Hey there! Here's the new chapter! And thanks for the reviews. To answer some of your questions: Naruto looks exactly like the fox, just slightly humanoid. As to the pairings, I'm leaning toward a NaruHarem. If you want to know how you'll have to keep reading. Anyway, enjoy!
"Speech"
'Thoughts'
"Kyuubi"
'Kyuubi thoughts'
Chapter 2
It was an average night at the Konohagakure hospital. That was, until the Sandaime Hokage and an ANBU rushed in carrying what seemed to be a miniature Kyuubi no Kitsune.
"Everyone, I need this boy examined right now! And if any one of you hesitates because of what he looks like, you'll join the group visiting Ibiki and Anko at the moment!" yelled out the Sandaime, as he carried Naruto to the front desk.
The assorted doctors and nurses looked like they would love to hesitate, but they took the boy anyway. Partly out of their urge to help, but mostly because they didn't want to join the group the Hokage mentioned.
Naruto was rushed on a stretcher to an empty room where he shortly got the full medical scan from the more willing doctors. Sarutobi watched the "foxified" form of Naruto the whole time.
Finally, after 30 minutes of sweating, cursing, and working, the head doctor approached the Hokage with a clipboard in hand.
"Hokage-sama, I can honestly say that this boy you brought could be the Kyuubi's son. They have the same muscle structure, the same bone structure, except for his knees, and the same healing rate. The only difference seems to be the chakra. But otherwise he's perfectly healthy." the doctor told the old man while reading down the clipboard.
The Sandaime breathed a sigh of relief. But then his brow furrowed. "What do you mean his chakra is different?" he asked. The doctor replied "As you know, chakra is different colors depending on its nature. The Kyuubi's was red, normal is blue, healing is green. But this being's is purple. I've never even heard of it; care to tell me where you found him?"
The Sandaime took a deep breath, and then let it out slowly. After a while, he answered.
"That is Naruto Uzumaki. Today a group of villagers attacked him because the Kyuubi is sealed inside him and they foolishly think he is the demon. I stopped them, but by then he was undoubtedly dead. I had turned to leave when the purple chakra you mentioned enveloped him completely. When it cleared, he was as you see him now." The doctor was understandably shocked.
"I don't know how to tell you this, but when we examined him, there wasn't any seal," the doctor said with some trepidation. The village leader instantly exploded.
"WHAT? NO SEAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The doctor rubbed his ears before answering.
"Exactly that Hokage-sama. There is no seal. Maybe this was a defense mechanism of the Kyuubi's. It's only a theory, but maybe the boy and the Kyuubi fused together." said the doctor (Congratulations, you're exactly right).
The Hokage thought for a moment. "Kakashi!" he barked. The ANBU, who had hung around purely out of loyalty, asked "Yes, Hokage-sama" "Go assemble the council for an emergency meeting. After that, I'm demoting you to Jonin." the Sandaime ordered.
Kakashi, never missing a beat, obeyed. He had been hoping to retire from ANBU anyway. When he was gone, the Hokage told the doctor "Alert me the moment he wakes up. If anyone but you and those you trust come near him before then, detain them." The doctor answered "Yes, Hokage-sama." and scurried off.
The council sat, wondering why they had been summoned. Their Hokage soon appeared, with a troubled expression on his face. Everyone politely greeted "Hokage-sama.", though they were wondering why they had been called during the middle of dinner.
The Sandaime took his seat and said "I'll get straight to the point. About one hour ago, Naruto Uzumaki was beaten and killed by some angry villagers. However, the Kyuubi has appeared to have brought him back, though Naruto now has his body. The doctors do not know the extent of what happened, but they are of the opinion that they both fused together due to there being no seal on the body. This meetings purpose is to discuss what to do with him."
The council was shocked. That one paragraph had sent them reeling through the entire rainbow of human emotions. They had felt hate, triumph, happiness, disappointment, sadness, and wonder all in the course of 2 minutes. Finally, Danzo, leader of ANBU's Root division, spoke up.
"I believe it is clear that we turn him into a weapon. He is young enough to be molded as we wish. We could become the most powerful Shinobi nation in the world, with all cowering before us at the threat of releasing him." he proclaimed to the rest of the council.
Before anyone could agree, the Sandaime said "No." Danzo was furious. "He is a demon, a stain on the whole village! This is the only way to insure that we are spared while also becoming more powerful!" he yelled at the foolish, at least to him, Hokage. Said Hokage felt the same about Danzo. He even told him so.
"If you stopped being a fool for 2 seconds, you'd see how wrong you are. How would you fell if you were forced to serve a village that had only caused you suffering? We must consult his own feelings." the Sandaime retorted in a voice containing barely restrained rage.
