-haired boy told Naruto. "You're an outsider, so yeah; you wouldn't have known that every Inuzuka guy is born with no sexual preference." He took Mido's lips in his own to prove the point, and Naruto countered by picking Kiba up and kissing him passionately. "Ah, so you're the dominant it seems." Naruto, Kiba, and Mido all blushed. "You see Mido? You don't have to act like a jackass or a hotshot just to be on top. It just makes you look like a kid; learn from Naruto."
"We've only been together for a week," Naruto told him in a small tone. "I'd actually be interested in learning from you." Gino grinned and snuffed a bit. "Oh, I should tell you that Kiba's mom adopted me earlier today." The other pair was shocked. Gino didn't seem to be too bad, but Mido looked like his head would go shooting off. "She wants Kiba and me to be able to have a close relationship, so she invited me into the family so that I could stay here. I owe her a lot, because I never had a mom."
"That's amazing," Gino said loudly. "Normally Tsume-Sama would just brush someone off if asked, but she asked you? Wow. You're really lucky Naruto, both to have Kiba as your partner and to be in this family. I hope you have fun. Oh, you wanted our advice?" the blond nodded. "Well…"
About twenty minutes later, Gino and Mido walked off holding hands as Naruto kissed Kiba deeply. They wrestled lightly and laughed before walking back to the house. "I wonder if my clones are back," Naruto said aloud. He found that they were just coming back with most of his stuff in boxes. Tsume and Hana were at first frightened by seeing multiple Narutos, but they were relieved as the boxes were left on the bed and the clones disappeared. "Hey Mom, Big Sis," the blond called merrily as he opened the door. "Anything interesting happen while I was gone?"
"Well, you have a bunch of boxes that need to be put away," Hana told him. "Other than that, nothing of interest happened. Oh, but Kurumaru is now out, so stay with someone else at all times Naruto." The blond looked a bit unnerved, and he nodded before Kiba followed him up to their shared room. The brunette's dresser had a bunch of space in it, so they each took a half, and Naruto hung his funeral wares and his one dressy set of clothing in his closet.
"Thanks for letting me stay here Kiba," the fox-boy spoke. His brunette just smiled and gave him a light kiss. "I still can't believe that your mom just casually let me into the family like this. I would have thought there'd be proving my worth, getting to know everyone, and who knows what else, but I finally have a family," Naruto mused as he sat on their bed. Kiba rubbed his back with a smile, and Naruto let his head rest on his mate's shoulder. "I'm really glad we're together Kiba."
"Me too," he replied as he moved his free hand to Naruto's unzipped jacket. Kiba moved his hand under his shirt and affectionately caressed the blond's seal. "I can hardly believe we were crushing on each other for two years without knowing it, but at least we know it now." He claimed Naruto's lips, and they just sat on the edge of the bed lovingly kissing until they heard a growl sound from the door. "What is it Kurumaru?" Kiba asked with a hint of anger in his voice. The black wolf snickered.
"Tsume would like to talk to you downstairs, and watch your anger…boy," he said darkly towards Kiba. Naruto felt anger rise in him, but he quieted it as they went downstairs.
"Something wrong Mom?" Naruto asked.
"Well, I felt a chakra spike earlier, but I could tell it was the both of you. What happened exactly?" she asked calmly without a sign of anger anywhere on her face. Naruto and Kiba looked at each other hesitantly before the blond started out.
"We were doing a meditation exercise that involves retreating into one's own mind to better focus chakra," Naruto told her. "That will normally make me emit chakra and then draw it back in, but Kiba finally got it down too. At some point, he reached out with his chakra and entered my mind. We don't know how it happened. Since we were unconscious so to speak, we didn't know it was causing that much of a ruckus. Sorry."
"That's pretty interesting…entering another's mind," Tsume replied almost accusing Naruto of something.
"Mom, when I entered Naruto's mind, everything was a set of dark hallways, but I found this one really big chamber," Kiba started.
"Kiba," Naruto spoke worryingly as he took hold of the boy's forearm.
"It's fine," the brunette replied. Tsume seemed to be worried now. "Mom, I met the Kyuubi." The paper the woman had held in her hand slipped out as her face paled. "Don't blame Naruto, because he can't help if I found that part of his mind, but yeah, I met the real Nine-Tailed Fox. The thing is, he was really nice…frightening and a bit too easy on the touches, but nice."
