With almost 300 000 views, over 500 reviews and over 700 favourites and followers, I must be doing something right with this story. Anywho, what's up? I'm sure by now you've already figured out that I'm back and writing. Well, for those of you who questioned whether this story was dead and the author was a lazy ass who couldn't get her act together, this update should suffice as my response. I'm sure yall have been waiting for something worthwhile. To be honest, I'm not about to toot my own horn here. I'm not about to say, "This chapter is going to be awesome!" cause I'm sure a lot of you will be like, "…Seriously?"
Now that the Wave Arc has ended, it's time for a little drama that hits home! And I read some reviews asking me NOT to include Hinata in this story. Can't do that, she's part of the main cast and that's not going to change. Did I mention that I like NaruHina? (Even MORE now because it's canon?)
Righto! Another thing I want to address. When I started out here, I was too focused in keeping the story as close and accurate as possible while adding my little flair to something that's been done before. I had momentarily forgotten that this is fanfiction, and I could do whatever the hell I wanted! And that's exactly what's going to happen! This fic wont please everyone (I already have the flames to prove it), and that's just fine with me!
No more feeling pressured. I'm writing because I want to now.
Enjoy the update!
Minato was getting a headache. Konoha had been a frenzy of activity. There was only one reason that was the case: Naruto was coming home.
Normally, the blond boy wouldn't be so recognised on people's radars, but they had little choice but to be aware, because of their Hokage announcing 'punishment' for those who wronged his son…and there were a lot of guilty people on the naughty list.
He had received the message from Kushina via scroll, explaining their estimated time of arrival. From what he could tell from what she wrote, a lot of things had happened.
The Hokage hadn't expected such a simple mission to turn into a life and death situation. Kushina had highlighted that the squad had been barely able to hold themselves against Jounin levelled nin. With that, was the addition of a new member, who Minato had yet to know more about.
Not only that, but Kushina very clearly stated her intention to talk to him about something important. He had known her for a long time. So for her to write such a cryptic message, meant somebody was in trouble.
He wondered if she actually found Tsunade. It would be a miracle and a much needed distraction from begging villagers. If not, then he had no clue what was going on.
Well, today was the day, so he was about to find out anyway.
"Are you sure I should be in the same room as you? Kushina will be back any minute, and as soon as she sees me, there's no doubt I'll be in the hospital again."
Minato peered at the person in front of him. "You have no one to blame but yourself. I never asked you to come into my office, Jiraiya."
The Toad Sannin sighed. "Well, how else am I going to see the kid? It will be damn near impossible with Kushina around."
"Don't even think you're getting any favours from me, whatever happens between you and Kushina-koi is your problem to deal with."
Jiraiya's mouth fell. He looked like a shrivelled up pumpkin. "Come on, don't you want me to make it up to the kid? There's no way that's going to happen unless I have the space to. Look, I understand I have to make it up to Kushina too, but right now, I need one-on-one time with Naruto. From what you've told me, the boy is obviously lacking in skill. Plus, I still need to give him the Toad Contract. At least if I give it to him before Naruko, he won't think I'm favouring her over him."
Minato's glower never wavered. "Do you hear yourself? Are you doing this to earn favour with me or Naruto?"
Jiraiya blinked. "Naruto. Isn't that what we agreed on?"
"Well then you better start thinking that way. Whatever happens between you and my son doesn't change anything between us. If Naruto ever got to liking you, it doesn't mean I won't still see you as a disappointment and a failure as my mentor. You've already lost your trust with me and Kushina. You better hope it isn't the same with my son."
"I get it, I get it," Jiraiya groaned, rubbing his head. "But I need that time."
"What are you suggesting?" Minato demanded, not looking pleased.
"A training mission, one month outside Konoha. In that time, I'll get the kid up to speed in the shinobi arts. It will give me plenty of time to teach him important jutsu, especially toad based jutsu that will be vital. I will also use that time to search for Tsunade, killing two birds with one stone."
"…That is for Kushina to decide."
"Oh come on, Minato! Don't give me that bull. You're the man of the family! You make the important decisions like this!"
Minato shook his head, a wry smile on his face. "You're unbelievable, you know that, Jiraiya? Don't you get it? I've already made my decision. I've been telling you no since this conversation started. I'm not on your side. I'm on the side of my family. Whatever you do to make things right, you're on your own."
"So it's like that, huh?" Jiraiya murmured, looking down. "Fine, I'll figure something out."
Minato nodded his head, not saying anything else.
"Guess I have no choice. I have to wait for the kid here then."
In that instant, the secretary burst into the room.
"Hokage-sama, Team 7 has arrived," she announced.
"Send them here immediately," was Minato's response.
Jiraiya stiffened. He had been hoping for a little more time to compose himself and prepare to try and sway Kushina's animosity towards him away from him, at least for the time being, but that wasn't going to happen after all.
