A/N:

READ AND ENJOY!

Warning! Grammars, as always...

Pairing: Not sure. Maybe implied ones?

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO AND I AM NOT MAKING ANY MONEY FROM THIS. NARUTO STRICTLY BELONGS TO MASASHI KISHIMOTO.

ALSO, I want REVIEWS!

Now then, enjoy!

Leaving Behind

Chapter Six

Kurama looked up. He wasn't sure what overcame him, but he felt a chill like none other crawling down his spine. It was a warning of sorts—telling him that there was some unforeseen danger. He wasn't sure what kind, but he just knew that it would involve his kit. Everything bad involved his kit. Still, he hoped that the blondie was safe. He wanted to do nothing more than rush to his side, but he had his own worries. He had things he needed to uncover and being by Naruto's side would only hinder his mission.

Still, how he wished to see the small, content smile of his kit and the ruckus that accompanied his grand-kits. He wanted to make it to their graduation, but he knew better than to go back. He'd never leave and that couldn't happen. Konoha didn't have the answers he needed. He wasn't sure if anywhere had the answers he needed, but he still needed to try. This was the only way to give him the peace he needed and he owed it to Naruto to at least try.

Kurama stood up. He was busy inspecting an Uzumaki tablet when he had felt that uncontrollable chill. The first place he had gone to was Uzushiogakure, the origin of Naruto's ancestors, but all he found were ruins. He remembered the place being of great beauty once, bustling with powerful people that exuded power with every step. The Uzumakis were a powerful bunch that only grew in strength. They never faltered in their convictions.

Uzushiogakure, the homeland of the Uzumakis, was once a powerful ninja village full of powerhouses, renowned for their enormous chakras that could rival even a tailed beast. They were a clan of impossibilities. There was not a single thing out of their reach and many shinobi villages feared them for their power. If they wanted to, they could obtain immortality, yet, not once did an Uzumaki attempt such a thing.

It was a curious thing.

Still, no matter how powerful they were, it was not enough against a joint invasion. The clan had children, civilian, and elders to protect. It was a shame that the village fell. The secrets that the Uzushiogakure village kept also died with their protectors and all Kurama had as hints were stoned tablets that have withered away with age long ago.

The once great library was gone—nowhere to be found and the fox found it frustrating. When the village was destroyed, no one was sure what happened to the libraries and tombs of knowledge that the Uzushiogakure village was well-known for. Records stated that no shinobi had burnt it down, so it should've still existed, except that it was nowhere to be found. Perhaps a seal had destroyed its contents when they were under an attack as the last defense in case shinobi villages used it for their own self-gain, Kurama thought. Yet, the fox found that highly unlikely. The knowledge that was contained in a single scroll was enough to destroy nations, but the shinobi world was still in relative peace. Also, no one except an Uzumaki (or someone ancient like him) could decipher its writings. It was coded specifically so that even if it fell into the wrong hands, information couldn't be gleaned off of it.

However, it was also likely that a shinobi village did actually have it, but unable to decipher its contents even till this day, but Uzumaki's usually planned for everything. They weren't arrogant people—actually, they were very humble and down to earth like his kit not that they didn't have a dangerous side. They may look warm and cheerful—someone you could trust instantly, but that was to cover their cunning and calculating personality that was always present. Don't get the old fox wrong, they weren't cold-hearted or anything of that sort, but they were always ready to adapt to the slightest change.

So, if they were ready for something like an invasion, was it planned that they'd let themselves get eradicated? Or maybe it was something else? They were extremely powerful, even Kurama, the great and mighty fox, was defeated in the face of an Uzumaki...was it that they were betrayed?

Uzushiogakure was an isolated village with its only alliance being Konohagakure at the time. They've maintained their relationship for a long time and it was proven time and time again that Konoha shinobi were honorable towards their comrades and trustworthy. Yet, Konoha ninja still hadn't been able to get access to the Uzushiogakure library, not even Uzumaki Mito who was originally from Uzushiogakure.

Something just wasn't adding up with the destruction of the Whirlpool Village.

