Sorry for the late update guys! P.S all the reviewers - i love yous! XD

Pa0lini

As soon as he left the room Naruto collapsed against the hall's wall, his trembling limbs refusing to support him any longer. Terror coursed through his veins as he tried to breathe, but found air wasn't coming easily to his lungs. Fear induced adrenaline was the only thing keeping the dark haze at the edge of his vision back and him conscious. He slid down the wall as his legs folded underneath him. If one meeting with Kakashi did this to him, how was he going to cope working on the same team as him? What was the Third thinking when he picked the teams? Did he get some sick amusement from this situation? Or was this some form of punishment for returning to the village? Either way, he had to talk to him about this. Forcing his shaking limbs to move, Naruto slowly got up from the floor. Kyuubi, hearing what he was thinking, rushed to his side and allowed him to rest his weight on his back. The darkness claimed Naruto as he fell against the fox. Whining softly he wrapped his tails about the boy and both disappeared in a burst of flame.

...

'I should have seen this coming...' thought the third Hokage as he viewed the occupants of the room. The advisors to the Hokage; Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura were sitting opposite him; both had identical scowls on their faces. The Sandaime frowned at Kakashi who was leaning up against the wall, as if nothing was wrong and was eyeing up a nervous Iruka who stood in the middle of the room. If it were up to him he would have revoked Kakashi's ninja status and locked him in the darkest cell he could find. It was only because the council over ruled him and marked him as a hero, that he was unable to do nothing more than keep him on D rank missions for a couple of years. He gained some pleasure from the fact he knew that his actions haunted him every night. The last man to stand in the room was the one he truly hated with a passion, Danzo. He sighed heavily. It would be a long afternoon.

"What can I do for you, Homura, Koharu?" he asked the advisors. Better to get them out of the way first, they were a bigger pain in the neck then Mist ambassadors, and they usually killed the escorts!

"You know damn well why we are here Sarutobi!" yelled Homura. "Why is it we that we have only just now heard that the demon brat is not only alive, but in our village, trying to become a ninja no less!"

The Hokage eyed the pruned man in distaste. "I'm sorry if I do not tell you about every person that comes through our gates or the names of every shinobi that we employ. I shall make amends at once and send you a list of them all if that will satisfy you. As to why you have only just now heard he is alive, I only found out myself 3 days ago that he was alive and living under the protection of Tsunade Senju, granddaughter of the first Hokage and member of the Sannin. Who also seems to have adopted him as his son." He said the last bit smugly as he watched the faces in the room pale, each with their own thoughts

"So that was the kaa-san he was talking about," thought Iruka

"That's how he survived the lightning blade," Kakashi surmised.

"If he is under the protection of Tsunade we can't touch the demon!"

"Why would the princess want to adopt the brat? Surely she must know who he is!"

"I must turn him into a weapon for me. If I have him, then the village is mine!"

"I wonder if Konohamaru will try and assassinate me now. I hope so because I really want to get out of this room."

Koharu, tired of the silence, decided to make her opinion known.

"He must leave immediately. He cannot become a shinobi of our village. He is an unknown threat and we do not know where his loyalties lie. If the villagers find out that the Kyuubi brat is still alive they will want blood and we will have a riot on our hands. If he won't leave then the Anbu will have to take him out."

Iruka spluttered in disbelief. Naruto was still a boy! The only reason he is a threat is because they couldn't control him! He was about to protest but Sarutobi beat him to it.

"And why is it his loyalties are unknown? He was born in the Leaf village, what would have made him turn away from us? Why would he want to hurt us?" he demanded, his anger getting the best of him. But before the council woman could reply he cut across her. "Oh yes, that's right. Because we beat him like an animal when he was just a baby! No I'm sorry; animals are treated better than he was! He was beaten to near death every night of the first three years of his life! He had no home or family and everyone he met hated him with a passion and he didn't know WHY. The only names he ever heard people call him, were monster, demon, freak! Why he should love us without question for the wonderful way he was treated! You know very well that it is our fault that he is considered a threat." During his rant he had stood up, face slowly turning red and a slight tinge of purple appeared as he ran out of breath. The room fell quiet as they contemplated his words.

"He is a monster and as such, he should be treated like one." Danzo stated coldly. "He has the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed within him and we don't know when it will take over the boy and attack us again so we must either contain him or kill him." Iruka was shaking with anger at Danzo's statement.