They waited just a couple of minutes in the office. When the door opened, Minato bared witness to a disarrayed and cluttered Team 7. Some of them wore bandages on specific areas, most notably Kushina.
His worries were in the back of his mind, however. First and foremost, he needed to get down to business.
"Welcome back, Team 7. I have been informed that your journey to Wave was a trying one."
He watched them walk inside, and waited for the right moment before he continued on. "I was also apprised to the fact that you faced not one, but two Jounin-level nin. I'm glad to see you all back and safe and well done. I'm proud to say that you have completed your first B-rank mission!"
His exciting statement didn't get him the results he wanted, though. Instead of seeing proud smiles, he was observing tired faces. Kushina returned his gaze, but hers was a lot more foreboding than he would have liked.
What was up with that look, he wondered.
He looked away from her and noticed the newcomer, or new member. She was very young and pretty. He wondered what she had been through in Wave to seek help from Konoha, but he would wait for answers in their report.
When he turned to Naruto, he was expecting to see anger in the blond's eyes. He did see a little anger, but Naruto's piercing gaze was far colder that the Hokage ever recalled. Minato felt on edge.
Something was very wrong.
"Alright everybody," he addressed the exhausted genin, "you're free to go home and rest up. Since you've completed your first B-rank mission, I'll send the pay to your respective areas in due time. And be proud of yourselves, I'm sure achieving a task as strenuous as this requires a little boasting. Ha-ha-ha!"
His little joke was only met with mumbles.
Naruko stretched her arm. "Woo! I'm so tired! I can't wait to take a bath! Come on, Nii-san, lets-"
"Sorry, Naruko-chan, but Naruto is staying here," Kushina informed, never turning to her daughter.
Naruko stared at her mother quizzically, but relented when Sasuke and Sakura were already leaving the room.
"Okay," she said, a bit saddened, "but when you're done, Nii-san, I'll come to your place with Narumi-chan!"
Naruto didn't answer her outright, still keeping his eyes firmly on his father, but Naruko noticed the subtle nod of his head. He had actually agreed.
She smiled softly, deciding that it was time to leave. She hardly payed the big old man in the room any mind, convincing herself that he must have been one of her father's clients. "Bye, Tou-san, Kaa-chan, Nii-san!"
"Bye, Naruko-chan, I'll see you at home," Minato said with a grin.
Once Naruko left the office, it was as if the temperature froze in an instant.
Jiraiya wondered if being in the same room as Kushina really was a good idea. The Namikaze woman didn't seem like she was in the mood for small talk. And considering that the talk he envisioned concerned Naruto, he had suspicion that he would be signing his own death certificate.
Kakashi was mildly aware of what was going on, but he had no clue of the real story. It was obvious that Naruto was in the room because the matter concerned him, but voicing out those thoughts could get him into more deep trouble than he was already in. So he waited, preparing to give his report on the matter.
"Jiraiya," Kushina hissed, not bothering to spare him a glance. "What are you doing here?"
The Toad Sannin was caught off guard. Usually, he loved being the centre of attention, but these weren't good times. "I need to speak with you."
"You and I have nothing to talk about. There are more pressing issues than me beating the crap out of you. Leave."
Haku had no idea what to do. He was a bundle of nerves already. Being in unfamiliar territory only served to increase his uncertainty, so he wisely watched on and said nothing.
"Look," Jiraiya tried to explain, "it's about the kid here."
Naruto briefly looked at the Sannin, and instantly remembered him from Kurama's memories.
"So…the other one who abandoned me is back, huh? Guess it's only really convenient when you realise you screwed up so badly that you have no other choice but to try and 'make things right'."
Jiraiya's mouth clamped shut. Actually, he had been hoping to tell Naruto himself about that. But since the blond already knew it himself, the Sannin's hopes of fixing his mistakes were dwindling fast.
He wondered if Minato or Kushina told him, but it didn't really matter how he found out. What mattered was the fact he did in the first place. He felt like cursing. Now what was he supposed to do?
Minato decided to cut the tension before it turned ugly. He needed to get a report before any significant changes could take place, but he was starting to fear that there was more to Kushina's attitude than just Jiraiya's presence.
"Kushina, just relax for now. I need the report for the mission to document it. After that, you can do whatever you want to this bastard."
Jiariya felt like huffing in indignation. Kids these days.
"Kakashi will handle that. I have something else I want to discuss with you in private."
"Can it wait then?" Minato asked.
Kushina considered it, and it would seem much more acceptable to talk to Minato without the presence of others.
She looked at Naruto. "Will that be okay with you?"
"Me? Sure, it's not going to change anything anyway," Naruto answered.
Although Minato was happy that Kushina seemed to have made significant progress with their son, he was still very wary of what they wanted to discuss with him.
Kakashi made the report. It wasn't too accurate, and Kushina had to aggravatingly correct him on a number of occasions. But most in the room understood why that was the case: she was impatient.