Kurama needed the library, but he was eighty percent sure that no other village had their hands on it. Call it a gut instinct, if you will, but the fox didn't think that the Uzumakis would let such destructive knowledge fall into the hands of self-serving and greedy ninjas. Which meant, the only other option was that it was destroyed as a countermeasure, but since a few Uzumaki roamed the Shinobi Nation, then there must've been a slim chance that their predecessors had kept the library intact and preserved till a time came when a child of theirs would come back to claim their legacy.

So did that mean he needed an Uzumaki?

The redhead stabbed his spear into the hard ground and started wandering for any hints that may point him towards the library's location.

The Uzumakis were renowned for many things; power, beauty, riches, skill, talent, conviction, longevity...but what made the other villages want to attack them. It was a fact that Uzushiogakure never participated in wars unless it was retribution for one of their own and not even their ally, Konoha, managed to persuade them otherwise. They were firm about that, but the shinobi villages didn't attack them just because they were powerhouses. Kurama knew that for a fact. It should've been an incentive, but it wasn't otherwise an attack on the Village Hidden by Whirling Tides would've happened way before.

Absentmindedly, Kurama's red eyes spotted a swirl on a boulder. Their clan symbol, the fox thought as realization dawned on him, and their seal!

Sealing, that was what made the Uzumaki a force to be reckoned with and why so many shinobi villages feared them. They could create seals on the fly without fearing the repercussions that most Sealers faced. They were naturally gifted in that area. Kurama had almost forgotten since he rarely saw Naruto drawing up seals.

Alright then, the fox smirked, he could work with that. He may not know much about seals, but he knew how to break them.

Confidently, he walked towards the swirl and knelt in front of it. Summoning a large, condensed amount of chakra on his palm, he pushed it towards the swirl. He didn't slam the ball on it, but he didn't need to. The seal was already sucking up the chakra greedily like a parched man in the middle of the desert. Fascinated, he watched as the tendrils of energy were siphoned off towards the center of the seal. Unlike what most seals looked like, this one was different. It didn't have any squiggly lines or dots. It was just a swirl.

As the ball of chakra quickly dissipated, the swirls retreated into each other and invisible symbols appeared all around the retreating swirl till it formed a perfect circle with only a single bold dot remaining in the middle. Pushing himself up, he waited. Slowly, the stone sunk down, making an awful lot of noise in the process; the grinding of age-old rocks. As the boulder completely disappeared into the ground, a domino effect happened. Other boulders, insignificant ones that no one would've thought twice about, started sinking also and as each bounder sunk, the ground on which he was standing on started to shake and rise till he was able to make out the ocean in the distance.

When it stopped, he realized that he'd been standing on top of the library the whole entire time! The library wasn't in a temple or a building, it was underground! This way why the library was so hard to find! The mechanics of it could elude anyone since the seal was so inconspicuous that not even a genius would've taken notice. It wasn't like the Uzumaki symbol was only on this single stone, though this stone was the only stone where the symbol wasn't faded. It was the perfect disguise since no one would've suspected a thing!

Feeling giddy, he flipped back and gracefully landed on a jutted out rock. There were about five rows of hideously large shelves that were packed with colorful books, scrolls, and unorganized parchments. Kurama grabbed an orange scroll that managed to give rise to his curiosity and quickly unrolled it. He was surprised to find that there were no seals preventing him from opening it, but he decided not to question the good graces of the deceased as his eyes hungrily scanned the thin parchment.

To: An Uzumaki Descendant or Kyuubi-sama,

Kurama's eyebrows rose to his hairline. Him? It was addressed to either him or a descendant? Why? How did they foresee this kind of circumstance? Confused, he hurriedly scanned the letter.

I am Uzumaki Daichi, the current clan head, and leader of Uzushiogakure Village. At the moment, we're saged by three shinobi villages and one unknown village hiding in the shadows. Our village holds many secrets, I know. Perhaps that is why we are being attacked, but I've written this letter to two people or (beast) of possibilities. One is to a descendant of the Uzumaki clan, whoever you may be and the other is Kyuubi-sama since only these two can open the library which unfortunately does not extend to Mito since in all technicality, she is no longer an Uzumaki. She broke the Uzumaki's sacred law by aiding her husband in sealing the nine-tailed bijuu.

