Castle Guards

Castle Guards

By Ammie Hawk

Disclaimer: I need something to drink.

AN: Okay, first off, let me apologize to you now. This chapter is kind of a filler chapter. I've gotten a really bad case of writer's block, not only on this story but the two others I'm currently working on as well. So I can't promise a quick update, unless of course I find a muse for this story. (If anyone would like to collaborate with me on overcoming this you can PM me or go to my homepage and IM me.)

Anyway, the vote stands thus: (By the way, it's still open till I start posting the sequel.)

Itachi/Neville 1

Itachi/Ginny 2

Itachi/George 2

Sasuke/George 1

Itachi/Hinata 4

Hinata/Ginny 1

George/Hinata 1

There were some others but I have reasons for not using them. The first one was a suggestion for Itachi/Kyuubi, which had 3 votes, and while I like that pairing, I've already got big plans for Kyu's mate. Another was for Itachi/Sasuke, and while I don't mind reading Uchihacest on occasion, I can't, won't write it. And the last was for no one to be paired with our darling Uchihas, but I want at least Itachi to have someone, since he's a good guy in my fics.

Anyway, onward and upward.

Chapter 20: Who Did What to Who's Cow?

Kyuubi wasted no time in sprinting toward Gryffindor tower. He knew something was going on in Dumbledore's office, otherwise the old coot would've given him a, what was it? a Portie, or whatever it was, straight to Konoha to see Lady Tsunade. Now he was left with only one option, and that was that pink haired bitch that used to be on his kit's team.

The demon fox had never liked that girl, she couldn't appreciate a good thing if it bit her on her oversized forehead. That was the reason he kept throwing out lecherous thoughts to his kit about the Hyuuga. He, himself, had no interest in the long-haired Byakugan user, but he knew his kit did, even if the brat didn't realize it himself. He would've even insisted that his kit go after the Uchiha brat, but with his betrayal, he wouldn't do that.

His thoughts were cut off as he reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, guardian of Gryffindor tower. And damn it all, he didn't remember the new password. His kit had made sure he knew all of them, considering neither of them knew when Kyuubi would be needed.

"Open up, you old hag," he demanded, kicking the edge of her frame.

"I can't let you in without the password," the Fat Lady said sternly.

"I don't have fucking time for this," Kyuubi snarled. "You see this kit, he's about a hair's breath away from death and the only person who can help him is in this fucking dorm, now let me in!"

"What is going on here?" a cold voice said from behind them.

"This fucking portrait won't let me the fuck in," the demon snapped, not taking his eyes off the painting.

"To get into any of the dormitories, you have to have a password," the voice said with a hint of a smirk in it. "I have not seen you before, so I'm assuming you don't have the correct permission to be on the premises."

"I don't give a flying fuck," the redhead turned to glare at the man standing behind him. "You see this kit," he indicated Naruto, "he's going to die if I don't get into this fucking dorm, and if my kit dies, you die."

Onyx eyes narrowed as they took in the blonde. Without another word, the man stepped up to the portrait and whispered the password so the demon couldn't hear. The Fat Lady swung open and the man motioned for Kyuubi to step inside.

"Haruno!" he bellowed as soon as he entered the common room, setting Naruto down on the floor, the man stepping in behind him unnoticed. "Get over here you fucking bitch!"

"Enough Kyuubi!" Gaara said, stepping forward to block the demon. "Sakura, tend to Naruto. Kyuubi if you can't hold your temper in check I'll send you back to where you came from."

"You couldn't," the fox scoffed. "You weren't even strong enough to defeat me with Shukaku, how do you think you'd manage without him?"

"Kyuubi, please calm down, for Naruto's sake," Neji's calm voice broke through the demon's temper. "If you don't we could loose him. You are still connected and if you waste all your chakra, he will die, for that is all that is supporting him at the moment."

"W-what's wrong with him?" Neville asked worriedly. "Should someone go get Madam Pomfrey?"