"He's a demon, he doesn't know any feelings except rage and bloodlust!" screamed the now standing one armed council member. "No, he's just a boy that now resembles the demon fools like you think he is!" yelled Sarutobi, he himself standing.
"Enough!" yelled out the female to the left of the Hokage. She was his former teammate and too cared for the boy, if only a little (can't remember her name). The two men slowly lowered themselves back down.
"Now, I'm sure a compromise can be reached. How about Naruto getting trained by Sarutobi and some others until he joins the academy in the final year? He would become the weapon Danzo wants while getting to know children his own age, as well as people who truly care for him." she wisely proposed.
After a moment of silence, both men finally said "Agreed." Having been satisfied, she said "Now, about his new form. Do you know just how much they are alike, the boy and Kyuubi?"
The Sondaime sighed. "He is the mirror image, except for his size and some insignificant details. We'll have to find him clothing that completely covers him. Otherwise everyone's hate would multiply 10-fold at seeing him now. Now, are there anymore questions?" he said, in a tone that practically said "I dare you to ask one."
After no one answered, he said wearily "Meeting adjourned." When they had all left, he summoned Gai, Kakashi, Kurenai, and his son Asuma. He quickly told them everything and then ended with "When he wakes up and after he gets used to his body, all of you along with me are going to train him."
They all had one thought in their heads: 'Is he kidding?' But they all said "Yes, Hokage-sama." When they too left, Sarutobi had a private bottle of sake. 'It's going to be a long night.' He thought to himself.
Naruto didn't know what was going on, but he liked it. He felt warm and comfortable. He didn't bother getting up. However, he did feel a little strange. His nails felt very long, his ears felt floppy, and when he felt his nose, he felt… whiskers?
He shot up like a rocket. The events of the previous day came flooding back to him. He looked around the white room he was in, wondering where he was. 'Kyuubi! Can you hear me?' he mentally shouted.
'No need to shout! Remember, we share a mind. Anyways, how do you like my body?' the now awake Kitsune asked. Naruto looked down at himself and found he was in a bed, blindingly white against his red-orange fur. 'A lot actually. This fur is really soft, and I like these claws. Wait, what's that?' he asked, not about anything in the room but about something he found in the Kyuubi's mind.
'Oh, nothing, nothing.' the Kyuubi hastily said, hoping Naruto wouldn't find out the factoid he'd been hiding. It was a little hard, with him still getting used to the dual-mind thing, but after concentrating, Naruto found what the Kyuubi had tried to hide from him.
The Kazekage was getting ready for the day when he heard, in the distance, "THE YONDAIME HOKAGE IS MY FATHER!?!" He looked out the window, thinking 'Where the hell did that come from?' Back in Konoha, Naruto was now in a room with broken glass all over the floor.
"Damn, you didn't have to yell so loud. Yes, he's your father." The Kyuubi said in an annoyed tone, borrowing Naruto's voice box to get the attention of the now furious blond.
"Wait, did you just speak?" the now confused blond. 'Of course kit; if we share a brain that means we share our body. Now let me explain your parentage.' the lord of all bijuu replied.
'Your father was Minato Namikaze a.k.a. the Yondaime Hokage of Konohagakure. Your mother was Kushina Uzumaki of the Village Hidden in the Whirlpool. You're mother died when I attacked the village. The reason that damned blond used you to contain me was because he couldn't bring himself to curse any other child, as well as the fact that he couldn't seal me inside himself. He hoped you would be seen as a hero. If those fool villagers had any sense, they'd see that if you were the demon they think you are, none of them would live after insulting you. Now that your family tree has been revealed, pay attention. The Hokage is here.' the Kyuubi lectured to the enraptured blond.
Naruto snapped back into reality to see that the Old Man Hokage really was in front of him. He seemed like he had a lot on his mind.
"Ah, Naruto. I see you're awake. How are you?" said Sarutobi, though it was obvious he was nervous. Naruto felt a little hurt that the kind Hokage was afraid of him. Or so he thought. "There are some things I must tell you; I don't know where to begin." Naruto gave a literally foxy grin. So that was the reason.
"Let's see; you could start with the fact that the Yondaime is my father, though I guess all of Konoha heard that. Or you could start with the fact that the Kyuubi wasn't killed, but sealed inside me. Or you could start with the fact that the Kyuubi and I have merged, body and soul. Take your pick." Naruto listed off to the shocked Hokage.
"So you know." was all the Sandaime said. There was silence during which Naruto examined his claws, looked out where the window used to be, and just plain sat there, waiting for the Old Man to speak. Finally he did.
"Naruto, I can't tell you how sorry I am. I am willing to do whatever I can to make up for the burden you are forced to bear. If you would accept, I'd like to adopt you, as well as train you along with some others to protect yourself." The Sandaime asked Naruto, hoping for a sign.
