Chapter Five: The Demon Fox on his Shoulder
Here he was, looking the terror of the village hidden in the leaves right in the eyes. The very creature that was inside him was now face to face with him, and Naruto wouldn't lie... he felt angry.
"Your anger, I can feel it." the kyuubi chuckled. "Don't attempt to attack me. It'll do you no good."
"You're the reason everybody hates me." Naruto growled, to which the kyuubi nodded.
"I suppose that's one way of looking at it, however another is that you are my jailor, and you're simply misunderstood. I choose to just say that they hate you because you were not supposed to survive that night."
Naruto clenched his fists, but didn't do anything. The fox's red glowing eyes stared into his soul. "Where are we?"
"A place in your mind where we can converse with one another."
"Okay... well, WHY are we both here?"
"That thing you put on your wrist, woke me up from my slumber. It scanned my DNA..."
"What?"
"Hmm, seems even I know more about that infernal device than you do so far. I had heard of that Omnitrix but to actually be this close..."
"Why did it scan your DNA?"
"It automatically scans new DNA into the database. I suspect it's because we both inhabit this body that it noticed our separate DNA."
"Okay... does that mean I get to turn into you?"
"I hope not..."
The kyuubi leaned forward against the cell doors and bared its teeth at him. "Honestly, I'd eat you right now but this cage is stopping me."
"Sorry for the inconvenience."
The fox laughed at him, and wondered if Naruto would just be able to leave the mindscape on his own.
"I just, I can't believe I'm actually seeing you face to face."
"Oh? And how exactly does it feel?"
"I think you know," Naruto growled as the demon chuckled.
"I won't apologize."
"I know, wouldn't expect you to give me one even if I did ask." Naruto crossed his arms. "So, what now?"
"The device is scanning your DNA currently, bonding. Once it's done you'll be pulled from here."
The Omnitrix's green glow was coming from where Naruto came from, and he couldn't help but think that it looked slightly ominous. "So, us talking now... does that mean this is gonna happen more often?"
"Perhaps, if I want to. After all, I've been trapped in here for twelve years with nothing to do. Disrupting your chakra only provides me so much amusement."
"WAIT! You mean you're the reason I had so much trouble controlling my chakra in the first place making me look like a loser?!"
"Yeah," the fox replied nonchalantly, shrugging.
"W-why?!" Naruto stammered.
"For fun, were you not listening? It is because of you that I've been trapped in this puny fleshy body for twelve years. Consider it payback." he groaned unhappily.
"Wouldn't you want your vessel to be seen in a better light?"
"What?"
"I mean, you're the strongest beast right? So, if I'm your vessel by default you wouldn't want me looking like a fool, because that would make you look pathetic too." Naruto gave a sly smile, and the fox knew where he was going with this.
Damn brat, he is clever. The kyuubi thought silently as he growled.
"You want me to stop messing with your chakra?"
Naruto nodded, and the kyuubi shrugged. The boy had hit the nail on one thing, and that was the kyuubi did not want to be viewed as pathetic.
There was a silence that befell them and for a moment Naruto was half expecting the fox to laugh at his request, but the fox shook his head in agreement.
"Very well... if only you oblige a request for me. I know you copied a jutsu from that forbidden scroll. The Flying Thunder God. You're going to learn to use it."
"Uh, what?" Naruto blinked in surprise. "You want me to learn a jutsu that was used by the Fourth Hokage?"
"Don't say his name..." the kyuubi growled. "But yes I want you to learn it. It'll make it easier for you in the future."
Naruto nodded, and the kyuubi regretfully put his fist to the cell bar to where Naruto could touch him. "What are you doing?"
"Consider this as my way of showing we're relatively on the same page, kit."
Naruto was confused, but he met his fist with the kyuubi and the fox laughed. "Now I get to use your body when I want."
"WHAT?!" Naruto panicked, but the fox just laughed at him.
"I'm kidding."
This fox is gonna give me a heart attack.
Naruto looked back as the green glow reached them, and before he knew it was he was suddenly looking at Ben, Azmuth, and Hiruzen, all of them looking at him with worry.
"Hey! Are you okay?" Ben asked, kneeling in front of him and grabbing his shoulders gingerly.
"Y-yeah, I think," Naruto nodded weakly.
"What happened? You mentioned the nine tails," Hiruzen inquired worriedly.
"The Omnitrix, it caused the fox to wake up. We, we actually talked." the blond explained.
"What did the two of you talk about?"
"The kyuubi, he was woke up by the Omnitrix scanning his DNA. He guessed it was because we technically share the same body, but our DNA is vastly different that it recognized us as two separate beings. I got pulled into some kind of mindscape, as it called it. I could see him in a cell, where he's sealed inside me. It wasn't a long talk, but we did sort of come to an understanding."
An understanding that you better keep your word on, kit... the fox's voice called to him. Hmm, seems you can hear me. Good, this way I don't have to pull you into the mindscape whenever I wish to speak to you. DO NOT SPEAK OUT LOUD YOU IMBECILE.
Ouch, name calling? Rude.
"An understanding with the nine tails? That is worrisome, but if he's not trying to cause problems, then I suppose we don't have to act on this development." Hiruzen sighed.
I couldn't try anything with this seal in place, anyhow.
"Are you alright, though?" Azmuth asked, stepping forward. Naruto shook his head, yes. "The Omnitrix is bonded to your DNA. It's been a long night, so you can go home and rest. We can pick this up tomorrow."
He didn't argue with that, and bowed to Hiruzen out of respect, which caught the old man off guard for a moment but smiled and bowed back to him.
As the young shinobi made his departure, Ben waited until the door was shut to glance at Hiruzen. "We need to talk about Naruto's living conditions."
"Hmm, so you were at his place?" the Hokage asked.
"Yeah, and that not's a place any person should have to stay in. Can't you do something about that?"
"I could, but it's the council that stops the process."
Ben gave a disgusted frown, crossing his arms. "You know, I'm starting to really hate this council."
"Hmm, I couldn't agree with you more." Hiruzen replied.
Azmuth seemed to be pondering something, and Ben seemed to notice this, but didn't say anything for the time being. Whatever the Galvan was thinking about, it must have not been important otherwise he would have already made his voice known.
The kid deserves better. Ben thought to himself, and looked out the window.
While he wasn't happy about Naruto's overall situation, his only solace was that the Omnitrix was now in his possession and the world finally had a little bit of hope again. Many would see him as the next Ben Tennyson, but that couldn't be the case. Naruto needed to be himself and not try to copy Ben's path. The kid needed to make his own path, and Ben had every intention on being at his side.
Naruto glanced at himself in the mirror one last time and smiled. Using his transformation jutsu he was suddenly back in his classic outfit and noticed the vast difference between the two. Naruto changed back to normal and sighed. He got into his pajamas and laid down, staring at the ceiling with a contented smile, before looking at the watch on his wrist.
The Omnitrix... one of the most powerful devices in the entire universe, and I'm gonna be using it to protect it? Oh man, no pressure, right?
Hell of a lot of pressure.
I just hope they didn't make the wrong decision choosing me. Night, kyuubi.
Night, kit.
The kyuubi might not like his living conditions and the kid overall, but this was his vessel, and they were stuck together for now, with him being the demon fox on his shoulder. He chuckled lightly, the kid was going to be pushed a lot further than most people.
Between his life as a ninja, the Omnitrix, and now the kyuubi's involvement, Naruto was going to have his hands full. This was gonna be fun to see unfold.