Fortunately, the law doesn't apply to any of her descendants, though, I apologize if you are one of her descendants.

Now, If you are an Uzumaki descendant, I am first and foremost very sorry. We weren't strong enough. We couldn't protect you and I'm sorry for the decisions that we will make starting from this night forward. I'm sorry for the wasted opportunities that could've happened, but never will. You won't get to meet your parents, or grandparents, or even your siblings. I can't apologize enough for that. In one night, I've taken away everything from you because I'm too stubborn to compromise.

There were dry tear stains. Kurama could imagine the man crying while writing this very letter. It was truly heartbreaking and Kurama couldn't even begin to guess how terrible the man must've felt.

However, since you've come here, you are probably looking for an explanation. I won't give you one. You'll probably come to learn who has attacked Uzushiogakure, but not the one who was helping in the shadows and I won't tell you because as an Uzumaki, you have the power to either completely destroy or protect and I don't want you to choose the former action. I know how selfish this is, but that's my decision and I have to live with it. I'm happy even if you don't protect anybody. Just live life for yourself, but I know that it won't happen. We Uzumakis never just live ordinary lives. Fate hates us too much to allow for that to happen.

Now, this library holds vast amounts of knowledge and not all of it is good. I don't know how you'll use the knowledge that I've given you, but I hope you don't use it for ill will. You are better than that and I must stress out that we don't want to be avenged. I—we, just want you to live your life happily without the Uzumaki name weighing you down.

I have so much to say and not enough time to write it all down, but I think you deserve to know who would've been your leader if things hadn't taken a turn for the worse;

I am Daichi and I'm twenty-three years old. My father was too lazy to keep the title of head so he passed it over to me as soon as I managed to defeat him in mock combat. MOCK combat, people! The position of leadership isn't like other villages where it's passed to the most deserving and strongest shinobi. Ours is passed through the family. I have one child currently and her name is Kushina and if this is you reading this Kushina, daddy is sorry. I hope you find happiness and meet the love of your life. Don't choose someone that smokes or drinks. Choose someone that challenges you and supports you because Kami knows how we Uzumakis are!

My favorite food is oyakodon. My favorite color is orange. My biggest dream is to protect my village and my loved ones. I failed that one...I have an older brother, but he wants nothing to do with clan matters. He left to travel as soon as he was able to beat my father. I haven't seen him since. Be safe brother! I also have a younger brother who's just turned seventeen. He followed my aniki's footsteps. I don't know if these two being gone is a blessing in disguise or a curse.

This is all I have the time for.

Kyuubi-sama, if this is you, please push a little bit of your chakra into the seal below. Thank you!

The fox blinked rapidly. This man was his kit's grandfather. Kurama felt guilty for being privy to the letter when his kit wasn't. Still, why was the part written to the man's descendants free for the redhead to read through, but not his own part? Did the man have something to tell him that his descendants couldn't know? Tracing the old parchment and the dried tear stains, Kurama numbly pushed his chakra through and words started to appear.

Kyuubi-sama.

You are probably wondering why I wrote a letter to you. I don't know when you'll receive this letter or if you'll even receive it, but I wrote one just in case.

The only reason you'd be reading this letter would be if you are out of your cage and you're on friendly terms with your host and you need information. I know what you are looking for and I'm sorry to destroy what little hope resides in you, but there's no cure that I know of. It's not really a disease or even a curse...

The redhead's eyes widened. What did this mean? Daichi already knew why he was here? Feeling compelled to finish the letter, Kurama read on. The man may not have a cure, but maybe there were hints.

Well, I suppose you can describe it as a curse, but not really. This sort of thing is unpredictable and sporadic. Genetics aren't even factored in, but then again, it only surfaces in Uzumakis so... It starts slowly then it hits hard. It happened to an Uzumaki over a century ago and he didn't even live to see his twentieth birthday. He died when he turned seventeen. Your host will probably meet the same fate and you don't have long. This library holds no records on it and I know that was what you were counting on.

