-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-
January 9th, Wednesday evening.
Naruto waved goodbye to Gaara as he and Sasuke were heading down the street. It was an hour or so after Gaara and Naruto came back from the Hyuuga's. Sasuke had texted Naruto demanding where he was, and that Minato wanted them back home. And with haste, the boys got back to the Nara's residence as best as they could.
Naruto glanced at Sasuke with a sheepish smile that was only returned with a glare from him.
"Aw, are you still mad at me, Sasuke?"
"Yes, you idiot." Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You AND Gaara left without a word making everyone worry. It was becoming a hectic time to find you two since it seemed cell phone service was down again."
"I said I was sorry." Naruto grumbled. "Everyone kept pushing me out of the way anyway because of Kurama…"
"Yeah, cause Kurama…Wait who?" Sasuke stopped giving Naruto a weird look.
Naruto pointed to Kurama who was on his shoulder. "Kurama. I, uh named him that." Naruto smiled. Better to keep what Gaara and I learned a secret for now.
"I see. Well it was beginning to make people worry that… Kurama here would do something." Sasuke began to walk again turning the corning that led to their street. Naruto followed quickly after.
"He's a good fox! He hasn't done anything wrong at all, has he?" Naruto began to argue.
"I… suppose he hasn't, but he's still a wild animal, Naruto." Sasuke argued back.
"He's an intelligent one that understands what's going on!"
"Do you know that for a fact?"
"Yeah, I do!"
"Where did you get this kind of proof anyway?"
"Instinct!"
"That's not proof, Idiot!"
"It's better than your assumptions that he'll do something bad."
"He's more than likely to do something bad!"
Both boys stopped and glared furiously at each other. They were near their houses, but neither were going to move from their spots. An argument had sprung between them, and this time it wasn't one of their silly ones. This time, both sides were full of anger unlike the time when Sasuke pretended to "leave" Naruto.
Silence ensnared them like spreading wild fire. Both of them thought they were right, and neither was going to agree to the other opinion. Naruto knew he was right because of what he read and how Kurama responded to him. Sasuke thought he was right because he knew nothing due to Naruto being quiet. Naruto could solve this by telling him, but he was too stubborn for that now.
"Naruto, Sasuke, what are you doing?" Neither of them looked up when Itachi's voice floated towards them. Itachi crunched through the snow over to them with suspicious looks. "Are you two fighting again?"
"What's it matter to you, Itachi?" Sasuke grumbled. "And I was just ending it." Sasuke turned away from Naruto before he got a chance to talk and stomped towards his house. Itachi stared after him blankly as he heard the door open then shut. He sighed and looked to Naruto.
"What's going on, Naruto?"
"Well," Naruto relaxed some and looked at Itachi as he brought Kurama into his arms, "this is a fox I found and Sasuke thinks it's dangerous. I think otherwise, rather I know otherwise."
Itachi knelt down some to examine Kurama. "Seems fairly tame, but do be careful it doesn't bite you."
"I know, but I know he won't." Naruto ensured holding Kurama close. "He's more like a cat than a fox."
"Are you very confident in that? Without any doubts?" Itachi asked as he stood up straight.
"Yes." Naruto said without fail.
Itachi gave a small smile then rubbed Naruto's head before heading towards his house. "I'll try to calm Sasuke down. You just relax and try getting that fox past your dad."
Naruto twitched and looked toward his house. Right. Dad might not like this idea… Taking a deep breath, Naruto hoppled through the snow to his house and went inside.
"Mom! Dad! I'm home." Naruto called out as he stomped his feet on the carpet. He placed Kurama down as he took off his jackets and boots.
"Welcome home, Naruto!" Kushina called out coming in from the living room. "Did you do alright over at the Nara's?"
"Mm, yeah I guess." Naruto replied half-heartedly. It wasn't that pleasant at first. "But, um I have something I need to talk to Dad and you about." Naruto knelt down picking up Kurama and went up to his mom. Kushina stared at Kurama for a moment before putting on a serious expression.
"Minato dear… I think you need to come over here." It was Kushina's strict voice. Naruto swallowed already feeling like something would go wrong.