Unknown to him, Naruto and the Kyuubi were having a conversation in his head. 'Say yes; this exactly the opportunity you need. If you protect those villagers, they would have to owe thanks. No one can be mean to a person who saves their village. I speak from experience.' 'One: why are you being so nice to people you tried to kill? Two: what do you mean you speak from experience?' The Kyuubi sighed, both physically and mentally.
'To answer your second question, it happens to be how I got most of my respect down in Hell. As for the first, if you're ever going to be accepted by this village, outright bloodlust isn't the answer. So I might as well try kindness. Seriously though, say yes.' Naruto took a moment to process the information with his new mind, and then spoke aloud.
"I accept, under the terms that none of the villagers that attacked me get punished. If I'm going to protect this village, I can't very well do it with everyone hating me more for being the cause of the death of about a quarter of the village. I'd be worse than the demon they think I am." the blond boy said with a maturity of someone 10 times his age.
Sarutobi was taken aback, but said "Yes, of course Naruto-kun." Naruto was taken aback by the suffix, but preceded to the other thing at hand.
"Now, about my training, I need some seals placed on me to suppress my chakra." This through the Sandaime for a loop. "Why?" was all he managed.
Naruto gave an amused smile. This time he let the Kyuubi reply. "Because, old man, I was the size of a mountain and I was slightly insane from the size of my power. How do you think a kit who's a thousandth my size will handle it?" Naruto was privately laughing over the floor in his mind at the expression on his soon-to-be-father's face.
After finally recovering from being addressed by the demon lord directly, he said "Point taken, and warn me next time you do that. This ticker can't handle those kinds of surprises."
Naruto smiled and said "Good, now can you please leave. I want to rest and get used to this new body. Kyuubi wants me to work on amplifying my senses." With a final "Sure", the Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure left, looking like he had won every lottery in the world at once and was trying to grasp the information.
Down in the cage, every villager just sat there, waiting for their deaths. Both there minds and bodies had been strained to the limit. So when the saw the Hokage approaching, they barely reacted.
"Is it time for us to die yet?" the woman from earlier said, with a sick amusement written across her face. But she along with everyone else was surprised by the man's statement. "You're free to go."
There was a moment of silence before someone said "You realized what we did was a good thing, didn't you. You know, killing the demon?"
Sarutobi glared at him before opening the doors. "No, I'm letting you go because not only is Naruto fine, but he insisted that you not be punished for your actions."
This caused some confusion. "Why?" a young man asked. Sarutobi looked at him. "His exact words were 'If I'm going to protect this village, I can't very well do it with everyone hating me more for being the cause of the death of about a quarter of the village. I'd be worse than the demon they think I am.' That is why." was all Sarutobi said.
As the villagers made their way to the surface, all the villagers had one thought on their minds 'Maybe we should give him a chance.'
Naruto's training was… interesting, to say the least. Naruto discovered that the Kyuubi had been sending only the bare minimum of chakra to his five senses so Naruto would feel normal. After the Old Man Hokage left, Kyuubi stopped restricting the flow of chakra. Naruto almost had a seizure.
He could smell the peroxide, trees, and any other thing within a mile-radius. He could see the individual pine needles and flecks of paint on the wall. He could hear even further than his smell range, letting him in on the conversations and sounds of nature in the entire southern half of the village. He could taste what he smelled in the air, and he even felt the disturbances in the air.
Kyuubi quickly reined in the chakra. He then slowly let the normal amount back to his senses. It was only a drop a minute, which gave Naruto time to adapt. He found that to prevent insanity, he could hoist some of the strain from his 4-year old mind to the 40,000- year old mind of the Kyuubi.
This blessing turned out to be a curse as it led Naruto to ask Kyuubi the most deadly question anyone can ask: 'Kyuubi, what's this mating season thing I found in your mind?'
Kyuubi didn't hide the information, knowing Naruto would just grab it out of his mind like last time. And so Kyuubi went through the grueling, teeth-gnashing, mind-numbing ordeal that was the talk.
Naruto soaked the information up like a sponge, and it took Kyuubi's constant intervention to stop Naruto from examining his… area.
After maybe 3 hours, a nurse came in with a tray of food. She was visibly shaking, and left before Naruto could even say thank you.
"Middling-size chicken, male, 2 years old. Killed 8 months ago and microwave cooked for 3 minutes." Naruto's enhanced senses of smell, taste, and touch were really giving him a new outlook on food. Kyuubi had taken control of their body and had literally torn into the meat.
