Naruto fidgeted with the jelly like bracelet on his left wrist, wondering if this was the right thing to do. Shikamaru had said it was, and Kyukon didn't object, since the Hokage was their commander, and it was wise that such people understand what their subordinates are capable of. He didn't understand some of that, but he felt it was smarter to just agree. He did have to admit, that before Kyukon merged with him, he'd have gotten only a few words. Man his mind was a mess.

After a few minutes, they were called in by the Hokage's assistant/secretary, who always seemed to have some candy for Naruto when he visited. Maybe the sixty year-old was a little crazy, but she was nice and sweet. Entering the office, Naruto instantly waved to the old man behind the desk. "Hey Jii-san, how are ya?"

"I am well Naruto-kun... I see you brought young Shikamaru with you today..." Sarutobi stated calmly as he moved a pile of papers over to the 'I'll get to these when Hell freezes solid' area of the table and pulled out his pipe. Naruto watched silently as he packed in the tobacco from his special white back with a strange five pointed leaf on it. He was slightly startled when the Hokage spoke up. "And what can I do for the two of you?"

"Hokage-sama..." the shadow user started with a slightly nervous tone. "As troublesome as it is... it is rather something has occurred that we believe you should be made aware of..."

Leaning forward, Sarutobi let the calming effects of the special leaf blend wash over him, feeling that this was likely related to Naruto's pranks or something, as it wouldn't be the first time that Naruto had dragged Shikamaru into his pranking. Normally the Nara would be able to curb some of Naruto's mischief, and it was nice to see Naruto have something like a friendship. "What happened this time?"

"Well, I was coming back home a couple days ago... and found this weird box in a broken section of wall..." Naruto started, ignoring Shikamaru's obvious shock over the broken wall. Sarutobi sighed and contemplated putting another guard on the boy. "Anyhow inside this box was a bunch of these weird slimy balls, 'cept they're not slimy..."

"Naruto, I think it'll be less troublesome to simply show him what happened..." Shikamaru stated calmly while resting a hand on the blonde's shoulder. Naruto looked at the other boy, before shrugging and turning back to face the Hokage.

One minute the Hokage was staring at two seemingly normal boys, the next he was wondering what the hell was in that last puff of tobacco. For he was fairly certain he'd just seen the boys get swallowed by a pair of flowing latex tentacle monsters, only to end up in something that looked like a cross between a human and some weird animal. Naruto had become a humanoid female nine-tailed kitsune, and Shikamaru... from what he could tell was a white stag.

"Kyukon and Shiroshika of the Orb Knights, at your service Hokage-sama..." the two humanish creatures spoke up in a broken unison, each given a bow before dropping to a knee in submission. The kitsune, Kyukon he reminded himself, continued. "As the Master Orb Knight I serve as the commander, currently at least. When a better leader arises, I shall serve them to the best of my ability. I realize your village has had trouble with one of my fallen cousins in the past. I would like to assure you that it is still safely sealed away..."

"Sealed away?" Shikamaru's voice sounded, while Kyukon's eyes widened in shock. Before anyone else could speak, the older and more controlled voice of Shiroshika spoke, "That explains so much... must be a high level secret Kyukon... I believe that we shall keep it as such..."

"Indeed," the Hokage stated while he watched panic via for control with shame on Kyukon's not-quite human face. After a few minutes of studying the two beings before him, he sighed and wrapped his knuckles against the desk, regaining their attention. "Kyukon... what you revealed is a secret punishable by death... Shiroshika, was it? I ask that you and Shikamaru do not fear Naruto..."

"Would not have occurred in the first place, Hokage-sama..." Shiroshika spoke while stroking his chin, after a moment Shikamaru's voice took over. "If he had been the demon fox, he would have destroyed the village years ago. I fear I had thought of Naruto as nothing more than a prankster, but his mind has a cunning that surprises even the prepared. He may be mischievous, and troublesome, but he is basically a good person."

Shiroshika picked up again calmly adding, "Beyond that, Kyukon is the commander, and by extension Naruto is the commander's host. Both of whom are my sworn duty to serve and protect as best as I am able."

"Good... Naruto you may calm down now..." Sarutobi mused quietly while petting the former boy on the head lightly. He was surprised at how soft and downy the latex looking fur was, and even more so when Kyukon began making a contented throat noise while her tails wagged lazily behind the kitsune.

"Thank you Hokage-sama, I fear... I may have inadvertently upset Naruto with what I stated, I did not know that it was a secret, and I shall guard it close to my heart," Kyukon stated after the petting was done, her eyes cast downward, as though she carried many secrets already.

Frowning slightly, the Hokage lowered the pipe from his lips and leaned back in thought. These two had such potential for much before this... and now... now he wasn't entirely sure what to make of it. Stroking his beard, he gave the impression that he was deep in thought about this matter. "You said that there are more of these... Orb Knights, was it?"

"Yes Hokage-sama... the container in which we were stored has several others awaiting suitable hosts," Shiroshika spoke up, with Kyukon nodding her agreement. The stag whipped his head around so fast the antlers whistled, before he let out a trio of clicks with his tongue. Half a second later, Naruto and Shikamaru were back in their normal forms, but Sarutobi could see the bracelets that he had overlooked before.

A knock on the door signaled to Sarutobi what exactly had spooked the boys into reverting, just before he could speak up, Kurenai, a chuunin that was up for jounin exams in the next few months entered with a worried look on her face. "Hokage-sama, I would like to speak with you... privately if possible..."

"I'm in the middle of a meeting right now Yuhi-san... Is this about our usual topic of concern?" Sarutobi asked, indicating the two boys who were looking more confused by the minute.

