Disclaimer (For all my Stories): I don't own Naruto nor any infringement from other sources. If any infringement is spotted feel free to claim your due credit.
This story of Rated M for its Mature content
Chapter 4
When Naruto came up clawing his way through the darkness of his mind the first thing that registered in his sense was the warm hand clutching softly onto his. Opening his eyes he blinked at finding himself looking at a white ceiling.
Cautiously, Naruto shifted his eyes from side to side without moving his head, his eyes slited narrowed suspicion and confusion when he found white every where he looked. Sniffing the air with his keen nose, he gagged at the strong smell that assailed his nose.
Without his volition a ragged sneeze wracked his body, bringing tears to his eyes.
This is…..
Past memories invaded his mind as he started to remember. Everything he had done flushed through his mind's eye, the sense of freedom and relief as the seal holding him broke, the bloodlust he had felt, the feel of power as he burnt some idiot to ashes, the fight with the trio…..
With a curse and a grown, Naruto leapt to his feet or would have if his attempt had not been impeded by something. Looking down, he couldn't help but curse aloud at what met his eyes.
Running across his upper torso was a strip of white cloth with intricate black inscriptions criss-crossing its entire surface. Peering even furthered down towards his body he also found the same cloth legs he was dismayed to find the same kind of cloth tied to both his legs and arms to the bed he was laying on.
After a few minutes throwing curses, which happened to be few thanks to his limited exposure to such words, and empty threats at the ceiling he grunted before sighing finally exhausted his energy spent.
Blinking back at the white ceiling, Naruto almost screamed when a familiar face of a red eyed woman intruded his vision.
"Naruto-kun please don't try to struggled."Kurenai asked in a motherly tone her face a visage of warmth and compassion.
Naruto ignored all that. Instead he simply glared, then looked away before she could see his blush. He had to admit she was still as beautiful even up close.
Kurenai frowned wondering if she had offended the boy. "Are you okay Naruto-kun?" she asked placing a hand on his shoulder.
Scowling, Naruto turned back to the woman, "Do I look Okay?" he rolled his crimson eyes, "what do you think I feel like after waking up disoriented and as weak as a human thanks my chakra been sealed way and worst of all tied a bed like…?", he trailed off before letting out a low growl.
Kurenai winced before sighing as she took her sit. The boy before her had awakened her from sleep having spent the last two days with the Sannin and he Hokage himself. While she knew she should be filling honoured for such a privilege but the boy before her had her feeling just the opposite.
"Naruto-kun you killed a shinobi of Konoha" she chided, "Where you not the son of the Yondaime you might as well have woke up in Konoha's most secure prison."
Not able to fully turn his entire body, Naruto had no choice but twist his neck to look at her growling under his breath.
"hmpf, I wish I had killed more of them", Naruto muttered under his breath before saying aloud with a shrugging his shoulders, "He attacked first."
"Naruto-kun children your age shouldn't be taking killing someone lightly." This time there was a stern tone in her voice.
Naruto smirked he was now in familiar territory.
"It's not my fault he was that weak. I always thought shinobi in Konoha were as strong as my so called father. It seems it was all talk." Naruto commented thoughtfully, mocking sweetness dripping from his voice.
As soon as he said those words he felt the warmth in his arm turn to a death grip that had him wincing a little.
Lucky woman, if I was not tied down I would..., he trailed of silent.
"Naruto-kun juts because he was weak that doesn't mean you had to kill him. The Hokage wouldn't have let him hurt you in any way."
"Ahhh yes….of cause the old man. Where is he any way and why are you here of all people instead of someone…"he paused his eyes watching her beautiful face for a reaction, "stronger and not a man."
Right before his eyes Kurenai's ever motherly face dropped to be replaced but a blank cold mask.
Naruto inwardly smirked at his success. Growing around the one eyed Kakashi had taught him how much women in general hated being called weak.
Grinning at the raven haired kunoichi, Naruto opened his mouth for another clever remark but stopped short when the door behind the room opened widen before another familiar figure in red and white robs of the Hokage entered his room the white haired Toad Sannin trailing behind.
Naruto's smirk dropped his plan of using the woman's anger as the means of escape coming to an end.
TCH should have went through the plan sooner, he growled in his mind, outwardly glaring at the two shinobi.
Kurenai jumped to her feet bowing before bowing her head at the older shinobi amazing herself at the speed at which she had regained her composure.
"Hey kid it's good to see you are up." Jiraiya said good-naturedly making his way past the old man towards the bed Naruto was tied to.
Naruto continued glaring at the man before turning his head away closing his eyes in the process.
"Come on kid don't act like that." the old white haired shinobi grunted taking a sit next to his bed.
Naruto simply ignored him.
His plan to freedom at an end, Naruto let his mind wonder for a while until the clearing of a throat from a different voice caught his attention.
Naruto opened his eyes and found the old man standing in front of his bed eying with sympathy.
If Naruto wasn't tied down like he was he knew he would have went on with the feeling to fold his arm on his chest all the while glaring at the old man no matter how childish it might seem. Ignoring the predicament he was in at the moment he contented himself with shooting the old man an annoyed glare. It was better than doing nothing at all.