"Kiba! Shino!" Neji snapped sending a glare at his two fellow Leaf ANBU. "Get everyone out of here! Kankuro! Temari! Help them! We need space to work here."

"All of you to your dormitories now!" the professor snapped and all the Gryffindors in the common room scattered at the harsh words. Once they were gone he turned his attention back to the shinobi, all of whom remained behind, "That goes for you as well. Hyuuga, if Uzumaki is indeed dying, as you and this man say, he needs to be in the hospital wing. Mere children cannot hope to tend to him."

"Professor Snape," Neji took a deep calming breath, "if you cannot tell, Kyuubi is upset, I am upset, hell even Gaara is upset and he has the emotional range of a grain of sand. If you have one ounce of intelligence in that head of yours you will keep your mouth shut and let Sakura do her job."

The pink-haired kunoichi was now kneeling next to Naruto, a faint green sheen visible around her hand as she passed it over the immobile teen. Snape wisely kept his mouth shut, but he remained watching. Never before had he seen anything like this. In all his years, no student had ever stood up to him like this. And what was that girl doing? It was something he'd never even dreamed possible.

After about five minutes, which passed in tense silence, Sakura sat back with a sigh. She glanced up at the people surrounding her, her eyes locking momentarily on Kyuubi, who was pacing irritably in front of the fire.

"I've done all I can," she said quietly. "The rest is up to Naruto and Kyuubi. He has no physical injuries. His chakra is low, it probably had to do with Kyuubi's sudden appearance. However, the seal is still strong and holding."

"Then why is Kyuubi still out here?" Gaara asked quietly, closing his eyes in relief that his friend was alright.

"It had to do with the intent," the demon answered, sinking down onto the nearest chair. "When he tried to perform that spell, he called me out. I tried to warn him but it was too late."

"What spell?" Snape asked, glaring at the redheaded man sitting calmly as if he belonged there.

"Expecto Patronum," Kyuubi sighed, he'd have to explain sooner or later, but not to this man. "Someone send for Kakashi, this damn mortal needs his memory fixed."

Before anyone could move, or even protest, in Snape's case, the portrait hole banged open and Shikamaru ran into the room, followed closely by Harry Potter and McGonagall.

"Where is he?" the shadow ninja demanded, pushing past his Head of House. "Where's Naruto?"

"He's here, Shikamaru," Sakura answered calmly. "But you have to calm down, he'll be fine, he just needs to rest."

"This is such a drag," Shikamaru sighed, his eyes never leaving the blonde. "What happened?"

"I would like to know that as well," McGonagall said briskly, eyeing the new redhead beadily. "Mr. Uzumaki, care to explain how your son got in this state?"

Shikamaru whirled around to face the Animagus professor. His eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Naruto's parents are dead!" he spat angrily. "They have been since the day he was born. How dare you insinuate that someone else be his father. It's an insult to the Fourth's memory."

"There seems to be a misunderstanding, again," Kyuubi shook his head. "I never claimed Naruto was my son, I just let your Minister and that fat toad assume that. He is my kit, and as such I will look out for him and his well being, considering my own is tied to his."

"If you are, in fact, not this boy's father," Snape sneered, "then you need to leave these premises at once."

"Can't and won't," the demon smirked evilly. "I'm tied to my kit."

"Kyuubi?" Shikamaru's gaze swiveled to the fox for the first time. "Someone tell me how the fuck he got out. Master Jiraiya assured us that the seal would hold him."

"We can't talk about this now," Kyuubi growled.

"Wait," Gaara held up his hand to stop any further protests or demands. "Dumbledore is gone, isn't he?"

"How did you know that?" McGonagall asked in shock. "He only just left."

"If he were still in the castle, he would have come for this interrogation," Gaara said matter-of-factly. "Now, with him gone, I'm making a decision. I know Naruto has told other Order members, without my consent, but he had a point. And with Dumbledore now gone, we can't afford to have more people suspicious of us. Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, the information I am about to give you is classified."