'Hey Kyuubi, what's wrong? You're acting like this is your first meal in years.' 'That's because it is. You have no idea what it's like to see you sate your hunger and thirst when I can't. That's half the reason I made the deal: so I could finally get out of that cage.' the Kyuubi thought in-between bites and sips.
After that, Naruto sat down to sleep. Just when he was nodding off, a fly started annoying him. He was about to swipe it when one of his nine tails shot out and did it for him.
'Hey, Kyuubi. How did I do that?' Kyuubi, who was as tired as Naruto, simply said, or thought, 'Our tails react to our thoughts and emotions.' After he said this he went to sleep, dragging Naruto with him.
The next day, Naruto was discharged and led to his new home. Earlier that morning, Sarutobi had found a large cloak much too large for Naruto that hid his new form completely.
Naruto gazed at his surroundings with a new light. He never knew how complex leaves were, or how much a flower really smelled like. He had no trouble ignoring the stares of passerby. It was an odd sight: the Hokage of the village being trailed by a tiny figure in an enormous black cloak that was constantly moving his head.
When they got to the Hokage Tower, Naruto was greeted by 4 Jonin in the Old Man's office. The one on the far left, who was wearing green spandex under his Jonin vest, who also had the biggest eyebrows Naruto had ever seen, came forward and said "Hello, I'm Maito Gai. I'll be training you in taijutsu."
The man to Gai's left, who had gravity-defying silver hair and a mask and headband that hid all of his face except his right eye, came forward next. "I'm Kakashi Hatake, and I'll be training you in ninjutsu."
The woman next in line, who had red eyes and a strange kimono, walked up and said "Hi, I'm Kurenai Yuuhi, and I'll be training you in genjutsu."
The last man in line, who had a beard, a cigarette in his mouth, and 2 trench knives at his hip, came forward and said "I'm Asuma Sarutobi, and I'll be training you in weapons and elemental affinities that aid them."
Finally, Sarutobi came in front of Naruto and said "Hello, I'm Sarutobi, Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure, and I'll be teaching you academics." He said this with a big grin on his face.
Naruto just stared at all of them before bowing and saying "Hello Gai-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, Kurenai-sensei, Asuma-sensei, and Sarutobi-sensei. I'm Naruto Uzumaki no Kitsune. I'm honored to meet you."
They were all taken aback by the boy's politeness, but bowed in turn, and left. Sarutobi then showed Naruto his new room before taking him to an empty chamber where he put the seal Naruto requested on Naruto. The seal kept 9/10 of Naruto's chakra in check, though it could be loosened to let more power through. He then treated Naruto to dinner.
For the next 8 years, Naruto had a steady routine. Every day he would wake up at 6:00 and eat a nutrition bar before heading to the training grounds. He would meet Gai, who would make Naruto do 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 pull-ups, and 50 laps around Konoha while wearing weights. He then started training.
For 3 hours after, Naruto would learn the various styles of taijutsu, starting with the Iron Fist that was Gai's favorite. Then for the next 3 hours, he would learn the hundreds of ninjutsu that Kakashi had copied with his Sharingan. Naruto's new chakra was so unstable that the first month was purely chakra control exercises.
Afterwards, he would eat the banko Kurenai brought him, and then learn the various properties and dispelling of genjutsu for 3 more hours. At that point he trained with Asuma with every weapon from shurikan to broadswords to staffs. He also taught him how to channel elemental chakra into his weapons to make them more powerful. It was here that Naruto learned he had an affinity for wind.
Finally, his adoptive father would treat him to dinner and then teach Naruto history and philosophy until when Naruto went to sleep at 10:00
By the age of 6, Naruto was wearing 150 pounds in weights, knew about 250 ninjutsu, could use and dispel genjutsu that was around Chuunin level, use 50 of the world's weapons with adequate accuracy, and recite the founding of each ninja village from memory.
By the age of 8, Naruto could hold his own against Gai and had asked the man to help him making his own style, knew 500 ninjutsu as well as some demonic ones Kyuubi had, get out of some of Kurenai's most powerful genjutsu while being able to get her sometimes, use 75 of a ninja's weapons with very good accuracy, and could get into very advanced arguments with Sarutobi on nearly every subject.
By the age of 10, Naruto was wearing as many weights as Gai and occasionally beat him with his original Kitsune Fist style, knew as many jutsus as Kakashi, could ensnare Kurenai without her noticing, use any weapon you cared to name with pinpoint accuracy, and solve philosophical enigmas that Sarutobi couldn't make head or tail of.
By the time Naruto was about to enter the academy, he could beat all five of them at once in a spar, though he had to remove his weights and loosen the seal to do so. All of his teachers were proud beyond measure. They were eager to see how he would excel at the academy…
Finally it's done. You know the drill. Read, review, revisit. Good-bye!