Once the report was finished, Minato addressed the issue of Haku. Ultimately, he decided to allow Haku in Konoha's ranks as a Chunin. He would be given a place to live and his slate as a hunter-nin would be wiped clean. Of course, he would need to explain his actions to other shinobi and kunoichi, but he wasn't worried about anyone questioning his judgement now. As of the moment, he had Konoha completely under his mercy.
So once everything was sorted out, and he informed Kakashi to show Haku around, the only people left in the office were the individuals who were involved in that terrible night where a boy was left behind.
Minato wanted Kushina to head to the hospital, so someone could see to her injuries, but he couldn't voice it out. He wasn't given the chance.
Kushina didn't wait. She got straight to the point. "Minato, the Shiki Fuujin you performed that night, are you sure it did what it was intended for?"
Now that was a question even Jiraiya didn't see coming. That was not a random enquiry. There was a reason why she asked him, but what could that reason be?
Minato was a bit confused at the quiz, but he answered anyway. "Of course. I saw the Kyuubi's Chakra and Soul unleashed and sealed into Naruko and Naruto respectively."
"Have you ever tested this out before, Hokage-sama?" Naruto gritted out.
Minato frowned at his disrespectful tone, but decided to play it cool and keep his composure. "Not the alternative I used that night and neither the original. The Shiki Fuujin is a death sentence, you can't possibly test it. Even you know that, Kushina."
Kushina nodded her head. A hopeless smile was plastered on her face. "I really was a fool…Well, there's your answer, Naruto."
Naruto glanced at her and glared right back at the Hokage. "That's all I needed to know. All of this, was because of you."
"What-"
"Let me finish!" Naruto roared, pointing a shaky finger at Minato. "I have the Kyuubi within me. She's this 'soul' you're speaking of. But guess what, that's not all, she the chakra too! You didn't separate the Bijuu from its chakra. You didn't do anything significantly different. The only difference with your Shiki Fuujin was that you lived to tell the tale, nothing more!"
Jiraiya frowned at the child's attitude. "Hey, listen kid-"
"Shut up, old man, you're also on my shit-list!" Naruto screamed at him.
He turned back to Minato, and was surprised when he saw him scowling.
"That's impossible, Naruto. I saw it for myself. There's no way I could have made such a mistake. Look, I understand that you're angry at us for leaving you here, but we didn't do it out of spite."
Naruto gaped at the Hokage. No way, he was actually choosing denial? Was his arrogance that big?
Well, he would sort that out pretty quickly.
"Well, you did make a mistake! I spoke to Kurama personally! She showed me everything that happened that night and told me that a Bijuu's chakra IS its soul. So you left me for nothing!"
Minato wasn't buying any of it. "Naruto, you spoke to Kurama? Why do you keep referring to it as 'she'? The Kyuubi has no gender. And I wouldn't take its words likely. It could easily be lying to you. What proof do you have to support this?"
That was a legitimate question. But Luckily for Naruto, it was Kushina who came to his defence.
"I felt it when I was battling Zabuza on the bridge. It was a huge surge. At first, I thought my injuries were playing tricks with my senses, but looking back, it was exactly the same feeling I would get when I released Kurama's chakra. That's why I believe everything he said is true. And you're wrong about Kurama lying. That damn Bijuu has an honour system. If it gives an oath, it keeps to it. I know that for myself."
Minato felt vindicated that his own family was gunning after him, but the very idea that he had caused his own blood to suffer was a disastrous prospect to entertain. If what they told him was correct, then Naruto would have every single right to hate them, to hate him in particular.
That's the last thing he wanted. He never wished for such intense animosity with his family. He was looking out for them earnestly. Naruto and Naruko's safety was all he cared about on that fateful night. But alas, it seemed like that one big decision was still coming back to haunt him to the very end.
He didn't know what to say. It was one thing taking what Naruto said with a grain of salt; it was a whole different story if Kushina supported him.
His posture sagged the more he thought about the claim of abandonment to be true. His eyes grew larger and fearful.
This was not what he was expecting.
But still, he needed to defend himself, to show that he wasn't stupid in actually creating a ludicrous plan that tore his family apart.
"I…If it's true that you too have the Kyuubi's chakra, then show me now."
"I can't," Naruto grumbled. "I don't know how to."
And that's what Minato had been desperately hoping for. "Then how can I undoubtedly believe that what you're telling me is true. It's one thing for you to say it, showing me the evidence-"
Slap!
Minato stared wide-eyed at Kushina, wondering why she had slapped him.
Kushina had had enough of Minato's dismissal. This was a very serious subject, and his attempt at evading the truth made her furious. "Don't you dare, Minato….Don't you dare pretend like nothing happened, because it did! I should have known back then. I should have realised that you couldn't possible perform something so complex indefinitely. But no, I allowed myself to be swayed, and it ruined everything!"
"Kushina…."
"Now, Kushina-" Jiraiya was cut off with a withering glare.