"It is... and I'd rather not put this off..."the red-eyed genjutsu mistress stated calmly before sighing and looking at the two boys. "Boys, I apologize for interrupting, but this is a rather sensitive matter... and..."

"We understand ma'am..." Shika spoke up, stifling Naruto with a hand on the shorter blonde's shoulder. "If you have anything we could do to be of help..."

"Why don't you boys take Hinata to Naruto's apartment and study for the test you have next week," Sarutobi cut in with a warm smile. "You did bring her with you, didn't you Yuhi-san?"

"Yes... she is in the lobby..." Kurenai stated before looking sidelong at the boys, coming closer to the desk. "I shall pick her up there after I'm done..."

The trip back to Naruto's apartment was quick and quite, with neither boy knowing what to talk to a girl about, and Hinata blushing and fidgeting as they went. The main reason for Naruto's silence was that he was holding a conference with Kyukon in his mind-scape.

"I have to say... this is nicer than the sewers..." Kyukon mused while looking around the lush garden surrounding them. "Thank you Naruto..."

"Well... you don't deserve to be stuck in those sewers..." Naruto stated while scratching the back of his head, a full blush on his cheeks. "I also feel bad about yelling at you earlier..."

"It is understandable, as you had much being revealed too rapidly... I should have thought that you would not want such news advertised..." Kyukon whispered while wrapping her tails around herself in a cocoon of warmth and protection. "I would make it never have happened if I could, but I believe it may be for the best that it did, as you know that you now have a loyal compatriot at your side... and maybe a girl interested in you..."

"A... A g...girl? But... we're too young for that sorta thing... aren't we?" Naruto asked while a blush formed on his cheeks. "I mean dating's for older kids... like being a gennin, and such..."

Kyukon tried to not laugh at him, really she did. She bit her tongue, hid her head inside her tails, she even tried to think of sad girls in the snow. Sadly nothing worked, and she broke down in giggles. When Naruto began pouting, the giggles only got worse. Instead of pressing the matter, he decided to visit upon the other resident of his mind.

Walking through the paths, he found the demon fox kneeling over a giant lake, looking at the collar about it's neck. Naruto settled down to watch it silently for a few minutes, before the great demonic beast turned its attention on the boy of sunshine hair. "So the warden comes to visit the prisoner..."

Naruto frowned slightly at the growling beast, for some reason there was a lack of malice that he had expected in its words. After a couple seconds he spoke up. "Why'd you do it?"

"Why? You ask me why a great demonic affront to all you hold dear attacked your pathetic little village?" Kyuubi snarled, leveling its glare at the jailor holding it prisoner. After a moment of the stare down, it snorted and turned away. "Feh, begone meat sack, you sicken me with your prescience."

Naruto half-expected a giant wind to whisk him away, and send him back to the real world, instead he felt a gentle pull from somewhere, that returned him just in time to fish out his keys to his apartment. In his mindscape, Kyukon sat down and watched her giant cousin run tails over its eyes, as though it had been crying. Instead of saying anything, it merely leaped onto the Kyuubi's head, and began to gently lick it behind the ears. The action seemed to have soothed the mighty demon, as it settled down rather than lash out at her.

As Naruto opened the door to his apartment, he and Shikamaru realized that they had forgotten one small detail when they left. They hadn't hidden the box with the orbs inside. Hinata's gaze passed over the entire room, a small smile spreading on her lips as she walked in behind Naruto, her forefingers poking each other nervously.

Sadly the one place she didn't look was where she was walking. She tripped over one of the scrolls Naruto's horizontal filing system had placed a little too close to the main walk way. The two boys tried to catch her as she fell, but her flailing arms prevented them from getting a good grip, and she hit the ground hard. Her fall didn't land her in the box, but it was close enough that a single vibrant rainbow colored orb with a golden top popped up, out of the box and landed on her chest.

The first thing that the boys had to admit, was it was a lot less disturbing watching this transformation. Instead of looking like a weird latex beast clawing its way up their arms and legs, it actually looked more like waves washing over Hinata's body, covering her slowly in segments.

Her main body took on a subtle blue hue, while it was cloaked in an almost water like silk gown, in place of her violet bob-cut hair, was a stunning waterfall of shimmering gold reaching down to her waist. Her lavender eyes had turned into piercing blue eyes which looked deeper than the depths of the ocean. Out of her back sprang forth two gossamer wings that rippled and danced like a living rainbow. Unlike the other two, she bore a walking staff that was tipped with a plant that bore simple rounded leaves with saw like edges and had a cluster of hazelnuts resting at its base.

Looking around momentarily, she locked eyes with Naruto for a moment before taking a knee and stretching out her staff in an offering pose. "Enganxa is here Lady Kyukon, and I hope to serve you well... This child is one of the peaceful lakes... I like her."

Naruto and Shikamaru looked at each other, while Enganxa began picking around Naruto's apartment with a lot of tsk-ing sounds. Only two things ran through their minds as the Aloja continued to peruse Naruto's living space with a running dialogue with Hinata. The first was that they could actually identify the being as an Aloja, and the second was that they were in deep trouble when the Hokage found out about this.

Before they could get in more trouble, Naruto decided to put the cover on the box, and hid it deep under his bed, pushing out some underwear he had thought long lost, much to the poor boys embarrassment. However, there was one good thing about the showing of the unmentionables. Enganxa had retreated back to a simple choker around Hinata's neck, and the Hyuuga heiress passed out with a heavy blush, and a huge smile.

Naruto could only think that he was in so deep that he'd be lucky if the Hokage killed him, instead of handing him over to the tender mercies of the Hyuuga clan.