"How dare you, you insolent whelp," Snape reached for his wand, but found himself at knifepoint before he'd even touched it.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Shikamaru's voice was low, a tone no one in the room had heard from him before, save Kyuubi, though through Naruto's ears.

"We are shinobi," Gaara continued as if he hadn't been interrupted. "My siblings and I hail from the Village Hidden in the Sand, the others from the Village Hidden in the Leaves."

"Impossible," Snape scoffed, but quickly regretted the action as the knife pressed harder against his throat.

"I agree, Severus," McGonagall nodded. "The Hidden Ninja Villages are a myth."

"As the name suggests, we have been hidden for many generations," the Kazekage said evenly. "But Dumbledore has hired most of us to protect certain students. Shikamaru was hired by Draco Malfoy for the same purpose."

"That doesn't explain his purpose here," McGonagall said, pointing to Kyuubi.

"We will get to the interrogation of the fox in a moment," Gaara shrugged. "Beforehand, we need a diversion for anyone else who may have spotted Naruto in this condition. Shino, send a clone to the hospital wing, disguised as Naruto. Explain to the nurse what is going on, with as little detail as possible, and keep watch over it through the night."

The bug shinobi nodded before heading out the portrait hole. The others watched him go before turning their attention back to the two redheads.

"Kyuubi, explain," Gaara commanded in a no-nonsense tone.

"As I said before," the demon glared at the former jinchuriki, "it was his intent behind the summoning. The kit has only ever called upon my chakra before, this time he wanted something substantial to make the spell seem real. He did not realize that's what he was doing, but that's what happened. I felt the pull on my physical body as he gathered the chakra, I tried to warn him, but I wasn't fast enough."

"Wait a minute," Harry interrupted, having just caught on, "you're telling me, that you're the demon Kyuubi no Kitsune? But I thought you were a nine-tailed fox."

"Way to state the obvious," Kyuubi rolled his eyes. "I am Kyuubi no Kitsune, the nine-tailed demon fox. But I am trapped like this because Naruto changed his purpose at the last minute, hoping to spare everyone from a demon's wrath."

"Can you go back, Kyuubi?" Neji asked, biting his lip nervously. If Kyuubi was trapped in a physical body of his own, what was to stop him from doing whatever he wanted.

"I could," the demon shrugged. "But I rather like being out of that fucking cage. Not to mention the fact that if I tried now, I'd end up killing both myself and Naruto. Don't worry, Hyuuga, with that seal still in place, Naruto is still in control. He has the power to take all my chakra, and force me back into the damn cage."

"Cage?" McGonagall sent a confused look to Snape, who had a calculating look on his face. "What cage? We've never seen a cage before. And let me assure you, if Uzumaki had a cage big enough to hold a full grown man, as Head of Gryffindor, I would've noticed."

Kyuubi rolled his eyes but pushed to his feet and marched over to Naruto. The blonde groaned slightly as the fox demon knelt down next to him, but quieted immediately when Kyuubi reached out and placed a hand on his forehead.

"Shh, it's all right, kit," he said quietly as his other hand reached down and began lifting his vessel's shirt, revealing his taught stomach. He placed his hand over where the seal was and sent out a small burst of chakra, causing it to become visible. "This is my cage."

"But… but…" McGonagall's face paled drastically. "Who would do that to a child?"

"The Fourth Hokage." "The Third Kazekage." Shikamaru and Gaara said at the same time, causing all eyes to swivel to the two teens.

"What do you mean?" Snape's eyes narrowed dangerously. "There are more of these… these vessels?"

"Jinchuriki," Harry supplied. "It means 'human sacrifice'. And yes, sir, they are containers to hold the tailed demons, called bijuu."