"Don't talk to me!" She returned her gaze to Minato, and growled. "Accept it! Accept what you've done! Take it like a man and don't make excuses!"
Minato was slumped on his seat. His head was bowed. Kushina knew she finally got through to him. She walked back to Naruto without a word.
As for the blond himself? He had half a mind to sock Minato in the jaw, but Kushina beat him to the punch. He was grateful that she was actually choosing to take his side above her husband's.
He still needed to make things clear for everyone to understand. And he felt like that moment was good enough.
"Hokage-sama, you chose to abandon me. You chose your own daughter over your son. Since I realised that there was no reason for you to choose anyone in the first place, I don't want anything to do with you. You've made it clear now that you value your power over your family, and frankly speaking, I haven't seen you at least trying to rectify your mistakes from the past. But you know what? I don't care about you anymore. Do whatever you want."
He didn't bother speaking to Jiraiya and turned to Kushina.
She patiently waited for her turn to be scolded. Usually, it would be the other way around. But she messed up, and so had to face the consequences.
"Kushina-sensei, I know that you may mean well for me, but I cannot trust you completely because you have no balance on your life as a mother and wife. No mother would have agreed if her husband came up with the ideas that Minato had, but you did. Tell me, how do I know that if Minato has others you will not do the same and agree with him again? You need to make a choice. What is more important for your life, to be a mother or be a wife, because you have already proven that you cannot be both at the same time, otherwise we will not be having this talk. You need to make a choice now for your daughters so they do not have to suffer what both you and Minato made me go through."
Kushina couldn't be sadder to hear that than if someone told her that she would die in the next hour. She knew what he said was coming from his logical perspective of how she had dealt with things concerning him. Honestly, it was very childish of her to think that they would be a happy family in a short amount of time. It was childish of her to force herself on him, when he clearly stated he wanted none of it. How could she be his mother if she couldn't get her act together and actually think rationally, instead of just hoping for the best out of the worst situation?
She smiled warmly at him, mentally happy at his surprise. "I understand, Naruto, you're right. Actually, I pretty much came to the same conclusion when I was in Wave. I hope you realise that this doesn't change the fact that I love you, and I'm not going to stop being there for you…but I'll be there when you need me, not when I want to."
Naruto blinked at her. That was actually…the right thing to say. It became apparent to him that she wasn't trying to impose on him anymore. In fact, she was more focused on being a sensei than the mother he didn't need. It made sense now…and he was grateful.
He nodded his head and made to leave, but was stopped.
"What about me? Don't you have anything nasty to say to your godfather?" Jiraiya put out. It was more to gauge Naruto's reaction than actually asking for it.
Naruto didn't turn around. "…I don't know you, let's keep it that way."
There was the venom, Jiraiya noted. Yep, he definitely was on the kid's shit-list.
As soon as Naruto opened the door, the last thing he expected was Naruko on the other side.
Everyone stared at her. Her face was a mess of tears. Her eyes were as wide as saucers, her mouth partially opened. She looked like a statue, the world deaf to her.
Kushina and Minato understood immediately.
"Musume," Kushina began gently.
"How could you…? How could you…? How could you…?" She repeated the mantra like a broken record.
Kushina tried to approach her, but Naruko backed away.
Her eyes conveyed hurt and anger.
"Naruko-chan," Kushina tried again.
"All this time, Nii-san suffered for nothing? All this time, you left him because of a hunch?! You left him for NOTHING?!"
"Naruko-chan, watch your tone!" Minato scolded.
For the first time she could remember, Naruko was extremely irate.
"How could you!? It's your fault Nii-san doesn't love us!"
She ran away then. Kushina didn't have the heart to chase her. What could she possibly say to her daughter? Naruko was right after all.
Naruto looked on. He felt bad for Naruko. She never asked for any of it, but it was harsh reality.
He decided to leave, feeling what he needed done was done.
The room was only filled with adults now. There was a heavy feeling in the air, like a hefty mass on everyone's shoulders.
Jiraiya was stunned that the Shiki Fuujin that Minato performed wasn't what they expected. It was different, but not what they thought it to be. And that one error seemed to be the catalyst to their downfall.
Kushina had her eyes on the exit the entire time. She felt old for her age. She felt emotionally drained. When it came to Kami screwing her over, she never got a break. She made to leave.
"I'm sorry, Kushina-koi."
That stopped her in her tracks. She turned to Minato.
"It really is my fault this happened. How could I have been so arrogant in my beliefs? It's literally cost me my son, and now everything is falling to pieces."
She really didn't care for his self-loathing, but she felt she needed to clear up a few things.
"Don't think this is your fault alone. Like I said, I should have realised on that night that you couldn't have possibly done what you've said you did. I had a better understanding of seals, more than you, and I should have followed my instincts instead of following you. We're both to blame, Minato-koi. I am upset at you, but I am just as guilty."
She opened the door. "I'lL…I'll be staying somewhere else for a few days. I need to reflect and pull myself together."