Hiruzen watched the boy for a moment before letting a loud heatflet sigh. It was sad how much the late demon's power had warped the boy's mind and views. Before whereas the boy had been as childish and crafty like his mother now before of a shift in personality, the boy was now not only crafty but as cunning as the Kyuubi itself if not worse judging by what Kurenai had been briefly subject to. In this case the old saying Absolute power leads to Absolute corruption was without a doubt fitting.
Wishing he had his smoking pipe with him; Hiruzen turned his attention to the seals holding the boy down and immobile. No matter how much he disliked watching his late predecessor's child held down like a vicious animal he and his student both knew without full knowledge of the boy's strength binding him with seals had been the only choice they had.
The voice of his student brought back from his introspective.
"Now listen here kid", Jiraiya went on, "after what we went through to assure the council how much you are valuable to kill or worse imprison in some cave don't you think a sign of gratitude is in order."
Naruto simply looked at the man as if he was out of his mind.
After a moment of silence Naruto laughed totally amused. "Come on I suspect everyone here knows killing me won't do you any good."
Seeing Jiraiya face contort in shock, Naruto smirked, "didn't think I would know that much? Huh. Well when the almightily Nine Tailed Kyuubi met his end from his pride a few of his memories were left behind for me to peruse and study for my leisure."
"Now a being of chakra, held together into physical form by my will I don't think death is something possible for me anymore."
Then he scowled. "As for my gratitude? Why don't you get all this stuff off me so that I can show you my sincere gratitude."
"Okay enough of that you two." Hiruzen said letting out a long sigh. "I don't think the council members will take any delays favourable." Who knows what they plotting in there without my presence to keep them in check.
"The Konoha council?" Naruto asked his brow crinkling in puzzlement before donning understanding surfaced.
"Ah yes those old fossile my father used to curse whenever he got the chance to." he said nodding to himself. He still could remember most of the curses his father always ranted whenever the council tried something without his word.
Ignoring the Sannin he eyed the older shinobi warily.
"Why is my lowly present required?" he finally asked humour in his voice.
Hiruzen ignored the childish taunt as he turned his wise gaze at his student.
"Jiriaya you can unbind the boy now." He said nodding at the seals holding the boy in place.
Jiriaya's eyes widen in disbelief for a moment but before he could refute his Sensei he thought better of it. Despite being a sage he teacher was still much wiser.
Naruto on the other hand couldn't believe his luck. Once free with both old men standing within his arm and single tail's reach this was his chance to …
Resisting the eagerness he was feeling from showing on his face, he morphed his face into one of puzzlement and wariness.
Grunting unintelligibly the Toad Sannin shook his head much like his Sensei had done before focusing his chakra with expertise of a sage. In a few seconds after a pulse of chakra swept through the room deactivating any of the seal keyed to its signal.
As soon as he felt foreign chakra pulse through the room, Naruto unconsciously flexed his tail and had to physically bit his tongue to stop himself from jumping in glee.
Flexing the rest of his muscles, Naruto prepared to leap at his target behind him his tail eager to inflict as much damage as it could without the raw chakra to enforce its strength.
Once again Naruto found himself watching his plan go into ruin. Just as he had been about make his insane leap, when something impossible happened.
Naruto frowned in confusion and bewilderment not entirely understanding what was going on with his body. Now that he taken notice of his body he found it was strange that every limb aside from his tail he realized where not under his control.
Naruto felt a sense of panic feel his mind. His plan momentary forgotten, Naruto flexed his toes and sighed in relief when he they complied with his will.
Narrowing his eyes for a moment before his head shot up at the two shinobi to find everyone of then studying him intently.
Smiling as if nothing strange had happened, Naruto chuckled before rising from his bed. In side however Naruto concluded some kind of precautions had been placed on him during his unconscious state for such a case.
Silently fuming he swung his legs off the bed and came face to face with a smiling Kurenai a knowing look in her eyes.
Gathering himself again he tried one last attempt and again his body betrayed him.
His smile straining at the edges, Naruto decided the silence had gone long enough. So thinking fast he cast him mind for something to say and found just the right thing.
"Anyway what happened to my older clothes?" he curiously asked tugging at his cloths. Unlike his last cloths Naruto found himself in a black sleeveless shirt the rest of his arms covered by neatly woven fish net. Letting his eyes travel down he also found out he was wearing black shorts with his exposed thighs much like his hands wrapped in bandages. All together he liked the outfit.
Looking at the bandages closely he couldn't help feel as if he they looked somewhat familiar. Balling his hands into feats he marvelled at how well they had been wrapped around his hands.
"Your clothes where too worn-out for use so we had to throw them away Naruto-kun."Kurenai said still smiling.
Naruto nodded slowly before hesitantly looking at the beautiful woman before him, nervously he asking his follow-up question all the while noticing the same type of bandages covering most of the kunoichi's body. "I wonder who changed my cloths."
This time Kurenai smile widened. "Do you like you new outfit? She asked, "It took me a long time to get something that matched."