Minato entered the hallway a few moments later and looked over at Kushina before looking at Naruto. His eyes went wide before he put on a serious face. "What's this, Naruto?"
"It's a fox I found in the snow yesterday. Dad, before you say anything about how dangerous he could be, I already know all that."
"Then you want to try to convince me it's safe to keep him?" Minato asked raising an eyebrow up.
"I swear, Dad, he hasn't done anything to hurt anyone. He's only followed me around everywhere. That's about it." Naruto gave a serious expression hoping it would convince his parents.
Minato stared at Naruto and Kurama for a long time then crossed his arms. "Naruto, there's something you're not telling me about this fox, isn't there?" Naruto opened his mouth to say something, but shut it and only nodded. "You better tell me and your mother before we decide anything."
"Okay…"
-oO0-o)
Sasuke stared at Itachi as he tried to figure out how to word this. Itachi remained quiet and patient.
"Okay, so after Naruto finds this fox I begin to get pretty suspicious because of something about the Kyuubi." Sasuke began leaning back in his chair. "I had been thinking about that since yesterday around lunch time. Looking at the mascot triggered a memory of mine when Naruto went to the hospital in Oto. Minato had told me about an orange fox."
"Ah…" Itachi nodded crossing his arms. "I remember you mentioning that to me. Minato was trying to explain Naruto's aggressive behavior. He thought that perhaps the fox had done something, but if I recall correctly Minato dismissed that as he is one not to believe in mythical things."
"Yeah… I was thinking about that, but the messed up thing is that when I look at that fox, the Kyuubi comes to my mind immediately now." Sasuke stared up at the ceiling. "I'm worried, and that makes me yell at Naruto even when I'm not truly angry at him. It causes my worry to turn to anger though…" Sasuke plopped his chair down and placed his face into upraised hands.
Itachi moved his chair next to Sasuke's and placed a hand on his head. "It looks like Naruto truly believes that fox will not hurt him. I can tell that nothing will sway him on that unless the fox actually did something."
Sasuke looked up at Itachi then sat up straight giving a sigh. There were just so many things he didn't understand, and he just felt helpless because he couldn't figure out how to help Naruto. I'm merely feeling sorry for myself. Naruto doesn't need that kind of attitude from me.
"Itachi… What do you think?"
"About what to do? Hmm, you should answer that yourself and put the responsibility on your decision, not mine." Itachi stood and turned around. "If I make the decision and things don't go as you would hope, it would cause more pain and you'll only feel more helpless."
"More helpless…" Sasuke gave a nod. "I suppose you are right. I need to get the answer on my own without a bias opinion. Okay, thanks Itachi. I'm going to go to my room and think for awhile."
"Okay, I'll knock when dinner is ready." Sasuke gave a smile at Itachi before getting up and heading towards his room. He plopped over on his bed and began to formulate.
When Naruto was a child, he was bitten by some type of animal. The main conclusion leads to it being from an orange fox with red eyes. Another conclusion could be that it was another wild animal and that fox merely saved his life. Both are likely from any standpoint, but if it were looked with a standpoint that mythical beings do not exist… That fox would have been the cause of Naruto being bitten and it might have given him a disease that would cause his aggression.
Sasuke stood up and shook his head.
No, there are many factors that concluded that perhaps the fox had intelligence. According to Minato, the fox had followed him all the way to the hospital. The fox that was with Naruto now looks exactly like the one that did, so does that mean it's the same one? Foxes can live up to ten years, but most only make it to about two to three and it's been nine years since that happened. Minato told me that it was a young fox… From what I can tell the fox that Naruto has is young as well. It would be well beyond old by now or dead. Is it possible that this fox doesn't just have intelligence, but mythical powers as well?
Sasuke stood up and went over to his window looking out it. He had a clear view of Naruto's room. The blinds were open so he could see inside, but Naruto wasn't in sight. Being given this free chance without having Naruto interrupt, Sasuke took a full look at what he could see from here.
Naruto's calendar and bookshelf of Manga were in direct view. He could see Naruto's collection was very large, but he soon realized that many of the titles were kitsune related. Even the calendar itself was about foxes. Sasuke began to notice that there were a lot of orange things as well. There was even an orange fox plushie on the top of the Manga bookshelf. Sasuke slowly closed his blinds and sat down on his bed.
