"Speech"

'Thought'

"Demonic Voice"

'Bijuu thoughts'

Justu

(A/N: Author Note)

Flashback

Disclaimer: All rights reserved by the original creator this is a fan production.

Thanks to The Keeper of Worlds for review and ardad95 and DemonOfThePlains for the constructive criticism. Also everyone who checked out the newest chapter, big thanks from me. Here another chapter done very quickly thanks to a little inspiration that wouldn't leave me alone.

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Chapter 19: WTF?

"You're really in it now you fool!" Kyuubi shouted at Naruto. For the past week the demon had be walking on a tightrope between keeping the poison at bay and killing the boy with his own foul energy, both on purpose and acidentally.

"Shut up…asshole," Naruto spat out through gritted teeth as he focused on keeping a leash on the fox's chakra. His fight had pretty much ensured that he would need to let his body rest for a few weeks before using any more of the fox's chakra. That plan, however, was put on hold as he and Kyuubi attempted to fight off the poison long enough for a miracle. Fortunately the poison only targeted human chakra and Naruto was half demon, coupled with the Kyuubi's own power meant that an instant death was delayed, but he could tell that they didn't have much time.

"If we lose Shikkan because of you damn chivalry I swear to Inari that I'll feed you to the pits of hell!"

"Calm down…Tomoko…already fetched…the information…we needed," Naruto was grateful that he had sent his friend out in his stead before the chunin exams, before everything became hectic. The invasion, his fight with Gaara, his stay at the hospital, the funeral, Sakura, imprisonment, chasing after Tayuya, and another stay at the hospital, not a lot of time to discuss anything, "and don't worry…we'll get…through this…now shut up!"

The fox grumbled but kept his mouth shut, he'd survive the boy's death, but who knows how long it'd be before he came back or when he'd ever come this close to Shikkan.

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"This way Lady Tsunade," Sakura practically dragged the future Hokage, with Jiraiya and Shizune on close behind, into the room Naruto was resting in. That same room was also host to Kakashi, Haku, Tomoko, and Mei, as well as Dr. Toji. Tsunade went straight into medic mode, happy that Sakura had started showing her the proper respect, and addressed Dr, Toji, "So what are we dealing with here Doctor…"

"Toji, Dr. Toji and as far as we've been able to determine the poison has completely left his blood stream and is now in the chakra network," Tsunade was glad to see that the doctor was all business from the get go. She didn't need some fool fawning over her when she was attempting to save a life, "What have you attempted so far?"

"First we tried drawing out the poison, cut the problem off at its source, but it'd already seeped in to the chakra network, we attempted to pull it out of his network but his condition interfered and some of the doctors working accidentally absorbed the poison into their networks."

"Casualties?"

"None yet, it seems that the poison wasn't the only thing they absorbed, some the boy's special chakra entered the staff's network causing them to enlarge, fortunately one of the doctors knew what was going on and had everyone effected purge all their chakra to the point of death, they'll be out of commission for a while but they'll live. It revealed that the special chakra is keeping the poison at bay."

"What if we're forced a purge of the boy's system just like the doctor's did?"

"We thought of that as well, but the boy's condition might also cause a repeat of the incident on a larger scale," Dr. Toji replied as Tsunade began to check over the boy, "right now the boy's only hope is to draw out the poison-laced chakra but we need some way to calm the chakra to draw it out safely before it burns away the boy's system, maybe—"

"Cho?"

"Excuse me?"

"Shizune isn't this little Cho?" Shizune stepped next Tsunade and looked the young man over and was surprised that she did in fact recognized him, "You're right Lady Tsunade it is!"

"I'm sorry Lady Tsunade but this is Naruto," Sakura said wondering why Tsunade thought Naruto was this Cho person, she was also wondering what the doctor was referring to when he spoke of Naruto's condition. Haku and Tomoko were in the same boat as Sakura, Haku could feel the distance between herself and Naruto, it seemed that he still held a lot from her. Tomoko didn't share Haku's sad sentiments, rather she was frustrated to find that Naruto was still keeping important things from her.

'When are going to stop hiding your skeletons Naruto?'

Jiraiya chose this moment to remember something very important, "That's right Naruto ran into Tsunade when he used to run away from the village!" Almost every head snapped straight to Jiraiya, different thoughts running through their heads but the same question on the tongues.

"HE WHAT?!"

Sakura and Haku had yet another question to ask Naruto when he was healed, Tomoko an Mei were surprised that Naruto never told them that he was actually running away from the village, he'd always said he was just travelling around the world before he became a ninja and was strapped with responsibility. Tsunade, Shizune, and Tonton were shocked to find that Sarutobi would let a jinchuriki run around the world. Kakashi and the doctor wisely decided to keep quiet and let the situation play out.

"Wait wait wait how did you meet Naruto, Lady Tsunade?" Sakura asked.