"What did he do to you Kiba?" Tsume asked concernedly, still not giving off signs of anger.
"He showed me the inside of his cage, and it was actually pretty nice…silk bed, chairs, a desk, and he curled up in my lap and let me pet him," Kiba told her. Tsume raised an eyebrow and looked as though she missed a page. "Oh, he can change size from a giant fox to a human and to smaller versions of his fox form. He can't hurt us though when we're in his cage; the seal protects us from harm, and he didn't even try. Kyuubi threw me onto his bed and just told me to make myself at home, but other than that, he didn't do anything, except when he threw us out of his cage to wake us up when Gino and Mido came by."
"Sounds…like you guys had an adventure," the woman spoke. "You're sure the giant Nine-Tailed Fox is a cuddly pet-like creature?"
"He didn't attack the village of his own accord all those years back," Naruto began. "He said it was the work of the Uchiha elder Madara. Kyuubi said that the Sharingan is the only ability that can control the Tailed-Demons, and Madara had the strongest Sharingan of them all. Whoever this Madara guy is is still alive too."
"It's not that I don't believe you," the woman began. "It just seems like it's really far-fetched. I'm not goin into your mind, but I'll take your word for it. As long as you didn't go berserk, I'm fine. So, did you get any…advice from Gino and Mido?" she asked with a sly grin.
"Maybe," Naruto replied with equal deviousness. "Anyway, how do you propose I fight the big bad wolf upstairs?"
"Start doing a hundred sit-ups and push-ups every day," Tsume replied. "It might be wise that you both do, just in case he won't drop a grudge and tries to mark Kiba if you win. Past tomorrow is when I'll see what all I'm working with, but you two can get started on that." Naruto was always one to train himself into oblivion, so he did three-hundred of each exercise along with a hundred vertical crunches as he suspended himself above the bed. Kiba wasn't one to be outdone, but a hundred fifty was his limit on each, and leave out the vertical crunches.
"How in heck can you sustain that?" the brunette asked with beads of sweat covering his forehead. These processes had gone on for an hour and a half, and now dinner was nearing. "Come on Naruto; let's take a break."
"I will…after…I beat…Kuru…maru," the blond replied between crunches. "One-seventy-four, one-seventy-five, one-seventy-six, one-seventy-seven." He continued like this to the point he was crying from the burning sensation, and Naruto stopped at two-hundred-thirty-six before falling onto the bed with a bounce and panting. Kiba walked in with a glass of water and saw his partner sprawled out on his back. "Thanks," Naruto panted as he was handed the glass. After five big gulps, he breathed out harshly and sighed. "That'll do for now."
"It couldn't have taken you Whoa!" Tsume exclaimed as she entered the room. "Jeez, window, open it Kiba," she said as she held her nose. Kiba quickly followed her command. The odor wasn't as harsh on her sons' noses, and it was confounding. "That was more than just a hundred of each. How many did you do?" she asked hysterically.
"Three-hundred each of what you recommended, and how many vertical crunches?" Kiba asked the blond. He held up two fingers, then three, and then six.
"Are you trying to kill yourself?" the woman asked. "That training regiment will eat up every ounce of energy you have. In fact, it should have at the push-ups. How could you keep going?"
"Kyuubi's chakra…allows me to keep going really long," was all that Naruto told her.
"Okay, new food plan for you," the woman decided. "That workout alone should have killed three-thousand calories, but your body consumed extra chakra in place of the missing what I'm guessing to be fifteen-hundred or so. Considering your chakra exercises, walking, and your nightly activities, you should average eating four-thousand calories a day Naruto." The blond's jaw was threatening to fall off, and Kiba's brain was in the process of rebooting. "Seriously, eating chakra in place of food is very bad for your body over the long-term. It takes energy to make energy, and your nutrition needs vast improvement. If you can produce this much chakra with your current eating habits, then we'll be cooking with dynamite by the time I'm done with you." She walked out of the room and began writing down a list. "Ten servings of grain including pasta for carbohydrates for your optimal performance, five…no, six or seven servings of meat for protein, five dairy servings to get the Calcium and Vitamin D into your bones, nine fruit servings, because you are lacking majorly in that right now, and six vegetable servings per day including tomatoes and carrots, no excuses." She handed Naruto the paper.