Minato nodded his head slowly. "And the kids?"
"They're safer in the Namikaze Estate. It doesn't mean I won't be stopping by to see them. I just need some time to myself."
"I get it…I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry too."
Kushina stopped a second and remembered something. "Could you locate Naruto's adoption papers for me? I need to know who took him in."
"Naruto was adopted?!" Minato yelled.
"Yes, and I'll explain everything soon. Just please get me those papers."
"…Alright, but you owe me that explanation."
Kushina nodded, then noticed something important (depending on who you are).
"…Where's Jiraiya?"
"You know, you could give me a heads up when you actually pull me into the mindscape," Naruto deadpanned.
Kurama stared blankly at him, her tail usually swaying from one place to another. In human form, she looked rather cute for a terrifying monster.
Naruto wondered why he hadn't noticed something as fluffy as that the few times he had been dragged here. It made her look…exotic, human with fox features, which was strange
"Why should I do that?" Kurama asked. Her big, red eyes seemed genuinely curious.
"Well, it would help if I didn't fall flat on my face every time I came here!" Naruto complained.
Kurama continued to scrutinise. Naruto had half a mind to think she was messing with him on purpose.
And he was right.
She laughed out loud, pointing a finger at his pouting face. "I had you going, didn't I?"
"What is wrong with you?!"
"Oh, relax," Kurama waved him off, "I was just playing innocent. Geez, you really are naïve."
"And you're a nutcase!"
"Maybe," Kurama drawled, a teasing smile forming. "But the reason why I won't give you a 'heads up' is simple: I can't communicate with you outside of the mindscape. I think that should have been obvious to you by now."
Naruto stared at her stupidly. In hindsight, he should have suspected something along those lines when he noticed she never openly communicated with him outside his mind. But then…
"Wait a minute. When you took control of my body, I was able to talk to you while I was here. So explain that!" he challenged.
Kurama tilted her head. "Well, that's actually simple. I had a connection to the mindscape even when I had control over your body. So I wouldn't say every part of me was gone from this place, otherwise the seal would force me back…harshly."
Naruto was surprised that he understood what she said and meant. He could only nod his head numbly. "So why am I here this time?"
"Who knows? Maybe I just wanted to hear you bitch and moan some more."
"Arg! I'm done with that. I already told you so!"
"Finally, someone grew a little…just a little."
"….You don't seem like you grew at all." Naruto meekly backed away when the fox glared at him.
"Oh, so you're making fun of me, is it? I'll have you know that when I DO grow to my full height, I have a great figure and great boobs!"
Naruto gave her a look. "I never said anything about your…never mind. Why am I here, Kurama?"
Upon noticing his seriousness, Kurama sighed. "Ruin the fun, why don't you? Anyway, I told you I was going to train you before, didn't I? Actually, you pretty much tricked me into it, which was very commendable…you little shit."
"You're the one who offered, not me! So how is this going to work exactly?"
"We need to establish a communication channel inside and outside the mindscape. For that to happen, I need you to sign this." A scroll appeared in her open hand. She handed it to Naruto.
He looked at it in wonder and bewilderment. From what he could tell – which was vaguely – it looked like a…
"A contract?" He asked, receiving an affirmative nod from his partner.
"Yep. It isn't anything complicated. It just connects our consciousness together. The only drawback would be it would allow me to always read your mind, and since I already do that, it's nothing different for you."
Naruto was still frowning when he looked at the content. "I can't read this, and it seems like it's a lot more than just connecting our consciousness together."
Kurama smiled at him. "Wow kid, you're actually pretty bright for an idiot."
She ignored his glare and decided to explain. "You're right, it isn't just for our minds. We will also be sharing chakra, more like mixing chakra. In order for that to happen without me escaping my cage, we need to be bonded."
"What do you mean by 'bonded'?"
"Hmmm, I don't know how to expressively explain it. But in simple words, our minds and chakra will be connected to the both of us. So if you ever feel like drawing out my power, it wouldn't be damaging to your body to do so. And if you ever want to talk to me, I will always be there, in mind of course. Additionally, in order for your body to compensate for my 'evil' chakra, it will combine our chakra together to create something new. That's it in a nutshell."
Naruto nodded slowly. "I get it, but how is this training?"
Kurama looked at him like he was stupid. "This isn't training. Training hasn't started. We need to distinguish key issues so we won't have problems later on."
"Well, since I can't read this thing, I have no idea if I should even consider your offer."
"Do you want me to make an oath about it? I think you've already figured out that I can't lie if I do that."
Naruto blinked at her a few times. He decided to ask instead: "Why are you doing this, though? I thought you hated me or something."
Kurama huffed. "You make me sound one-dimensional. Besides, I don't hate you. I just hated your attitude before. The reason why I'm training you is so I don't have a weak vessel. I mean compared to your sister, you're practically nothing."
Naruto grimaced and looked away from her. "Gee, thanks."