Orange is Naruto's favorite color. He has a lot of manga about the demon foxes called kitsune. He's even got his calendar full of foxes! Why haven't I noticed this before? Was it not important to me in the past, and now that I'm aware of it I actually notice these things? That must be it. When Minato had told me about it that day I think I forgot about it after I made that promise with Naruto. Why is it coming up now, though? What significant thing has happened for this fox to appear?
Sasuke frowned and rubbed his face. This started happening after Suigetsu threatened me. Was me leaving the factor for this happening? Did the affect it had on Naruto cause this fox to appear again? What is this fox, anyway?
Suddenly, Sasuke had an idea. He turned on his computer and waited for it to load. After that, he opened up his internet browser and clicked on the search engine typing in "Kurama orange red eyed fox."
The results came in and Sasuke shifted through them for a moment until he found a page that talked about tailed beasts. He clicked on that and began to shift through it. It talked about the legend of the tailed beasts, but there wasn't much information except that they were once part of the world and then just left without warning. Unfortunately, none of these listed the name Kurama, so Sasuke wasn't sure he could trust this information at all.
Sighing, Sasuke went back to the search engine and shifted through the sites again. His eye caught the name Kurama and he quickly clicked on the link and read the information.
"Kurama was a legendary fox with fur as orange as the summer fruit. He was the leader of the tailed beasts as he had the most tails. Kurama had more stamina than the other tailed beasts, so he was able to get to the others quickly. This is why he was chosen as the leader. Even though he was the leader, he never acted as one. All the tailed beasts acted together as they all ruled different parts of the land.
"Kyuubi was the name he was given by the people as it meant nine tails. He ruled over the land of Konohagakure no Sato, and kept it safe from harsh weather. Eventually, his power dwindled due to the people's belief. He disappeared from the land with the other tailed beasts leaving only behind a warning for the people of the land:
"Without us, the land will die. It might take a while for this to come forth, but you have only doomed yourself in the end. Places will begin to suffer an unknown weather shift, and sickness will spread. You who have disregarded this will perish, but those that continue to believe in and trust might be able to save this land wherever they may appear. This is the last wisdom we have for you. Believe in it or not because no matter what it will happen."
Sasuke stared at his screen before placing a bookmark on this page, and then turning his computer off.
"Kurama… Could he possibly be the Kyuubi? He ruled over the land of Konohagakure no Sato… It literally means Village Hidden by Tree Leaves. This city is named Konoha and could definitely be defined as being hidden by trees. Did this city once reside in the land of Konohagakure no Sato and just eventually took up the name Konoha?"
Sasuke frowned as he pondered this before he stopped hearing Itachi knock on his door. He got up and went over to it then stopped looking back out the windows. "Why have you returned… Kurama?"
-oO0-o)
Two days later at the Nara Residence, January 11th, Friday after school.
"All set, Gaara?" Naruto asked as he waited outside in the freezing cold. Kurama was curled snuggly in Naruto's jacket trying to keep warm.
"Yes, I am sorry for the wait." Gaara responded coming out of the Nara's residence with Kankuro, Temari, and Shikamaru following after. Naruto glanced at the three extras giving a nod before heading out onto the street. He waved over to Sasuke who came up next to them.
"So, where exactly are we heading again?" Sasuke asked as the boys trudged up the street towards the forest that lied on the other side of the Nara's home. Much of the snow had melted, but there was still enough to make it a rough walk.
"I saw a tanuki from my window yesterday." Gaara answered. "I thought it was just coming to scavenge for food, but it only stared at me through the snow. It came closer and I got to see that it was a sandy colored with black markings…" Gaara glanced at Naruto who gave a bite of his lip.
"It's quite unusual," Temari began, "for an animal to be the color of sand during the winter season. Frankly, it's unnatural. Animals' fur adapt to the weather in order to hide from predators. To find a creature that is completely polar opposite of the weather is suspicious." Temari pointed a finger to Kurama's face that was peeking out of Naruto's jacket.
"Right… I get all that, but why are we going after it?" Sasuke grumbled.