"He is just a child! It is not his fault for what has been done to him. It's ours! Why should he have to suffer for out mistake?" yelled Iruka.

"He is a demon and must be eliminated before the villagers know of him. That is why he is on Kakashi's team." Danzo retorted. The Sandaime's eyes widened in horror.

"WHAT?" he yelled, staring in disbelief at Danzo. 'I placed him on Asuma's team! That way I could be sure he wouldn't be harmed and I could keep an eye on him! Why is he on Kakashi's team?' he thought desperately. "Why has the gennin team placements changed?" he demanded of the council members. Homura and Koharu exchanged a glance before answering.

"We felt we had to intervene for the good of the village." Said Homura

"We gave the team lists to Danzo and he made the corrections with our advice." Koharu finished.

Sarutobi stared at the council members in disbelief and rage. Danzo smirked.

"I put him on Kakashi's team because he is the most qualified to watch him. After all it is him who drove the demon from our village the last time, when the boy turns rabid and loses control; he will be able to take care of the problem." He stated smugly.

"You had NO right to interfere in ninja business! Danzo, the Anbu are your concern and your only concern! Homura, Koharu, you are advisors! You have no authority over military matters! I am the Hokage and I will not allow this blatant insubordination stand!" He yelled. Taking a deep breath he was about to continue but was cut short as a ball of fire appeared in the middle of the room. Iruka had to jump out of the way to avoid being cooked. He studied the ball of fire and recognition hit him hard.

'Oh no' he thought. Now was not the greatest time for Naruto to appear. Especially when three of the most powerful people in the village that wanted him dead were mere steps away. Kakashi looked at the fire with the same bored expression he usually had, but a kunai knife was held tightly in his hand, his posture subtly changing into a fighting stance. The council advisors had jumped out of the way and hidden behind Danzo, who had summoned his Anbu bodyguards to protect him. Sarutobi hadn't moved; he knew this chakra signature well. Red paws emerged from the fire, each the size of a dinner plate, followed by an elegant red head and graceful body. The third looked dumbstruck, surely the fox he had seen with Naruto before had only gone up to his waist? This fox looked the exact same yet was the size of a tiger! Kyuubi eyed the people in the room, hate gleamed fiercely from his eyes towards Danzo and Kakashi; his nine tails that were covering something that was resting, unmoving on his back tightened at the sight of them. The fire vanished as suddenly as it came, leaving the newcomers in the office. Kakashi blinked, Iruka fidgeted, the advisors eyes almost popped out of their heads, Danzo gave the signal for his Anbu to attack.

"No!" yelled the Third and Iruka simultaneously as the Anbu moved in to kill the fox. Kyuubi turned towards the oncoming ninja and growled threateningly. It was low but fierce and sent terror drilling into the very bones of the people there, although years of ninja training allowed them to hide that fact. The Anbu drew short swords and charged the fox. Two of his tails lifted from covering the boy and swayed dangerously.

"Stop this at once!" yelled the Third. "If you don't he'll kill you!" Kyuubi nodded his massive head in acknowledgment, pleased the old man knew of the threat he posed. The Anbu ignored the warning though, and smirked at the animal they were about to destroy, overconfident in their abilities and underestimating their enemy's. It was the last thing they ever did. The two tails that had disengaged from covering the boy darted at the Anbu, and immediately cut through their defences. They had a minute of panic before the tails buried themselves in their chests, breaking bones, piercing organs and splattering blood all over Danzo and the advisors who had cowered behind the now dead ninjas. They stared in horror as the tails lifted the bodies up from the floor and shook the dead weights off from their tips. Kyuubi brought his tails in front of him and started to lick them clean, occasionally coming across pieces of muscles or length of entrails that he would happily devour before continuing on in his cleaning. Kakashi walked over to the corpses of the now dead Anbu and made sure they were actually dead before moving them out the way and covering their faces in respect.

"Kill it!" screamed Koharu. "Kill the beast!" Kyuubi paused from his cleaning and growled at the old woman.

"Stop it," a voice said clearly, ringing with authority. All people in the room paused, whilst Kyuubi whined slightly. He lifted his tails and revealed Naruto, sitting up and rubbing his head.