Kurama continued forward, careful not to fall under his weakened legs. He could hear Naruto, whom sat with his whole body rocking back and forth while struggling to keep his hold on the Kyuubi's pelt, gasping deeply and wheezing every other minute.
The fox sighed. "I thought I would have been less able to survive this. But out of all that has happened it's the kid who is suffering the most. Maybe it's from seeing that damn Uchiha Sasuke working for the enemy."
He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Oi, Naruto."He heard a soft murmur come from the boy. He had fallen forward into the fox's orange fur and wasn't able to push himself back up; mostly from exhaustion. "Oi...you remember the time we first met?!"
Naruto faintly stirred his movement. He turned his head out of the fur and lightly closed his eyes. The shinning blue tint still gone. "Yeah...you bastard...how could...how could I forget."
Kurama steadied his pace. "Now let me speak. You just keep quiet and listen up."He didn't like being called a bastard.
The boy was silent.
"Kheh. I remember when I first saw you come to me. Man, was I pissed."
Flashback:
The gate stood, seeming more wide than it had in a while as the sounds of fighting collided against the echoed walls.
"Senpou: Odama Rasentarrengan!"
The spiraling blue ball came flying through the air and landed squarely on the Kyuubi; belly up. He was blasted across the room, unable to retaliate before the next attack.
"One more round!" Naruto came full speed at him, Rasenshuriken in the palm of his hand was sent straight for the fox.
What kind of power is this? He lay there, unmoving as his chakra was pulled from him. But it stopped abruptly. "Kheh. It seems you haven't enough power to take it all, huh, kid?"
The smoke soon cleared to leave the fox wide-eyed. In the distance stood Naruto, glowing with what little chakra he pulled from Kyuubi. Vibrant yellow chakra surrounded him.
Naruto softly smiled at the fox as tears streamed from his eyes. He looked up to meet the red eyes belonging to the fox. "A war is starting. The fourth great ninja war."
"What is this brat even talking about?" "Kheh. And what does that have to do with me?"He slowly got to his feet.
"I wasn't supposed to know, but I've heard that Uchiha Madara declared it. The masked man."
The fox roared horrendously. "That fucking Uchiha. I swear he'll pay for what he did to me back all those-"
"I already know what he did to you. My-" Another rain of tears streamed down his cheeks. "My mom told me everything that happened."
"Kushina. I knew I had sensed her chakra from before."
The blond smiled. He extended his hand ever so slowly and reached out to the fox. "I never got the chance to ask this. It's...it's kinda embarrassing...what's your name?"
The fox's eyes grew wider than they could even reach. "Why would you ask me THAT?!"
He didn't reply.
"Kheh. It's Kurama."
He pulled back his hand and placed it underneath his chin, deep in thought. "Kurama, huh? I swear I've heard that name before...alright, Kurama."
The fox kept his place.
"Why the hell did you ask that for?"
"How else would we be able to help each other?"
Kurama growled. "What do you mean, 'help each other'?"
"I've decided that I want to cooperate with you. I want to defeat this Madara guy because of what he did to you. I understand now that nothing was your fault. Nobody ever cared about you or even acknowledged you; let alone ask your name. They-even I- referred to you as the 'Kyuubi'. I know how that feels." Naruto wiped the tears from his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt.
"I...I didn't know that's how he felt. I've been in him for sixteen years and I never realized it. Are we really that similar?" "Then why won't you let me destroy Konoha. We can BOTH destroy Konoha."The fox returned back to his menacing voice.
"Konoha is my home. Where my father died protecting it and where my mother died loving me. I've even found my best friends, Iruka-sensei, Kakshi-sensei, Tsunade-bochaan...so many it's hard to count. And now you, too. I'm glad now Glad that I have so many that care about me. I want to work as a team with you and put an end to this 'Bijuu hunting' and to the constant nonstop wars of the Shinobi world. I hope to be respected as the greatest Hokage who ever lived until the day I die fulfilling my duty."
"You've been trying to take my power, just like everyone else I've ever met. Why would I help you without eating you first!?"
Not even a flinch escaped from Naruto. "Who said I wanted your power?" He stretched out his hand once again. The yellow chakra flowing around him floated away and was dropped back onto Kurama.
The fox's skinny body quickly fattened up from receiving his lost chakra. Kurama was completely and utterly speechless. "Aren't you afraid?"
Naruto still stood there with the same smile on his face. "No, because I trust you, that's why." He kept his hand in front of him.
Kurama quickly glanced at the boy before, smiling, himself. He reached out and shook the boy's hand. Only able to grab it with his two, long claws.
"I guess that makes us friends."
"Yeah, I guess it does."
End Flashback:
Naruto smiled, his face against the Fox's warm fur. "And you haven't stood me up...since then."
Kurama smiled before turning the corner into another room. He stopped. "We're here."
The blond pushed his head up and he was instantly astonished. "W-what is this?"
In front of the two stood a hovering, glowing shape with several Kanji figures. The figures for dog, horse, dragon, ram, rat, and monkey.
"You see that?" He pointed his claw up at the floating symbol for dragon. "He never formed it correctly. It was accidentally doubled."
"What's that...supposed to mean?"
It means, I can squeeze my chakra through there one time, and one time alone. It means we only have one chance."
Author's note:
Please review. Like I've said before they help my motivation to write. Please comment on what you think.
Arigato!