However, I won't leave you here with a broken heart. Kami knows that's all I've done since I started this letter. I have a lead—kind of. I've investigated this matter and pursued every little clue that managed to make it to my ears. I didn't want to face the same possibility that my child may have the same type of problem or even a grandchild of mine. I won't be there, but at least I can give some hints even from beyond the grave.

Kurama ignored the pounding of his heart. There was a hint! That was better than where he was at. He had absolutely nothing.

There is a plant and it's abundant right now in my time. I'm not sure about yours, but it's never been tested since no Uzumaki has had that problem in over a century. It's called the 'Blood Plant' and it goes by many names and has many myths. It's a blood red flower that looks like it's formed completely out of blood and it's dreadfully beautiful. You can't ever mistake it once you've laid eyes on it. It's rumored among the Uzumaki clan that it cures any kind of infliction. Maybe it'll help your host.

But as I said, it's never been tested since, well...Uzumakis have never needed it.

However, if it's no longer abundant, then go to the Uchiha clan. Maybe they have it there. They have a way of growing the plant even with its set condition. But before you start looking for this plant, I want to warn you. This is just a myth among my clan...and this flower is probably a cursed existence. I've done my research and I've noticed that at times of peace, this flower will not make an appearance. I've scoured through history textbooks and any morsel of information on it no matter how small and this is my conclusion:

This flower only grows during times of war and strife. Blood, death, and negative energy is what feeds it. As soon as that is gone, it'll die. So, if you are living in times of peace, you will have a hard time looking for it and my advice is to look for a different lead. And Kyuubi-sama, when I say blood, death, and negative energy feeds it, I don't mean a few people's deaths. It must be thousands—maybe more. That's its condition and this flower may very well be a curse or it could be the cure you're looking for.

It's up to you whether you'll take the risk. I'm not guaranteeing that it'll work, it probably won't. But a plant that requires death to heal, don't you find that repulsive—suspicious, even? Though, I suppose it makes sense. It's a balance. Someone has to die for others to live.

Also, while I was writing this letter to you, I can't help but feel immense gratitude. I thank you for caring for your host. Please tell this person that holds your heart that I love them. Tell them that we are at peace with our decision and we wait for the day when we'll meet in the afterlife.

P.s I bet your host is my grand-something. Love him, 'cause I just know, believe it!

Be safe, you both.

Kurama inhaled sharply. He could feel the tears pricking at the edge of his vision, begging to be let down. It was obvious that this man cared deeply for his family. He sympathized with the man and he wanted to rant at the world how unfair life was, especially with how unfair it was being towards his kit. The lovable, blonde boy lost his biological family and he never got to know deeply they truly loved him. Even his grandfather who couldn't even comprehend his existence loved the boy. What would Naruto say if Kurama told him that the last person his grandfather had worried about was the blonde boy who wouldn't be born years from then?

Swallowing the back his grief, Kurama read on.

I have sake hidden somewhere in the library, you fox because I just bet you're crying. Go console yourself. You'll save your host.

A fresh tear dripped on the parchment, and the fox read the last three words.

Love,

Uzumaki Daichi.

Kurama crumbled to his knees. He wanted to ball up the letter and burn it till nothing remained of it. It hurt to be reminded of what a failure he was. There were so many things going wrong with Naruto and he just added to it. Honestly, he didn't deserve to call the kit his kit. All he did was bring more misery to the boy's life. Perhaps it would've been better if he never got close to the child. Then he wouldn't be feeling like shit.

But...no matter how many times he tried to think it over—to make himself regret it...he never could. He was happy that he was a changed beast, he was happy that he got to meet Naruto, he was happy if only for a moment. But why did it have to be so painful?

Putting his head on his arms, Kurama let himself cry freely for the first time in centuries.

A/N Well...that was something. Didn't expect this, did cha'?

Reviews. I like them, no lie. So, I'll be writing the next part so you guys do your part and encourage me! Leave reviews. Give me at least 20 ( cause I know you guys can) and I'll get things going for next week.

Also, any complaints, I'll happily hear them. (I'm inviting danger, aren't I?)

Sorry for the grammars. I like to write but I'm shit at it.