"That's what I'd like to know…" Shikamaru sighed as he stopped at gate. "I'm the one that's going to have to lead you through the snow, and I'd like a good reason before we go into here. All you said was 'We need into the back forest.', and then suddenly Naruto and Sasuke are at my front door. I didn't realize you meant now." Shikamaru stared at Gaara then looked at Naruto and Kurama.
Naruto and Gaara stared long at each other then nodded and looked towards the others.
"Well… you might not believe us, but we found this book…" Naruto brought out the book that was titled "The tale of the great nine-tailed beasts". Shikamaru grabbed the book and opened it up. Temari, Kankuro, and Sasuke gathered around to read.
After several minutes, Shikamaru handed the book back and opened the gate. "That's a good enough reason for now."
"So… Gaara, Naruto," Kankuro started as they began walking into the forest, "am I guessing you guys think this tanuki is Shukaku? And that, that fox in Naruto's jacket is Kurama?"
"That is right, Kankuro." Gaara responded. "We believe this tale to be true, and that these smaller forms are just what the great tailed beasts have now taken because of their lack of power."
"I see… Well, good enough for me, but I'm still coming along to make sure you're safe."
"I am as well!" Temari stated. Gaara smiled lightly in response then watched where he was going.
Naruto glanced back at Sasuke and smiled before slowing his pace to match his. "Sasuke," Naruto began with a whisper, "what's on your mind?"
"Ah… erm, just that story." Sasuke responded then looked down at the ground. I better not tell Naruto what I found out. Not yet. I can't be sure if what I learned coincides with that story.
"I… hope you're doing alright. I know I've caused a lot of problems for you." Naruto looked away sadly then lightly pulled Kurama out of his jacket placing him on his shoulder. Sasuke stared at Kurama then looked at Naruto before punching him in the arm.
"Idiot. Stop worrying so much, otherwise you're going to put yourself in a panicked state." Sasuke rolled his eyes. Naruto looked back giving a grin before looking ahead.
Several minutes passed and soon the sun was beginning to set. Shikamaru stopped and waved to the group. "This is as far as we go. It's too dark to go much farther. Maybe in the morning we can try to attempt this, but I don't think we're going to find anything tonight."
"But!" Gaara and Naruto protested at the same time.
"No, Shikamaru is right, Gaara." Temari crossed her arms glaring at the two boys.
"C'mon, Idiot." Sasuke grabbed Naruto's arm and began to trace back their footsteps with Kankuro in the lead. Naruto groaned as he let Sasuke pull him along. He sighed looking down at Kurama and swore he thought he looked sad and disappointed. He felt that way as well. Naruto glanced back at Gaara and gave a shrug. Gaara nodded and followed after them with Shikamaru and Temari behind.
-oO0-o)
Knock, knock, knock.
Naruto groaned and rolled over not wanting to get up.
Naruto.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Go away…" Naruto mumbled through his pillow.
I cannot. You must get up now.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Why… it's Saturday…"
Have you forgotten? We must find Shukaku.
"Who…?"
"NARUTO! GET UP." Suddenly, weight fell on Naruto's back making him yelp out. He groaned loudly as the weight vanished. He turned onto his back to see Sasuke glaring from above.
"Ugh… did you have to do that, Sasuke?"
"Yes, now come on. Everyone's waiting." Sasuke pulled Naruto to his feet then pushed him toward his closet. "I'll be in the living room with Gaara and the girls."
"Okay, okay…" Naruto yawned greatly as he shuffled through his closet. He heard Sasuke leave and only then did he think about what Sasuke said. The girls? Who's he talking about?
Naruto-sama.
Naruto blinked and looked around feeling as if he heard a voice. Then he realized it was the same voice that had told him to get up before Sasuke. It had also told him about finding Shukaku.
"Who's there?"
It is I, Kurama, Naruto-sama.
Naruto turned and stared down at Kurama who was at his feet. His eyes widened as he saw Kurama now had two tails instead of the one. Slowly, Naruto knelt down and bit his lip.
"You… you can talk?" Naruto hesitantly asked. Kurama nodded his head. "Since when?"
I have always spoken to you, Naruto-sama.