"As of this moment, we only know of one that remains," Gaara said quietly. "There were, at one point, eight other tailed demons in our world. One jinchuriki died long ago, and with him his demon; two were extracted from their vessels," here he gave a small shudder, "and placed into a new prison; one had never had a vessel and was also captured; we assume they have caught the other four as well, since they are focusing all their efforts on obtaining the Kyuubi jinchuriki."

"How do you know all this?" McGonagall asked incredulously.

"Aside from the fact that I am the Fourth Kazekage of Suna," the redheaded teen gave her a blank stare, "it would have been common knowledge to me, as the only living former jinchuriki."

"Former?" Snape asked coldly.

"Yes, yes, poor Gaara," Kyuubi growled, still holding on to Naruto, "he had his fucking demon removed and lived to tell about it. With no small amount of help from my kit here, I might add. Now, if you'd all fucking leave, Naruto needs rest and he's not going to fucking get it on the floor. Neji carry him up to bed."

"I can't, Kyuubi," the brunette sighed. "He needs you right now. He always needs you when he's like this. I have no place to interfere. Besides, if I tried to take him away from you now, he'd get worse. The seal may be holding but the bond is weaker than when you are inside him. Your touch is soothing to him right now. You need to stay with him tonight at least, I will stay out of your way."

"To hell with that," Kyuubi shook his head. "I didn't spend the last few years feeding him thoughts about you, to have you turn away from him when he fucking needs you. He may need my chakra but he needs you more. Get that through that fucking Hyuuga skull of yours."

"You can't do that," Gaara stated blandly. "You cannot force your will upon Naruto. It isn't possible."

"I didn't say I wanted the Hyuuga brat," the demon gave the Kazekage an incredulous look. "Unlike Shukaku, I want my vessel to be happy, not just myself. I couldn't make him feel something he didn't want, but I could make him realize something he wasn't even aware of wanting. Now come on, Neji."

The pale-eyed teen nodded as Kyuubi lifted Naruto back into his arms. He then followed the demon and his vessel up to their dormitory.

"This is such a drag," Shikamaru plopped down next to Gaara when they heard the door close behind the trio. "I didn't want to have to deal with that damn fox. It's bad enough when he takes over Naruto."

"It is a most unfortunate turn of events," Gaara sighed, leaning back against the couch.

"But it might not be that bad," Sakura put in. "I mean, with Kyuubi out, the Akatsuki won't know what hit them."

"Or it could bring them down on our heads," Kiba rolled his eyes. "I mean, at least thirty kids saw Kyuubi appear, then there's everyone from this tower that heard most of Neji's speech before Snape sent them upstairs."

"I will be shown respect," Snape snarled, reminding the ninja that the two professors were in the room as well.

"Now, we will send for Kakashi," Gaara sighed. "Kiba, go and get him, explain to him what happened and what needs done. You remember everyone who was there?"

"Yep, got it," Kiba saluted and then disappeared out the window.

"Okay, that takes care of the kids, but what about that toad and the Minister?" Shikamaru asked, turning his head to look at Gaara.

"They believe that Kyuubi is Naruto's father, we'll stick to that story," the Kazekage sighed again. "He came in from Japan to keep an eye on his son, having heard of abuse from one of the teachers. Is that understood, Minerva, Severus?"

The two professors nodded and left the tower to spread the word to the other members of the staff.

"But how would he have gotten the message?" Harry asked curiously. "I mean, Naruto's not the type to just send a letter home cause something is wrong."

"Iruka," Shikamaru smirked. "I'll get him to write one up and I'll bring it to Kyuubi to show Umbridge, it'll make her sweat if nothing else."

-------

Ammie: Okay, there it is. I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed, I received the most reviews for the last chapter, for me anyway, at a total of 26. So thank you all. Also there is a poll on my profile on what Naruto story I should work on next. Feel free to take it, I plan on using all the couples I have on it, I just want people to pick one they'd like to see first.