"Anytime…But look at it this way, with my help, you'll surpass your sister in no time."
He returned his gaze on her. "How is that possible, especially considering she has your other half?"
Kurama shook her head. "Listening is a skill, Naruto, one you'll need to learn pretty quickly. Remember when I told you that I was the Yang Chakra, the good kind?"
He nodded his head.
"Then do you honestly think that the Yin part of me wants anything to do with teaching someone, especially the daughter of its jailer?"
Naruto thought it over. "Maybe it wouldn't now, but what if that changes? I'll be right behind her again."
"Don't make it sound that easy, because it isn't. Right now, all my Yin half cares about is escaping its cage. Your sister's life is forfeit."
Naruto's eyes widened. "You mean she's in danger?"
"Not yet, but it's very likely her life will be in peril soon."
He had never thought of it that way. He just assumed that since Yang Kurama was crazy, then Yin Kurama was double the crazy.
Bonk!
"Ow!" Naruto whined, rubbing his sore head.
"Why do you keep forgetting that I can read your mind?" Kurama nonchalantly queried.
Naruto grumbled under his breath.
"You don't need to worry about her yet. You are the sorry excuse of a shinobi that can't do anything right, not her."
"Do you really wanna fight me, bitch?!" Naruto yelled.
"Please, I'd kill you in a second, now calm down."
Naruto pouted but complied.
"Right, although I have centuries of techniques under my belt, I think teaching you is going to be tricky the way you are now."
"What's that supposed to mean?" He demanded.
Kurama didn't look perturbed by his scowl. "Simple, kid, you're too impulsive. You say something before you even think it over; you rush into battle before even making a strategy. Things like that will get you killed. We need to work on your attitude and way of thinking before we advance to anything else."
Naruto didn't like hearing anyone insult his skills bluntly, but he had little choice but to acknowledge she knew more than him, a lot more. He begrudgingly nodded his head, confirming he understood what she meant, but didn't have to like it.
Kurama hummed in triumph. "Good, boy."
"…We're the same age."
She rolled her eyes. He was never going to let that one down, but she was slowly starting to get used to it. He wasn't a bad individual. He just made stupid choices, and it wasn't as if it was all his fault that he grew up to be that way.
"Before we start that, you need to sign this." Another contract appeared in her hand.
"What, another one?" Naruto queried.
"Yep," Kurama said. "Sign the first one, so I can tell you what this one does."
Naruto nodded and took the quill she offered. He signed the bottom of the contract quickly.
He never saw Kurama smirk.
Once he was done, he took the other contract in his hand. It was in the same unreadable language as the first one.
This was really strange.
"So what does it do?" Naruto asked.
"It's the Fox Contract," She declared.
Naruto stared at her, incredulous. "Is that supposed to mean something?"
She giggled at his face. "Yes, it does. With this contract, you will be able to summon any of my children."
Naruto nodded his head.
He stood up, walked up to her and sat down right in front of her.
Kurama blinked at the odd behaviour.
He screamed.
"YOU HAVE KIDS?!"
Kurama was momentarily dazed from the shout. She shook her head to gather herself. "Sure, I have thousands of children. Did you honestly think I lived all those years remaining a virgin?"
She sounded like her pride was being targeted, but Naruto was focusing more on the fact that a Bijuu could actually give birth.
"How is that possible?! You're pure chakra!" He screeched.
She shrugged. "I can't honestly answer that. I didn't really question the laws of nature. I just went with it."
Naruto's head was spinning. His initial understanding of Kurama was turned upside down with her statement. Nothing made sense to him anymore.
She dawn a wicked grin. "Wanna know how I have so many children? Simple, it was either I got fucked, or did the fucking."
Naruto shut his eyes and covered his ears. "What the hell? Don't tell me about it!"
"And I only did it with humans," she continued like she was talking about her favourite television show. "So I would turn into a beautiful woman, or an irresistible male, depending on the situation, and got down and dirty."
"You stupid fox, shut up!"
Kyuubi finally broke down into fits of laughter. "Oh God, you're so easy."
Naruto stared at her, dumbfounded. "You were playing with me?"
"…Actually, no, everything I said is the truth."
"This is so messed up," he moaned.
"Oh relax, your time will come soon."
"Hell no, I ain't doing it with you!"
Kurama rolled her eyes. This kid. "Not with me, stupid."
"Let's just forget about it. So I can summon one of your kids?"
Really bad way of changing the subject, but Kurama felt like she'd messed with him enough. "It could be my kids. It could be my grandkids, or great grandkids or-"
"Wow, you really ARE old," Naruto noted.
A tick mark appeared on Kurama's head.
"Say that again and I'll kill you!" she snarled, her fangs visible.
Naruto snarled right back. "It's the truth, isn't it, Baa-chan?"
No that the tables were turned she didn't feel like teasing him anymore. She huffed and decided to get back to the task at hand. "Whatever, shrimp. Are you going to sign the thing or not?"
"Why should I sign it?"