"What's with the sama all of the sudden? You didn't call me that a few moments ago." Naruto raised an eyebrow completely ignoring the fact that this fox was speaking to him to his mind.
I know. I felt that it was the proper time to address you as such now that you understand what is going on. Regardless of that, we must hurry. Shukaku needs us.
"Wait, why are you talking to me fully now? I finally remembered hearing you call out my name since November I think it was."
You already have your answer to that.
Naruto stared at Kurama intently for a moment then nodded and got dressed. He headed out of his bedroom with Kurama following after. He peeked his head into the living room to see Sasuke, Gaara, and surprisingly Sakura and Hinata.
"Hinata! Sakura-chan! What are you doing here?" Naruto asked as he came into the living room fully.
"Ah, well…" Hinata began, "Sakura-chan was worried about Sasuke-kun so she called me up and dragged me out here to check on him… And, I um… came to check up on you." Hinata smiled shyly as she went up to lightly grab Naruto's hand. Naruto blinked then smiled at her.
"I said and acted pretty strangely to Sakura," Sasuke spoke up. "It probably made her think I was going crazy."
"What? I did not think that!" Sakura protested. Sasuke grinned at her but then sighed.
"Even so, I'm sorry for my behavior."
"It's okay, Sasuke-kun…"
Naruto looked between the two then went over to Gaara. "Gaara, I gotta tell you something! Kurama can talk!"
Gaara's eyes widened as he stared at Naruto then at Kurama. "Truly?"
"Yeah!"
It is so. Gaara-sama, I am honored to be able to speak to you finally. Kurama bowed his head to Gaara. Gaara bowed his head back.
Naruto smiled then realized the rest of the room was silent. He sweat dropped realizing they probably heard Kurama as well.
"Okay… Sasuke-kun wasn't over exaggerating…" Sakura mumbled as she stared at Kurama.
"This I didn't know though…" Sasuke looked unsure as he also stared at Kurama.
I know this is sudden, but we must go now. Shukaku needs us.
In an instant, Gaara was up and nodding. "Let us go then."
Everyone else regained their composure and nodded as well.
-oO0-o)
Naruto, Gaara, Sasuke, Sakura, and Hinata were walking as fast as they could through the snow. They were following after Kurama who was leading them through the same forest as yesterday. Shikamaru had to leave with his father earlier, so they had to rely solely on Kurama's nose to find Shukaku.
It wasn't pleasant.
It had begun to snow heavily as they had reached the gate. Thankfully, it was unlocked, but even so the snow had piled up even higher over night making travel through it hardly bearable. A couple of times some of them even fell in the snow creating a risk of them getting snow inside their clothing. And now they were so deep in the forest they weren't even sure they could make it back.
"Kurama," Naruto shouted through the snow, "how much further?"
We are close.
"We better be…" Sasuke growled then shivered. "It's getting way too cold and dangerous for us to be out here any longer."
I understand. Just a little bit further.
Knowing and needing to trust Kurama, the group pushed forward. Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other then back at the girls then back at each other thinking the same thought.
They shouldn't have come.
Naruto looked in front at Kurama who hopped through the thick snow disappearing each time he dropped after a hop. The snow was getting higher. Naruto glanced at Gaara who was right behind Kurama. He seemed determined and focused.
He must be freezing though… Naruto thought. This weather is something that doesn't really exist in Suna. I hope he'll be okay.
There! Kurama squeaked out as he hopped faster towards a large tree. The tree was magnificent. It was wide enough to fit at least ten people across in a line. It also had a small entrance that was only accessible by crawling. Kurama slipped inside making the group stop and stare warily at it. Please, come inside.
Seeing no other choice, they dropped down on their knees and crawled in.
Much to their surprise, it was warm. Confusion swept through the group making them suspicious on whether the dry earth was just making them hallucinate the warmth, or if it was really there.
Gaara spotted Shukaku first and immediately went over to him picking him up. "Shukaku?" He asked tentatively.
The tanuki in Gaara's arms blinked up at him and nodded.
Naruto sighed great relief that they found him in time. Everyone huddled around Gaara staring at Shukaku. Kurama hopped next to Gaara and looked around at everyone.
I must tell you something now that Shukaku has been saved.
