YAY! Chappy four!

I don't own Naruto…blah blah blah…you get the drill. Enjoy!

"Alright…enough with the mushy shit…let's get to work." And with a growl and a wicked grin, he lunged straight at an unsuspecting Naruto.

Enter Kurama-Sensei…

Naruto had barely enough time to dodge the attack, or at least that's what he thought until he felt a stinging sensation from his chest.

'Holy shit! That damn mutt is seriously fast!'

"Dammit, Kyuubi! What the hell!? You tryin to rip my heart out or something?"

"Heh…of course not. …Well…maybe just a little…" The kitsune grinned. "Let's get this straight…we're not here to play nice-nice. We're here to get you up to speed on your new powers. Powers I've had countless centuries to master…but seeing as how we might not have that kind of time…you're going to get the crash course in Demon 101. And the first thing we're going to work on is getting you used to your new body."

"New…body? What are you talking about?" Naruto patted him self down like he was searching himself for weapons.

"Figures you wouldn't get it. Haven't you noticed that something has been different with you in the past few months?"

"Well, a little, I guess. Sakura hasn't really been able to hit me as easily as she used to but...I thought that I was just getting used to expecting it or something."

"Well…that could be part of it, yes...but it's mostly due to the changes your body has gone through because of the fusion process. Your body isn't completely human anymore."

"Oh…ok. …Wait-WHAT?! Whaddya mean 'not human anymore'? What did you do to me?!"

Instead of answering, Kyuubi bolted straight at the blond and attacked once again. Naruto barely managed to dodge a set of claws that would have taken his head clean off.

"I knew from the start that there was no way that your body could have contained my chakra without the aid of that seal your father locked me behind. My little "outings" proved that much. So, during the fusion process, I was also using my powers to alter your body so that my chakra wouldn't kill you."

"…Is that why it didn't hurt me as much when I killed those cloud ninja attacking Hinata?"

"Exactly, although at the time, the process wasn't completed yet so your body wasn't fully prepared for the massive burst you got. And to be honest…it won't be anytime real soon when you'll be fully able to access all my…our…power without risk."

"Huh?" Naruto gave the kitsune a questioning look. "But…I thought you said that you changed my body so that I could handle it. Now you're telling me it still won't? What gives? Make up your damn mind!"

Naruto decided it was his turn to go on the offensive before the fox launched another attack. He shot forward at a speed that he never knew he was capable of and swung a roundhouse kick straight at the demon's head. Kyuubi only smirked as he deftly ducked his head under the attack and swatted the boy with one of his tails. To his surprise, and some degree of pride, the young blond managed to spin with the counterattack enough to land on his feet and resume his assault. A punch was thrown, blocked with a tail and countered with a front claw strike, only to be stopped by a foot followed with the other foot sent to the ribs. The melee was in full swing as the conversation continued.

"It's on-going, Kit. I managed to toughen you up enough to withstand about 20% of my chakra in your current state without harm. That's roughly about 2 tails worth of power. In your altered state however, it's closer to 40%...or 4 tails. As time goes on and your body changes more, you'll be able to access more and more of my power safely, but again, I don't expect that you'll be able to access all of it for quite some time."

Naruto ducked under another tail swipe, only to be hit full brunt by the kitsune's shoulder charge and sent flying head first towards a tree. 'Kusooo…' He managed to flip around and hit the tree feet first and springboard right back. Behind him he heard the tree crack and groan from the impact. The more he fought with the fox…the stronger he felt himself getting. Naruto could see everything around him so much more clearly than he ever could. The images were crisper, more vivid. He saw a leaf hanging in the air, as if it were frozen in time. Only he and the fox moved. The world was standing still.

"What are you talking about. 'Current state…altered state' What the fuck is that supposed to mean? And just WHAT THE HELL AM I!?"

There it was! An opening! He could see it. The fox left himself wide open on his left side. Naruto hit the ground, bounded off a nearby tree, and launched himself like a rocket straight at the beast, landing a kick to the fox's side, causing him to slide back on all fours some six yards or so.

"HAH! Got you!"

"Heh…not too shabby, Kit. I guess the warm-up is over and we can get a bit more serious"

Naruto did not like the sound of that one bit. He liked that the fox has just vanished even less…and he REALLY hated the sudden pain in the middle of his back. The face full of tree just topped it all off. Like soggy asparagus on cold ramen. Mmmmm….raaamen.