"To make a long story short, some friends of a friend who I owed some money kidnapped Tonton here, and since I couldn't just crush both of them I tried to win the money at a local casino buuut…"

"She ended up losing and owing the casino some money," Shizune finished for Tsunade, embarrassed by her master's lousy luck. Tsunade wasn't handling it any better as the group noticed the pink planted on her cheeks but she continued her story, "Anyway Cho—"

"Naruto," said everyone.

"Naruto here was being dragged out by the security when he saw me and said I was his mother," Tsunade laughed fondly remembering the rambunctious young man. Finishing up her scan of Naruto's network, she realized how that there was something off about the boy's chakra. She started another scan as she wrapped up her story, "I was about to set the record straight, but the brat said he could pay off my debt with the casino, course I didn't believe him but we both seemed to be having a lousy day so I took pity on the brat. Next I know he's taking a seat at the table placing a bet, the dealer tried to stop but I just threatened to break him in two, and before I knew it the kid was raking in the dough! He made enough to get Tonton back and cover my expenses at the casino."

"The next day he just disappeared," Shizune said as she looked down on the young man, "We ran into him twice more that year, both times he helped Lady Tsunade with her expenses."

Once again the color pink planted itself on Tsunade's cheeks

"Not to interrupt you trip down memory lane Lady Tsunade, but do you have any suggestions?" Dr. Toji asked.

"I might have something but first have you noticed something odd about this boy's chakra?"

"Odd?"

"Hmm, I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't, it's a small little instability that keeps happening every minute and nine seconds and seems to resonate from his head," Tsunade was a now running a scan over his head, there was something definitely here, but what? It was a familiar feeling, but whenever she felt close to recognizing the sensation her mind became foggy. 'Foggy? Almost like someone was placing a—'

"Genjustu, that's what the fluctuation is!" Tsunade became aware of a miniscule amount of chakra invading her network. "That's what's been interfering with my scan." Placing her hands over Naruto's nose where the fluctuation was strongest she began to force the chakra out of her system and hopefully find a way to stop the fluctuations. The chakra resisted her attempts at first and each attempt seemed to get harder, but slowly and surely she began to force it out of her system. The strain became harder the more she forced out, sweat formed on her brow but she kept pushing. 'What's this strange pressure it doesn't feel like human chakra but it's not the chakra of the beast either.'

Tsunade began to feel the strain in her muscles now and it felt like she was pushing against a mountain, "Almost there…come on!" Once she felt near her goal, Naruto's face began to shift and shape itself into a plain white anbu mask with slits, then into a black cowl, then a horrifying mask with blue eyes and a maw with needle like teeth, then into multiple faces of different people, a man with odd green eyes and a Taki headband, dark skinned boy with white hair, Zabuza, some random Konoha ninja, an Iwa ninja, and an assortment of other people faster than they could be identified as the Tsunade managed to rid herself of the genjustu. The faces cycled faster and faster and Tsunade could feel the fluctuations increasing and becoming erratic, "Everyone step back!"

The faces cycled faster and faster until they became a blur, and then it stopped. Whatever had been happening just stopped without warning and there, resting upon Naruto's face was a mask. A bone white mask in the shape of a of a fox head.

Haku found her hand lying on top of the mask before she knew what she was doing. Everyone's eyes were glued to Haku's hand; it was one of those moments that makes a person's spine shiver and the hairs on the back of the neck stand up. They could all feel that something important lay underneath the mask. Gathering her resolve Haku pulled the mask off... and dropped it immediately.

At first there was a general sense of relief when no one noticed anything wrong with Naruto's face, but then they noticed his hair twitching. The next thought was: since when does hair twitch? The one after: are those ears? Then Mei, in her childlike innocence and inability to read a room, voiced those thoughts.

"Big bro has dog ears!"

And now the reality hit everyone.

"W-What?" Tomoko leaned on the bed and touched the ears just to confirm that what was happening, was actually happening, "Their real…" Rubbing an ear between her fingers she heard something that caught everyone's attention.

Thump thump thump

Looking down she noticed something flopping up and down under Naruto's sheets, near his hips, and of course everyone else took notice as well.

"Looks like someone's enjoying the attention," Jiraiya said cackling as to himself, this was something straight out of one of his books.

WHAM!

"Shut your mouth pervert, beside it's not even in the right place," Tsunade as she wiped some blood off her knuckle, while Jiraiya was laid out on the floor, a fist imprint on his face. Pulling the sheets away Tsunade and the group had another surprise as a tail waggled in between Naruto's legs.

And Sakura finally reaching her limit for shock and surprise for the day had very reasonable reaction to the situations surrounding her comrade and possible paramour.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!"

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Sorry for the cliffhanger here but this seemed the best place to stop the story. Once again read and review, I really like to hear what my readers have to say.

Don't really have more to say than that.

…So goodbye.

…I'm working as fast as possible.

…Go away.