"Did you think I would be your sparring partner? No, you'll need someone to train with physically and I'm way too important for that. The contract will allow you the ability to summon just that entity."
Naruto glowered at her proud visage. "Humble much?"
"I don't need to be humble. I'm the strongest of all the Bijuu."
Well, that explained it.
He looked at the scroll again. "Does this thing mean I'll have control over what I summon?"
"That's pretty much what any summoning contract means."
"Won't you have a problem with that?"
She was impressed that he had the foresight to ask her opinion on the matter. He was slowly improving in perception.
"Nope, because even if anyone is summoned by you, it is their right to see if you are worthy of their presence."
"So even now, I'm still going to be tested?" He deadpanned. It seemed like too much work for an ally.
"That's how it works. If you don't live up to what they expect, then they will reject the contract. You won't lose anything, just your dignity and self-worth."
He wondered how she could treat the matter like a joke. This was very serious for him. He needed all the help he could get, and if Kurama was right, then this was exactly what the medic-nin ordered.
He had one more question. "Will I be able to summon outside of the mindscape?"
"Sorry, kid, that can't happen. Just like you can't summon anything that you would from the outside to the mindscape, you can't summon anything from the mindscape in the real world. That's not how any contract summoning works."
Damn, and he had been hoping for a powerful ally too.
"Enough explanations! Sign the stupid thing so we can get started."
Naruto's mouth thinned. For some strange reason, there was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind. He didn't know exactly what it meant, but something didn't feel right.
However, becoming strong won out in the end. This way, he could get training from two teachers: Kushina-sensei and Kurama.
Kurama coughed. "That's Kurama-sensei to you, buddy."
"Would you stop reading my thoughts?!"
He decided to just sign the thing. Kurama had never given him an actual reason not to trust her, so he figured why not?
As soon as he finished signing, the contract burned in flames.
Naruto yelped and jumped back.
Kurama had a frown on her face, it was both confused and worried.
"Hmm…that's not supposed to happen."
Naruto's head whipped to her. He did not like the sound of that.
"What?! What happened?!"
Kurama looked like she was deep in thought. "I'm not sure, but I don't remember the contract burning before."
She cupped her chin and eyed Naruto. "Given a summoning contract has never been performed in the mindscape and with someone I'm bonded to, it is plausible that our combined chakra had an adverse effect on the contract."
"…Can you speak English?"
She ignored his comment. "Try summoning something."
"I can do that now?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
Naruto nodded his head. He scrunched his face in concentration. When nothing happened, he stared at an amused Kurama.
"Woops, sorry, I forgot to show you how. Just prick your finger. When a little blood seeps out, write this symbol on the ground." She made the symbol in the air.
Naruto nodded his head and analysed the symbol carefully. Once he got it down, he followed her instructions to the letter and slammed his bloodied hand to the ground.
"Now what?" he asked when nothing happened.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu. That's all you have to say," she said.
Naruto set his jaw and concentrated. He really needed to get the technique right, and he really needed to prove to whatever he summoned that he was worthy of their service.
He briefly wondered how big the fox he was summoning was going to be. If it was anything like Kurama, then it could be a handful – that is if he was able to summon it in the first place.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" He screamed.
At first, nothing happened...But then, the symbol on the ground began to glow angrily and soon after, a loud exposition emitted in the vicinity.
Naruto was sent flying. He hit the ground a few feet away from Kurama and struggled get back on his feet.
"Guess I forgot to mention that since we're sharing chakra now, you level of output is probably ten times more, so be careful how much chakra you use."
Thanks a lot, he wanted to spit out, but settled for watching the smoke ahead of him.
It was HUGE.
Whatever he summoned was damn near Kurama's height in fox form, if the smoulder was anything to measure by.
This could turn bad very quickly. If he wasn't up to whatever the hell that was' standards, he could actually be killed. It was too late to turn back.
He waited in baited breath to see another gargantuan fox, but was blindsided when the smoke dissipated violently, vanishing in all directions.
What stood there was a young girl. She looked a tad older than Kurama in appearance. Her fox ears and tail were more notable. They were as murky as her hair. She wore a pristine indigo kimono that highlighted her well-developed curves. Her delicate hands were outstretched, indicating that she was the reason the smoke disappeared so suddenly.
When her bright green eyes fixed on his azure, Naruto gulped in trepidation. She radiated power – he could see it just by looking at her.
Her intimating eyes left him and focused on another. Kurama stared back, a bored expression plastered on her face.
Those green eyes immediately blinked and brightened in recognition. "Your scent…is that you, Great Grandmother?"
"Ah, I guess that explains why I don't recognise you. You're a new generation, right?" Kurama asked.
The girl nodded gracefully. "Yes."
"Hey, Kurama," Naruto whispered fiercely.
She turned to him and raised an eyebrow.
"Do all Bijuu's like being girls or something?"