"If you're done flaunting your dendrophilia, we can continue."

Naruto just turned himself around and leaned against the tree while the pain in his back slowly subsided.

"Oh shut it fox before I slap a muzzle on you and take you to the vet. And…are you gonna answer my question or not. Just what the hell did you turn me into, Kyuubi? And what did you mean by the current and altered states crap?"

"Ah…still on that, huh? Well, ok…if you insist. Because of our fusion, you are, for all intents and purposes, a hanyo, Kit, a half-demon…in a sense, anyway."

"A WHAT!? You mean that instead of just being CALLED a demon…I AM one now? Oh this just keeps getting better and better! This is just what I need right now. I finally get people to respect me for me, I find friends that would risk their lives for me, finally get the girl of my dreams before I even knew she WAS the girl of my dreams…and then BAM! 'Hey Naruto! Guess what? You're a real life demon now! Sorry to rain on your parade! Have a nice, freakin' day!' GEEZ! I must have all the luck in the world!"

"…You done yet?"

"…Yeah…pretty much."

"Good…as I was saying. Basically, in a rather unusual fashion, you're a half demon now. Part human, part…well…me. However…right now, you're more human than anything with just a touch of demon mixed in. If someone were to sense your chakra right now, it would feel like the chakra of a human shinobi. That is your normal state. You look human, smell human, and would pass as a normal human by pretty much everyone in pretty much every way.

In a lot of ways you're much like the way you were before the fusion…aside from the fact that you're stronger, faster, and a bit tougher than you used to be. Oh…and more chakra too…and your sense are sharper…and your reflexes are enhanced…and a few more tidbits here and there.

Your altered state is where your hanyo nature manifests itself completely. Your physical features will change, your chakra will take on a completely different feel and increase dramatically, and your abilities will increase exponentially."

Naruto bounced what the fox had said around in his head. It was a little weird to him, but in some strange way it kind of made sense.

"OK…if I'm getting this right…I'm still kinda human right now…and yet I'm not at the same time. But…I can change into something that's not."

"…Something like that."

"And…if I change, I'll get even stronger than I am now."

"Correct…"

"OK…with you so far. Why do I have two forms?"

"Hm…kind of surprised you asked that. Guess I didn't give you enough credit. Because I sealed your hanyo form, mostly for your protection until you mastered it, and partly so that you could still live your life normally…or at least as normal as your life gets anyway. And before you ask…no…I won't teach you how to change just yet…not until I think you're ready."

"…Kyuubi-teme…"

"Oh…and there's one more thing, Kit. Stop calling me Kyuubi…my name is Kurama."

"Oh…there you are. I've been looking all over for you, Tashui."

She knew that voice well. His gruff, yet gentle tone always seemed somehow soothing to her sensitive ears.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you. I…I just had to get away and be alone for a bit."

"It was them again…wasn't it?"

She nodded slowly in reply, earning her ears a not so subtle growl from her mate.

"Stop that…it's ok. You should know that I'm used to it by now. It just gets a little hard to deal with sometimes…but I'm fine. Really…I'll be alright."

The man only sighed quietly as she felt him nuzzle himself into the side of her neck. He felt so warm against her, so comforting. She knew as long as he was there, she could withstand anything.

"You're too soft-hearted for your own good sometimes. You know that…right?"

"Maybe…but that's why I have you, my love"

"Always…"

' I'm impressed…the boy's a fast learner when he wants to be. He's actually starting to give me a bit of sport here.'

Naruto shot a kick to the left of Kurama's head and hooked it around to bring his heel to the back of the kitsune's skull. The fox lowered his head, avoiding the attack, and sent a tail at the blond's supporting leg with the intent of sending him down. Naruto, however, was having none of that. Instead, he altered the path of his kick and sent it downwards in an axe kick, pinning the tail to the ground.

"Nice try, Kyuubi, but I saw that one coming a mil-" WACK! (tumble tumble tumble) slam!

"Stupid boy! I have nine tailes…remember? And you ever step on ANY of them again I'll eat you! …Still though…you're seem to be getting the hang of some of your new abilities."

The fox let out a yawn and stretched a little.

"Well…I guess we should be calling it night. But, I'd say you've done pretty good for our first go-round."

"Hehe…ya think?"

"…..No. Good night."

The last thing Naruto saw was the fox's wicked grin before he vanished into thin air.

"Kyuubi-teme…"

WACK! Thud

"I told you to stop calling me that…my name is Kurama."