Chapter 2 - Kit... Father

"Yo, Lady Tsunade wanted me to inform you that Naruto is awake and healthy." Kakashi was standing just outside Sasuke's doorstep. It had been a week since Naruto had entered the hospital and slowly but surly his state had improved. Sakura visited the dobe almost everyday after her initial shock. When ever Sasuke stopped by, there was always a new set of flowers by the bed.

He tsked and shrugged a shoulder like he didn't care. "That dobe's to stupid to know how to die."

Kakashi just smiled at him. "I was going to stop at Sakura's and tell her the same. I figured we could all visit together."

Sasuke just gave a grunt and followed him out the door. "What ever."

His sensei continued his stupid smile forcing him to try and ignore it. As he did his thoughts when back to a week ago, when he'd been dragged out of the hospital by Sakura.

"What's going on Sakura?" he had finely had enough, and Sakura's usual disposition of fawning over him wasn't what was doing it. In fact most time if she had him alone, she would have driven him crazy with annoyance. Then he felt her hands shaking.

"Sakura?" his eyebrows lowered. He hadn't seen her like this since Orochimaru in the Forest of Death. The look she gave him… he remembered a face like that once. It was the one on his face the day he came home to find his family slaughtered.

"Sasuke I-" she bit her lip and then taking in a deep breath steadied herself. "It's Naruto…"

He instantly stiffened. If she knew something he wanted to know-after seeing the chakra that poured out of their teammate's body-it just wasn't normal!

He just scolded coldly. "Yeah, What about the dobe?"

"Just listen for a minute Sasuke!" this took him completely off guard-it was actually enough to make the usually collected boy step back. Sakura shook her head looking horrified at what she had done, and thne stared up at him with glazed eyes. "He said-he said something really-really-strange in his sleep!"

"Spit it out Sakura!"

"He called himself Kyuubi!" she blurted.

That was the start of the longest conversation he'd ever had with Sakura.

She'd told him everything that had happened in the absence of him, Kakashi, and the Hokage. It put Sasuke on a new edge, and made his skin crawl a bit. He'd told her that Naruto was probably delusional thanks to the Jutsu put on him. He'd explained that part of the situation from what he'd learned in Koshers ceil. After that she seemed to force herself to agree with him. But neither Genin could deny the ominous chakra that had filled the hospital room… and the shape it had take…. It was almost like seeing nine thrashing tails.

Sasuke had thought about it that night and through out the rest of the week, even during training. But there was no way an idiot like Naruto could possibly be a demon, even if the Forth Hokage hadn't killed the Nine Tailed Fox all those years ago. 'But that Chakra.'

He'd sensed it one other time before, again during the Chuunin exams in the forest of death.

'You're not scare, are you fraidy-cat?'

And what about how fast his wounds would always heal? It had taken Sasuke a week to recover from Haku's attack at Wave-even Naruto had taken a few good hits! So why was it their never seemed to be a scratch on him?

'What ever is going on, that Chakra isn't normal.' He was still musing when they stopped at Sakura's house. She was cheerful, almost back to her usual self. He could tell because her face would go red whenever she looked at him. He sighed.

It had taken her a few days before she'd gotten up the nerve to even look at Naruto again. When she finely did go to the hospital room and began leaving the flowers she'd told him why, though he pretended to care less.

"He… he may be different, and I may not understand it… but he's still Naruto." She'd said, her back to Sasuke as she looked down at the blond boy on the bed. "He's still our teammate."

He just grunted his reply. She was right after all. This was Naruto they were talking about. He was nothing but a weak dead last.

'Yeah, a dead last who learned the Rasengan in little under a week.' A small voice sounded in his head and his fist tightened. Yeah, he'd seen the technique. It was when they had their last fight on the Hospital roof. He'd felt hot pride when he saw Naruto's Rasengan had barely dented the water tower, but after seeing behind it that had changed. He could still remember his thoughts clearly.

'I'm not going to be beaten by that dead last looser!'

There was no way Naruto had some secret power inside him-and he defiantly wasn't any kind of demon! In fact, he was all the opposites of what a monster was supposed to be.

They'd entered the hospital now, and Kakashi pushed the door to Naruto's room open for them to enter.

"Sakura-chan!" there was a rush of blond and blue hospital robes, as Naruto latched onto the girl grinning.

"Naruto-"

"Baa-chan said you were worried about me the whole time!"

Sakura was blushing, for a moment her face filled with relief… only to be replaced by sudden irritation. "-You baka!" she brought a fist down on his head and fended him off.

"Oww-ow-ow-What was that for!"

A vein was bulging in Sakura's head. "What for? What for? It's rude to jump a lady like that Uzumaki Naruto! And anyway, who said you could go off and pull a stupid stunt like almost getting yourself killed!" she thundered above cracking her knuckles and making him cringe back.

"Ahh… But Sakura…"

"Don't you but me you little-"

Some one cleared their throat and the audience looked up to see Tsunade, hands on her hips with Shizune by her side. "I admire how much you care for your friend, but he's still recovering Sakura. Try not to beat him to a bloody pulp just yet."

Sakura, still with her fist raised sweat-dropped and bowed. "S-sorry Hokage-Sama."

The woman just waved it off and then motioned back to the bed. "Naruto, sit."