"I don't like the sound of this…" Sasuke groaned as he pulled off his jacket feeling too warm now.
"You're going to tell us something bad, huh?" Sakura asked as she did the same with her jacket.
Unfortunately, yes. Sasuke-sama, you already know of this, but you felt hesitant about its truth.
Naruto glanced and Sasuke then grabbed him. "Wait, you know what Kurama is going to tell us, and you didn't let me know beforehand? Why would you do that, Sasuke? You know how important this is to me."
"Naruto, stop! I wasn't sure at first of the truth of it so I don't want to worry you." Sasuke didn't even try to budge Naruto off him.
"You could have told me anyway!" Naruto growled.
"Naruto-kun, please stop!" Hinata shouted out as she softly grabbed Naruto's hands. "The cold has made all of us tense and easy to anger. Let us just listen to what Kurama-sama has to say… We need to calm ourselves as we listen." Hinata gently pulled Naruto's hands off Sasuke and held them in her hands.
Naruto stared at Hinata for a moment then settled down. "You're right, Hinata…I'm sorry, Sasuke."
"It's okay… Hinata's right after all. We do need to calm down." Sasuke took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
"So, um, Kurama… What is it you wish to tell us?"
Gaara-sama, do you feel a connection to Shukaku?
Gaara blinked at Kurama before looking down at Shukaku. "I… yes. I feel a great connection to him. When I learned of his name I couldn't get him out of my mind."
Kurama nodded, seeming satisfied with that answer. He looked at Naruto. Naruto-sama, do you feel a connection with me?
"Yes." Naruto's answer was full of belief. "I have the same feelings as Gaara does. The first time I saw you as a child and at that time in the park I had an unusual feeling in my chest."
Good. Then it is time I tell you a tale, a tale of a warning that we nine tailed beasts told the people of the old. Long ago, we ruled over this great land. All of us were at different regions taking care of the places that suited our powers most. We created the land and the people who now reside here. Although, there were nine main areas in the past, only five of them remain strong.
We ruled the land with the people and taught them how to manage it. Throughout the long years we lived in harmony with each other. There were no wars, suffering, or chaos. That didn't last very long though.
A small group, calling themselves Akatsuki, deemed that our time of rule was over. They claimed that they knew all they could about the land, and they had no more desire for our wisdom. They thought that we were trying to control the people, so they created an ugly lie making many believe this. The book that you read is the newest of the tale, but it was not the oldest. I was surprised it was still around.
Akatsuki had destroyed any knowledge that we were creatures of good nature. They wanted the people to cast us aside and "dethrone" us. We tried to warn them that something terrible would happen, but the lies of Akatsuki were too great.
A horrible event happened after that. The land suddenly sucked us of our powers and dwindled our forms to be small shells of our former bodies. With our powers gone, we could be killed and Akatsuki was almost successful in doing so.
Thankfully, there were a few clans that were able to keep us alive: The Uzumaki clan, the Uchiha Clan, the Hyuuga Clan, the Senju Clan, and the Sarutobi Clan. With their help they were able to keep us save and hide us away. They were strong clans so Akatsuki could not do much to stop them.
Before we were hidden away though... we told the people one last warning:
"Without us, the land will die. This will not occur now, but many years along the road when all of the memories of this time have died, it will happen. Lands will begin to suffer terrible environmental changes, and a great sickness will spread. Because of your disregard for who we are our powers have been stolen by the land, and thus created a horrible power to manifest itself. All will perish because of this.
"Yet, there is a way to save this land. Those that have continued to believe and trust in us might be able to save this land one day. When they appear again in this land, we will make ourselves known to them and the connection between us will guide each land back into balance. This is the last wisdom and warning we will give you."
Kurama stopped and looked to Gaara and Naruto with red eyes full of intent, passion, and desperation. Gaara-sama, Naruto-sama. We need you. The time has come, and the land is already beginning to use our powers. Something must be done for us to regain our powers. Please help us!
-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-
And with that, my friends, a brand new journey begins.
About the Clans that saved the tailed beasts: Are the other two clans that have not appeared going to have major roles? In a way, they already have. Think about what those two clans represented in the manga, and then think how it could and has applied here!
I hope that you're enjoying this story.