A/N: Hey guys (and girls) back with another chapter. I only have a couple things to say so I'll make this quick, 1) I'm gonna start posting at least every two weeks and 2)I want to give Naruto a summoning contract, but I have no idea which one. I want you guys to give me your opinion.

Anyways, on to the story.

Naruto sneered as he looked at his reflection in the water. He needed a haircut, and soon. It had grown far too long and reached about halfway down his back, just underneath his shoulder blades. Sure, it was kept together in a sort of ponytail, but that wasn't really his style. He liked his hair short and easy to take care of.

'I'll do it next time I head into town. I'm sure someone there cuts hair.'

He sighed as he sat up from his hunched over position over the water. It had been a long 3 months since he had left Konoha and he wondered how Itachi and Akira where doing.

'Probably becoming great ninja.' He frowned. 'At least, I hope they are.'

He sighed yet again and laid down on the bank of the river. 'Was it right for me to leave Konoha? To leave everyone?' He shook his head. 'No, it's too late now. I've made my decision and I have to stick with it. Besides, they couldn't very well take me back. Could they?'

That was one of the things that had confused Naruto. Was he a criminal, missing child, or missing ninja? All three of them had as good of a chance of being true as the other.

He shrugged though.

It didn't matter much if he wasn't going back.

He closed his eyes and realized the same thing he realized everyday once he started to think on his life. He didn't know what to do and he was alone.

'Well, not completely alone.' He thought as he opened his eyes and noticed he wasn't laying on the bank anymore. No, he was back in the Fox's home, his mindscape.

"Anything I can help you with fox?" Naruto asked to seemingly nothing.

It's red eyes opened in the darkness of the cage which gave the cage a perfect representation of the word ominous, but that feeling quickly dissipated as the chakra construct walked into the light on his side of the cage.

"You can stop being a stick in the mud and do something with your life." It helpfully suggested.

Naruto snorted. "Like what? Other than being a ninja I don't have too many skills. And I'm not even sure if I want to be a ninja anymore."

This time the fox snorted. "And you wonder why I think your kind is pathetic. You think the world runs based on what you want to become. It doesn't work like that. It's only the powerful that truly have a say in what happens. They are the ones who mold the world you live in. And here you are, you have the opportunity to be one of those sculptures and you refuse because of a dislike of a few people."

The fox stomped at the end of its rant. "Are you listening to me brat?"

Naruto lazily opened up one of his eyes to look at the biju. "I'm listening, but I'm also not caring. I'm not all for that shaping the world into something because frankly, I don't really care what people do. I just want to be left to do as I wish."

The captive growled. "You're a fool for not seeing that those who mold your world won't just leave you alone."

Naruto was silent. He was thinking on how he could respond to the fox and what he felt on the matter. Apparently though, he took to long because the fox stalked back into the cage after a couple of seconds before Naruto was ejected from the mindscape.

Naruto sighed. The fox wanted him to train again, to become a ninja more powerful then any before him. But He didn't want that. Heck, Naruto didn't know what he wanted, he just wanted something. Hopefully something that finally got people to stop ruling over his life, but he wasn't too concerned with that.

'Whatever,' he thought, shaking his head, 'I'll dwell on it another day, for now I'll get some sleep and then head into town.'

The next day

Naruto yawned as he got out of his makeshift shelter. Today was the first day he went into the town he had camped out by and the day that he was gonna get his haircut.

Overall, it felt like it'd be a good day.

Before he left he dismantled his shelter of sticks, leaves, and rocks. Feeling satisfied as he finished up, he nodded to himself and headed out.

His first impression of the town left his feelings of how the day would go intact, in fact if anything, it bolstered his thought of it being a good day.

As he walked he couldn't help but feel calm. It was nice not to be looked at with hate, or to be scorned for your very existence. He closed his eyes in an attempt to soak in the feeling before he began to feel awkward. Opening his eyes his was greeted with the sight of a set of black eyes staring into his own.

"Ahh!" Naruto screamed in surprise as he jumped back. "What the hell are you doing!" Naruto yelled at the kid who had been staring at him.

The kid, young by even hai standards, was wearing green overalls over a beige t-shirt and a white hat, almost like a top hat but not quite, with two blue stripes that encircled the tube part of the hat. The kid just cocked his head to the side and ignored Naruto's question.

"Why were you just standing there mister?" He asked.

Naruto sighed, "I was thinking, now will you please answer my question?"

"Well, you were just standing there with your eyes closed and I thought something might be wrong with you so I decided to come over and look." He answered.

Naruto just shook his head, "Just don't do it again kid. By the way, I'm Naruto. Who are you?"

The kid nodded before answering the question. "I'm Inari and I'm gonna be a hero like my dad someday!"

"Well it's nice to meet you Inari, but I'm gonna be going." Naruto said as he started walking.

"Wait Mr. Naruto!" Inari exclaimed, "When I came over here to so what was wrong with you I lost sight of my dad, can you help me find him?"

Naruto stopped and thought for a second when he heard the request, before he turned around and walked back to Inari. "Sure kid, I'd hate for your parents to worry about where you were."

Inari smiled and nodded. "Alright then, my dad's name is Kaiza. He has black, spiky hair and has a white rope tied around his head."

Naruto just nodded. "Alright then kid, let's get looking. I'm sure we will find him soon."

Inari nodded and started to follow Naruto as they looked for Kaiza. After a few moments of silence Inari spoke up.

"Hey mister, why are you in wave country anyway?"

Naruto glanced down at him and raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think I don't live in here in wave?"

"Well, you don't really look like anyone else from around here. You look more like a traveler."

Naruto smiled and nodded. "You're right, I'm not from around here kid. Nice observation"

Inari sent a beaming smile up at Naruto for the compliment. "Why are you here then mister? Is it for the fishing competition coming up?"

"Fishing competition?" Naruto questioned.

"Yeah, it's a whole big thing where new and old fisherman try to compete to be named the best fisherman in wave. My dad is competing and is gonna win, I just know it!" Inari finished with a small cheer.

'Fishing, huh?' Naruto thought to himself.

'Are you going to do what I think you're going to do warden?' The Kyuubi asked Naruto through the seal.

Naruto just smiled and looked at Inari. "Come on kid, let's hurry up and find your dad. I have to ask him something."

A/N: Yes, I know that Inari needing help finding his father is ultra-convenient, but I needed something to get them to meet and I didn't want to think up a whole new scene. And i just realized as I was posting this that i did not put in Kushina's and Minato's reaction scene. oops. Ill do it next chapter. better yet, ill make a whole chapter to it maybe. Anyways, im always taking suggestions for naruto's adventures.