Chapter 2

I smelt the water and sewage before I'd felt it. I winced at the absolute stench that invaded my nostrils, then I managed to lift my head, emerging from the sewer water. Once my eyes had adjusted to the limited light I looked around me, only to find myself in a absolutely bizarre room. The walls were made of tanned cement bricks, almost the color of skin. And red pipes were sprawled out everywhere, almost like veins of a large beast. The floor was submerged in nearly a foot of water, and it stunk so bad I nearly threw up.

But the weirdest sight was the one before me. Naruto was unconscious, floating on the surface of the water under a absolutely massive red gate. But instead of some heavy-duty lock or a magical barrier, the only thing preventing the gate from opening is a single strip of paper with some odd symbols on it.

Then, a voice nearly froze my blood and stopped my heart. "Kill the boy. He's a danger to your village. If you refuse to, I'll take control and kill him myself. But either way, HE MUST NOT LIVE PAST TONIGHT!!!" a large orange beast was clawing at the giant red gate with eerily humanoid hands, leaving massive scratches on the gate. But not matter how angry it got, the gate held fast, unmoving from the constant barrage of furious attacks.

I finally rose put of the water, and the orange beast turned it's fox-like face to face me.

"It's too late. You're done for, boy." the fox's human-like eyes glanced at the unconscious Naruto, "Release my power and I'll save us both and your entire village!" He roared at Naruto.

Naruto's hand slowly emerged from the water, breaking the surface and moving slowly, almost trance-like, toward his lower belly. And a marking matching the paper preventing the beast's escape glowed from under his orange coat.

I yelled at the top of my lungs, "NARUTO SNAP OUT OF IT!!! HE'S USING YOU!!" I oddly didn't feel pain when I yelled, which was something I've never been able to do without coughing blood for an hour straight. It felt good to be able to speak clearly, free from the hoarse monsterous voice I'd always had.

"UZUMAKI!! IGNORE THE CHILD AND LISTEN TO ME!!!" the fox roared so loud the room shook, bareing its teeth and clawing scratches into the walls. "This boy is dangerous. Not just to you, not just to me. But he's a threat to this reality. He's not supposed to exist. And he needs to be killed before he can cause irreversible damage to the Chains of Fate." The fox balled it's massive fist and slammed it into the ground repeatedly, causing Naruto to wince in pain with each attack.

A word echoed in my mind, almost as if I'd heard it before. I yelled the word at the very limits my voice could go, "KYUBII!!!!!!"

Then as if I'd spoken a curse or a command, the fox ceases its barage and looked dead into my eyes with its own red ones. "My words are not lies. No matter how much you want them to be. You, child, must die in order for Fate to take it's prepared course. Us Tailed Beasts, in your language, have seen the Chains of Fate and the single threat to their structure. And you are that threat."

I balled my fists, "Fate? A being that transends time and simple explanation is subject to a false ideal? That's a tale if I'd ever heard one." I began speaking whatever came to my mind, almost as if I was just a vessel or a transport for the words.

"Insolent brat. You know nothing of our ideals." the fox grumbled and dissolved into the shadows of his cage, revealing the nine identical tails it had.

"Says the one afraid of change." I laughed to myself, feeling my body finally grow warm as I began to wake up.

But betore I could wake up, the fox's claw wrapped around my body as if I was a toy Shinobi. It squeezed as it spoke in a growl, "If you're set on surviving, don't fall into hatred or greed. You're beyond the capabilities of even Madara Uchiha's powers."

Then the world went black as I woke up to the sound of Naruto yelling at a stupid fox.

I woke up with a yelp and fell flat on my face, banging my nose on the floor with a 'Bam!' I picked myself up off the floor and rubbed my bruised nose.

"You sleep okay? You were sweating for a long time." Naruto was standing over me with a worried expression on his face.

I held my thumb up as a sign of being fine, and I stood up straight. Then out of instinct, I started doing some stretches. But I'd only realized a few days after that my ribs had stopped their aching and were completely healed.

"So..." Naruto threw on his coat and pants, wincing occasionally as he bent down. "Do you have anywhere in mind we can go today? Kakashi-Sensei told me to let you have some fun today and he'd come back tomorrow to check up on you."

I thought for a few moments, then I noticed my brown rag-sewn clothes. I pinched my shirt and gestured to it.

"Clothes? Makes sense. I know a place we can go, after morning ramen of course." Naruto grinned as he stepped put the door.

I cleared my throat and spoke to myself, disappointed my voice had returned to being as ugly as before. "He's not that bad. But I'd bet he's a menace in a fight." I ran out after him.

Then as soon as my feet had exited the apartment, Naruto was holding me in the air by my collar.

I panicked a bit, but realized it was the blonde and just looked up at his evil grin, throwing my fists out in annoyance.

"Haven't you learned how to run faster? It'll take hours to get anywhere with how fast you're moving." Naruto grumbled and set me down.

I looked back up at him after regaining my balance and held up my middle finger. Then I dove off the balcony, using a dumpster as a cushion to escape the annoyed blonde.

Naruto yelled, "HEY!!" Then he jumped off the balcony, chasing after me.

I grinned and used a trashbag to stun him for a few seconds as I booked it for Ichiraku Ramen Shop.

He swatted the bag out of the way and bolted toward me at a speed that nearly scared me.

I sprinted as fast as I could toward the Ramen Shop, abusing any trashcans, fences, or people who could put distance between me and the angry jinchuriki along the way.

We'd ended up on the final stretch, which was a empty bridge that connected the high end and low end of Konoha. The canal under us burbled with fresh water that flowed from the mountains up north.

I waited until Naruto was right on my heels, then stopped on a dime. Sending the raging blonde over me as I bent down to trip him.

He flip head over heels and landed flat on his face, yelling at me the entire time. "JAGEU YOU SON IF A-!!!"

I grinned even more than I'd ever done, then put a single foot on his back. "I win. Just because I'm slow doesn't mean-" I coughed violently again, "-I will race fair." I stepped off his back and held out my hand to pull him back to his feet.

Naruto glared at me, a tint of red that sent shivers down my spine in his blue eyes. Then he took my hand and as he stood up he grumbled, "I'll beat you one day. Believe it."

I chuckled and punched his shoulder, "We'd better check out the new ramen dish. Who knows? It could be free."

And with the hope of a free bowl of ramen, Naruto's eyes returned to their sky-blue and he bolted toward the Ramen Shop at breakneck speed with his arms flailing and his laughter filling the air.