"Huh?" She wondered what he was talking about, but then finally understood. "You got the wrong idea, kid. She isn't a Bijuu."
"What? Then what the hell am I looking at?"
"She's a Kitsune, there's a big difference between the two."
"Yes, there is," the girl said across from them. "I can hear you, boy."
Naruto gulped again. This did not bode well for him.
"Are you the one who summoned me?" she asked, her eyes already calculating him.
Naruto fixed his face in determination and nodded. He couldn't allow himself to show weakness to his potential training partner. He needed to show that he was worth her time.
He noticed that she was a bit taller than him, but she was surprisingly young and very attractive. He wondered if all Bijuu/Kistune really preferred to be human girls.
"Actually, she has no choice in the matter. Unlike Bijuu who can turn into literally anything we wish, Kitsune can only hide their fox-like appendages. Bijuu have no definite gender, but Kitsune have fixed gender."
Naruto glared at her.
"Hey, I can't help but find out what you're thinking," Kurama defended.
"Are you the one who summoned me?" the girl asked again.
Naruto turned his gaze back to her. "Yes, it was me."
The girl's eyes narrowed, and Naruto had a feeling he was going to be in for a world of hurt.
But before anything could happen, a pink orb with a fox inside appeared on the back of his hand. Naruto stared at it for a long moment, and then brought it to the fox next to him. "What's this?"
It only took Kurama a moment to realise what Naruto had, and she turned sheepish in an instant. "Oh…that's why the contract exploded."
Now Naruto was on edge.
"Kurama-sama, is this what I think it is?" The girl got their attention.
She showed off on of her smooth, bare legs, and Naruto struggled not have a nose bleed as she kept revealing more and more through her kimono.
She stopped once she reached her thigh, and Naruto saw the exact same symbol that he had.
Kurama stretched out her hand, and the scroll with Naruto's signature appeared again.
"Isn't that the scroll that blew up?" Naruto asked.
"Yep…Well, it didn't necessarily blow up. More like, it went straight back to me."
"Kurama, what the hell is going on here?!"
"If this is here then I guess you truly are worthy, boy," the girl said, staring at the symbol on her thigh with a small blush on her face. "Oh my…"
"Why is she blushing?!" Naruto interrogated the fox. Red flags were going off in his head at an alarming rate.
Kurama chuckled nervously. "Well…uh…I made a teeny, tiny mistake. Instead of giving you the legitimate Fox Contract, I gave you a marriage contract instead…It's no big deal, really."
"…YOU WHAT?!"
Naruko was huddled on a corner at the park. She had been crying for a few hours, but the tears refused to stop.
She was a good person. She never thought bad of anyone that didn't deserve it, and Naruto definitely didn't earn any disapproval from her.
But her parents. What they did was not only irresponsible, but borderline criminal.
The whole reason that Naruto wasn't with them was because of an idiotic assumption that she had the chakra and he had the soul. It was stupid, and after she found out that she had one half of the Bijuu in herself, she didn't know what to make of her parents. What they did was terrible.
She didn't hate them. She could never do that, but she was extremely upset at their actions. She loved Naruto dearly, and felt it was unfair that they had to play fate and chose who stayed and who left.
She felt very bitter, and resentful.
"Nee-chan, no cry," Narumi said, hey own eyes tearing up at the site of her sister's sadness. Her little hands tried valiantly to wipe away Naruko's tears.
The older blonde giggled adoringly at her little sister's efforts. The only reason she brought Narumi with her to the park was because she needed someone for comfort. She had been so distraught that she didn't think twice on her decision – not that she was complaining. Narumi was a great source of strength for her and she desperately needed it.
"It's okay, Narumi-chan, I'll be fine."
"Are you sure?" Narumi said, frowning, looking unconvinced.
Naruko smiled at her. "I'm sure."
"Okay…can we get ice cream?!" the energetic Namikaze requested excitedly.
Naruko chuckled at Narumi's enthusiasm. "Sure."
"…N-Naruko-chan?"
Naruko pivoted on the voice and was surprised senseless by the newcomer. She smiled brightly.
"Hinata-chan!"
Jiraiya was making his way out of Konoha. He realised that there was no possible way that he could convince Minato and Kushina how sorry he was, so it stood to reason that he had only one possible way to salvage a little of the situation with a different approach.
He was going to find Tsunade, no matter what.
So its to be continued for now. But I hope you were entertained. Since I'm actually back, and if you've been reading a lot of my other fics, then I'll let you know now that I'm aiming to update them within a few days. My primary focus will be on 'The Other Side of Them', 'To Truly Heal', 'Needed' and 'Cyborgs Don't Cry?' respectively. So if you're a fan of any of those fics, those stories will finally continue. If you by any chance like the other fics I made and want me to continue, just let me know, and I'll get on it.
Don't get confused with the whole marriage contract thing. This is a NaruHina fic, not harem (way too many of those already. Plus I'm not really into that sort of thing). I'll explain more specifically in the next chapter.