In spite of his cunning and new found boldness Naruto flushed bright red at the implication. The woman before him had changed ….undressed him.
She must have…, he let the thought trail off before shaking himself with a scowl.
A giggle snapped him out of his thoughts. Turning away from the raven head kunoichi he found the Toad Sannin giggling a strange book in his hand. Naruto glared at the man hoping to make him shut up.
"Kurenai-san would you take Naruto-kun to the tower for a moment?" the Hokage asked the Genjutsu expect.
Nodding with an affirmative Kurenai grabbed hold of the protesting Naruto before vanishing with him using Konoha's version of the body flicker.
"So what do you think?" Jiraiya asked his teacher as soon as the two disappeared.
"Did the modifications to the seal work?"
Hiruzen nodded, "It seems Naruto had been expecting something like that judging by way he too it or it could be that the boy is simply a better actor."
"Yeah when the boy tensed up I was ready to subdue him through other means and I am surprised the kid didn't say anything when his attempt failed." Jiraiya commented stretching his neck.
"The boy has become as cunning as the fox had been." Sarutobi said soberly glancing out of the window towards the Hokkage monument.
As they came out of the body flicker a string of curses escaped from Naruto all the while pulling his hand violently free from the raven haired woman before shooting her venomous glare. Naruto opened his mouth a string of curses on his tongue.
"Naruto-kun stop acting like a spoiled child." Kurenai snapped coldly before any words could escape his lips.
Naruto blinked in shock his mouth wide open. Kurenai was still made at him for his earlier insults. However that alone wasn't why he was shocked. Rather as far as Naruto had known the kunoichi she had never snapped at him nor anyone for that matter.
Looking back to what he still could remember of his childhood life Kurrenai had always had this calm motherly aura about her that made her a mother figure to a few children. At one point he could even remember one of the children calling her mother.
Suddenly a strange feeling over came him. Pointed ears drooped into his long bushy crimson hair almost vanishing entirely. Over came by a feeling he couldn't place Naruto closed his mouth with a snap and without warning turned away for the red eyed woman. Anger was something he had grown accustomed to within his imprisonment but this was something he didn't like at all. He preferred being in total control over everything around him.
Blindly waking to the nearest banch, Naruto sat down his legs folded under his chin.
At that moment with his arms hugging his legs Kurenai noted Naruto looked very much like any child his age. Despite being annoyed with him Kurenai's face soften a little as the boys change into a myriad of expression, anger, confusion and hurt being the dominant of all.
Sigh quietly before looking away from the child preparing herself for the council.
Self pity was something Naruto quickly concluded he didn't like more so since he had wallowed into such thoughts a few days prior his imprisonment, so after few of sulking Naruto became bored. Therefore in no time Naruto was studying his surrounding with crimsons slitted eyes taking in every detail.
He and Kurenai where standing in an empty hall way inside the Hokage tower. Naruto had been here once with his father in few cases his presents were required during meeting with visitors from other villages. Eyeing the door to the council room Naruto wondered if the old man was already inside.
Naruto suddenly stood up and began to walk around feeling the need to do something. He could feel his chakra pushing against whatever seal was blocking it as boredom turned to anxiety of what was to come. Taking a moment to glance outside the window Naruto felt his eyes swivel about trying to catch snipes of conversation that could be heard throughout the towering structure.
Jumping on the bench he had been sitting on, the crimson hair boy stood on his toes as he peered down the window. Ignoring the nauseous feeling surely accompanied by heights Naruto looked down at the village. He felt like it had been many countless years since he last seen the tall structures building and giant trees that made the village. Down below thanks to his binocular vision he could glimpse individual shinobi and civilian alike going about their daily chores.
From where he was standing Naruto thought the village looked like a giant forest, a fox's den and his play ground. He grinned, a feral grin as his thoughts became filled with all manner of mischief.
His grinning dropped however when he caught sight of his feral visage through his reflection from the window. Focusing on his face Naruto considered the unfamiliar face before him. Crimson slighted eye, pointed fox like eyes and opening his mouth he caught reflection of pointed sharp teeth. Also running his fingers delicately on his cheeks, Naruto felt that his whiskers had also became more pronounced and felt real.
His hair had also change now crimson like his mother had been. This was the first time Naruto had looked at himself and he was pleased. He now looked more like the fox that had been in his gut but he had to do something about his ears though.
And my tail, he thought turning to look at his tail with was swishing from side to side. It was a pity he didn't have all 9 tails. Still he contented with himself for at least having one tail at all. Bringing his around in front of his face, Naruto absently started stroking the crimson soft fur with his clawed paw like hands.
A new scent alerted him to a new presents within the hall way. Abandoning his playing with his tail, Naruto turned away from the windows towards Kurenai to find a masked shinobi in ANBU gear standing next to her. Briefly Naruto wondered if he should apologise to the woman but a larger part of him, the cunning fox like nature of him thought otherwise, so he easily squashed the thought before it could make itself heard.
"Kurenai-san, Naruto-san the council is ready for your presence." the masked shinobi said his voice slightly monotone thanks to the mask he wore.
Leaping off the bench, Naruto followed the red eye beauty with the need of being prompted.