"God, I can't eat all of this," he said with a shocked look on. "This is way more than I can usually down, and this can't be cheap. If you really want to stuff me like a plushy, then at least let me pay for a third of it."
"Deal, but ya, you need to eat and exercise," Tsume replied. "That will come out to approximately forty-three-hundred calories, but if you can drain that much without proper nutrition, we may have to up the anti anyway. Now, I'm going to the store to get an air freshener. You don't have to fully shower, but clean up your pits or you're sleeping in the yard tonight Naruto." The blond didn't want to displease his new mother, so he immediately went to her bathroom, passing and ignoring a growling Kurumaru on the way. The dog was confounded and now partly furious. Naruto removed his jacket and shirt to find them both stained with pit sweat. He got a washcloth, applied soap, and scrubbed with water. Tsume left the house, but Kiba quickly followed Naruto so as to make sure he wasn't completely disadvantaged against the crazed Kurumaru. He sniffed Naruto's jacket and shirt and was nearly knocked out.
"I'm going to put these out on the line so that nature can get rid of the smell," Kiba said as he took them outside. Naruto went back to their room and picked out one of his freshly bought t-shirts. It was one of a kid ninja just looking cool. "Oh, you already picked out a new one," Kiba noticed. "Well, Hana is starting dinner, but is there something you want to do before we eat?"
"Maybe just rest a bit," Naruto replied as he lay back on the bed. Kiba chose to cuddle up next to him, and they managed to fall asleep until their sister called up the stairs.
"Soup's on!" Hana yelled. "Come on Bros." The two shared a light kiss before heeding their sister's calls. "You two slept well."
"Ya, thanks Hana-Neesan," Naruto said to her as she ladled some of her soup into his bowl.
"Just call me Sis or Hana, Naruto; you're family," the woman replied. "There's plenty to go around, so dig in." It smelled great to Naruto, and he happily munched on pieces of chicken, tomato chunks, and celery. There was also an onion here and there, and Naruto found rice and potatoes to be in the mix too.
"This is awesome Sis," Naruto told her. "May I have another bowl?" Hana ladled him another as Tsume walked in with several grocery bags.
"I thought you were just going out for an air freshener," Kiba said humorously.
"Originally, yes, but then I realized how impossible it would be to keep up with Naruto's new eating regiment with our current stocks. By the way Naruto, I need eighty from you," Tsume said. The blond handed it over and quickly realized just how much his toad had decreased in fatness.
"Well, I still have two-fifty left, but I hope Lady Tsunade can come up with a decent mission for me," Naruto said aloud.
"Is that really all you have Naruto?" Hana asked. The blond nodded. "Are you gonna sell your apartment?" He nodded again. "Well, we can let you hold off paying until then I think. Your bills must have been way overpriced. Those bastards in the village council must be insane. I'm gonna ask Tsunade about dealing with it after dinner, but I have an escort mission, so I'll be gone until maybe two tomorrow Mom."
"That's fine," Tsume replied. "All I have set for tomorrow is getting Naruto in to see Tsunade and starting his training. Wait a bit after dinner, but do another fifty of each before you fall asleep Naruto. Muscle growth is optimal when you intensely strain your body and then rest heavily. Oh, but don't skip out on your and Kiba's thing." The boys blushed lightly. "Well, it's getting better, but we'll have you guys being open soon enough." Naruto just kept gulping down his soup. "That makes two more meat servings added to your chicken earlier. We need to make sure you get some red meat tomorrow or some pork. Balance is key. The tomatoes are kind of both fruit and vegetable servings, but you need oranges and berries too. Hana also knows how to do really good broccoli and Brussels sprouts. Her casseroles are to die for. You can eat your fruit as snacks throughout the day, but we'll handle half of the dairy in the mornings. Cheese can be included in lunch and dinner, and you can make up for any shortages by packing them in the next day."
"Well, I'm done," Naruto announced. "Four bowls comes to about what? I probably filled my meat servings, but my grain is still short. I probably met my veggies when you include what was in the curry, but I only have maybe six grain servings and three fruit servings."
"The regiment starts tomorrow Naruto, so don't worry too much," Tsume told him. "Well, it's getting late, and your eyes haven't started changing yet. I guess you two should head up and enjoy." Both of her sons happily got up and walked up the stairs kissing. "Aw, puppy love," the woman called.
Author Notes: I'm cutting the chapter off here because I owe you guys, but I'm obviously working on it. Review please.