"Ugh… my head hurts…" Naruto pouted rubbing his aching scull.

She rolled her eyes at the boys complaining as he sat back down. "Let me see your head once again." She said, a glowing green chakra forming around her hand as she set it down on his messy hair. After a while Naruto twitched and moved back.

"I told you Baa-chan, I'm fine. In fact I've never felt better!" he pumped a fist then caught sight of Sasuke. Had the dobe even realized he was there?

"Ha-and I'm totally ready to run your face into the ground Sasuke-teme! I feel like I could fight twenty assassins and pummeled them!"

"Sure, just like you did the last one right."

"Eeerr-what'd you say Uchiha!"

"Enough!" Tsunade bristled and pushed the boy back down onto the bed. "For now you need rest! And if I even hear about you sneaking out of this building to train," she got up close to his face making him sweat. "I'll show you what happens to Jeryia when I catch him peeking into the womans bath house."

Naruto just saluted, his face stricken with nervous fear. Even Sasuke had to surpress a gulp. "Not a problem old lady-any way I told you I could take that assassin guy on by myself!" he bragged.

The other rolled their eyes while Kakashi said, "Naruto, the idea is to stay awake and alive through out your battles."

"Aww come on-I just shook him up so he was easy for you and Sasuke to take care of."

Sakura looked livid while Kakashi was complacent, as he flipped through his Icha Icha Paradice. Sasuke felt like all the ridiculous demon talk was at a close. Naruto really was a complete idiot. He could only think, 'Baka.' All the while listening to how Naruto knocked Kosher out with a Resengan.

"You were lucky that any of you made it… if I had know it was Kosher the Red-Hands I would have never sent you on that mission." Tsunade said her back to them as she looked out over the village. "It was sloppy paper work..." she couldn't help but doubt herself as Hokage. She'd hardly been in the position for a week and she was already making mistakes.

"Aw-it's no big deal-happens all the time!" Naruto waved a hand. "Remember when we had to fight Zabuza in Wave-I mean things happen. Anyway nobody's gonna kill me-not before I become Hokage…" he rubbed his eyes sleepily and Tsunade motioned for the others to leave.

"I think we should let Naruto rest. He still has quite a bit of recovering to do."

They nodded and with a wave from both Sakura and Kakashi, along with a, 'Hmph.' From Sasuke, they left. Naruto was already asleep on his pillow, deep into his own dreams.

They were hunting him again! Felt him self slip on the pavement as one of the villagers, armed with a stick, when to strike him.

'Stay out of my shop you thieving little demon!'

He remembered the pain-this nightmare, he'd lived it… but this time nothing happened. Naruto looked up to see a man clad in a long red kimono over him. He had the villagers arm in his grap. For a moment he felt scared, then the man looked down at him.

"I promise little kit, I won't let anyone harm you ever again."

Naruto recognized the blood red eyes of Kyuubi and it was all he could do to nod his head, but the villager just kept coming.

"Why protect that little- -He's nothing but a killer! A discrace to the village!"

Kyuubi turned back to the man, he knew this was all in Naruto's mind, the reprocutions of the Jutsu still following him in his sleep. It eiry how his subconsios already knew what the villagers would say. Kyuubi bared his fangs in a savage smile.

"You're wrong about that..." then with complete ease he snapped the mans arm back, tearing bone through flesh as his victom screamed. The boy had a strong imagination. Kyuubi just threw the man back and licked the blood on his hands. "…I on the other hand, am."

Naruto was shaking as he turned to him and Kyuubi wondered if he had just broken him with fear. That's when there was a blure and something latched onto his arm.

"Kyuubi-sama!" Naruto's tears mixed in with the mans blood a he gripped the lord of demons, as if for dear life. The small boy didn't know if he should thank him or… "You can't do that-you can do that to the villagers!"

Kyuubi easily pying the small hands from his arms pushed Naruto back. He was sniffling and blood smooched his face and down his front.

"Do you feel pity for the one's who would kill you?" Kyuubi asked, his voice was cold but he didn't let his emotions show. He wanted to hear Naruto's answer. The little boy trembled.

"N-NO!" he finely shouted out loud as if to tell the entire world, then he looked at Kyuubi though giant tears. "They-they'll hurt Kyuubi-sama… They'll hurt you!" he stomped his little foot fist balled and eye's closed as he tried to fend back the hug drops of water falling from his eyes. "I-I love Kyuu-ubi-s-san!"

A hand still warm and wet touched his face, and the child smelled something sweat and irony. Kyubbi was brushing his tears away.

"My son… you will never shed tears like this because of them ever again." he soothed and let the blond rap his arms around him. "My little kit, I will make you strong and blood will spill before your eyes."

"…i-if I'm your k-kit… that make's you my Otousan-right?" his blue eyes met Kyuubis with dreaded hope. He didn't want to believe. But some where in that look, Naruto new the answer, and a small smile formed on his still crimsom streaked face.

The twelve year old Genin Uzumaki Naruto was gripping his covers tightly, his pillow stained wet when suddenly all the tension left him. No one else in the world heard him as he mumbled in his sleep. If they had, they would have thought he was dreaming of a comforter he'd never had, and never would know.

"…My…Otou…san…."