New Host/Chunin Exams
Kurama had learned more about humans over the decades than he'd ever desired to. Being trapped in two Jinchuriki one after another had seen to that. Always aware, but never able to act. To escape. Freedom was his birthright from the moment he'd been formed of his progenitor's remains.
He hated the ninja clans who had stolen that from him. He hated that he'd been enslaved by the Sharingan of Madara Uchiha. He hated that Hashirama Senju had managed to beat him. And he hated that Uzumaki wench who chose to seal him away in her body. Because he was "too powerful" for the clans to tolerate.
Worthless insects.
He'd tasted the briefest hint of freedom when Hashirama's wife finally died, but Kurama was immediately sealed into the girl. Kushina Uzumaki. His new vessel.
The Uzumaki Clan had been nearly annihilated years before, but somehow the ninja of the Hidden Leaf managed to find another child to contain him. Their chakra was annoyingly well-suited to hold a Tailed Beast, full of vigor and admittedly impressive life force. For a human.
Upon realizing the seals were beyond his ability to escape with sheer might, (Cursed Uzumaki sealing jutsus) Kurama sought a different path. If force did not work, cunning might serve his purposes.
He watched. He learned. He waited, ever patient. The humans had many ridiculous customs and rules, and despite years of dormancy they continued to monitor the seal that bound him closely. Kurama behaved…for the time being.
Kushina was young, impressionable, but she would not be taken in by his whispers and temptations. The girl was stubborn and strong-willed, and though she did not hate him, she was smart enough to know that separating Kurama from her body would kill her.
Unfortunate, but not unsalvageable. He eventually gave up trying to tempt her and returned to watching. Not all of his vessels would be so annoyingly resilient.
And then she became pregnant.
Kurama felt it the moment the child was conceived. He saw an opportunity; as the infant grew in her belly, her strength was diverted to it rather than the seal. Still, he was patient, slowly easing his power against his prison to loosen the bonds. The humans were aware of this, but even with their attempts to keep him down, there was a chance he could still escape.
He'd damn near managed it with Hashirama's wife when she gave birth decades earlier. Though he had failed, he had learned. Another chance had been offered to him.
The months went by. Kurama was aware of tiny fractals of his chakra being drawn to the growing child. Interesting; that had not happened with his first host. The sealing jutsu was different for Kushina, so perhaps there was a new weakness forming as her pregnancy progressed? Perhaps he could capitalize on it when she went into labor.
The moment came and Kurama summoned all of his strength in preparation to break free–
And then the fucking Uchiha decided to ruin his chance.
Oh, he was torn free of Kushina, sure, but he'd been enslaved to another master instead. Fighting when he wanted to flee, flee from the ninja and disappear to the distant corners of the world where they would never find him again. Instead he was assaulting their village, smashing an anthill he cared nothing for.
At some point, the Uchiha responsible for dragging him from Kushina was forced to relinquish control. Kurama was free at last, but pinned by the Third Hokage (worthless old monkey!) and an army's worth of skilled ninja. He killed many, but not fast enough to make his escape before the Fourth Hokage showed up and warped him away.
He saw the ceremonial altar with Kushina's infant atop it and realized their intentions. Minato dragged half of his chakra away with a Reaper Death Seal, damn the man. He was weakened, but he struck regardless.
It wasn't enough. Kushina was dying, but she wasn't powerless. They managed to protect the infant, kept him pinned just long enough for Minato to trap him inside the child with the Eight Trigrams.
Kurama howled. The cage was strong, the newborn's latent power enough to sustain it despite his infancy. And he was weakened as never before, half of the mighty beast he used to be.
He raged for days before finally calming. Or at least, his rage fell to a simmer.
He was trapped again, yes. He was weakened, but he would recover in time. Minato and Kushina were dead, the Uchiha responsible dealt with…possibly. Kurama made note of the man and decided to keep an ear out for any sign that he'd survived.
The infant was named Naruto Uzumaki. Carried the name of Kushina's wretched clan rather than Minato's; some attempt to keep the clan from extinction, he imagined. Humans were such ridiculous things. Why keep the clan alive and going if you'd wanted it to be wiped off the face of the earth?
The child had been influenced by his chakra within Kushina's womb, he confirmed. The whiskers were a small physical indication, but he was closely attuned to Kurama's chakra and his reserves were even larger than his mother's had been.
Kurama realized before long that while he was recovering his lost strength, he wouldn't be able to break free of this fresh, powerful seal–even while the boy was nothing but a newborn. And yet…there was opportunity, nonetheless.
The child was much, much younger than any Jinchuriki rightfully should be. Unlearned. He hadn't been indoctrinated to hate Kurama yet, or to fear him and keep him trapped. The boy was malleable.
Even though he wouldn't be able to break free, he began to press his chakra against the seal. All he had to do was weaken it just a little bit…
By the time the boy was three, Kurama was able to slip enough of his presence through the seal to initiate contact. When he had done this with Kushina, she'd been alarmed and worried that the seal was weakening (it had been). She'd promptly reported his activities to the Hokage, who'd ensured his attempts to break out were undone.
The child could do none of those things, but more than that, he…did not react to Kurama's steadily growing presence with alarm. If anything, he seemed calmer when the fox spirit brushed against his young mind.
Naruto was still little more than a baby, but he was more aware than before and easily drawn into dreams. Kurama beckoned him with whispers of chakra, testing a theory for his own curiosity. In his mindscape, the child came closer and triumph filled the fox.
His chakra was the only familiar thing the toddler could recall beyond his dead mother's heartbeat. Naruto was drawn to his presence. Perhaps he was even comforted by it.
Good.
Kurama encouraged him closer. He doubted the child could tear the seal free–too weak, too young, not trained–but there was worth in meeting him. The fox's claws slowly pushed through the bars of his cage and he allowed the infant to touch him. He said nothing for now.
Naruto leaned against the talons that had slain his parents and was at ease. He drifted off into deeper dreams and Kurama's tails curled with satisfaction.
More time passed. Naruto was ostracized by the village, much to Kurama's delight. They were pushing him away, the Hokage keeping tabs on him, but little more. He was enrolled in a school that he couldn't stand.
Kurama drew the boy into dreams and taught the child himself. Endeared himself to his host, offered him a comforting ear and encouragement. He even told Naruto his name; it made him seem less terrifying in some ways.
The boy learned to manipulate chakra before long. Kurama taught him that, too. He debated taking the opportunity to convince Naruto to help weaken the seal, so Kurama could "help" him yet further.
But no. Kurama's own body was still recovering; the Reaper Death Seal's effects lingered stubbornly, and he wasn't sure how much time it would take before his power fully recovered. Best to play it safe.
The Uchiha were massacred by one of their own. That was splendid news as far as he was concerned.
"They used me," he told Naruto one night while the boy dreamed.
The child frowned. "How?"
"The Uchiha possess a dojutsu called the Sharingan; a bloodline trait that manifests in their eyes," he explained further. "They can wipe your mind with genjutsu, take control of you and use you for their own means if they are strong enough."
"Why would they do that to you?"
"Because I am powerful, boy," Kurama rumbled. "I was a tool in their eyes."
Naruto scowled. "They sound mean."
Still a child.
"One of them was responsible for killing your mother," he said.
"My…"
"Once, I was within her just as I am within you. He stole me from her. Removing me took a terrible toll on Kushina, and she died."
"Her name was Kushina?" Naruto's mind was racing. Kurama could sense his turmoil. His eyes finally darkened. "I'm glad they're dead."
"Yes," Kurama purred. "As am I."
The girl was unexpected.
Winter had come around and Naruto had been wandering the village at night. He despised seeing the villagers in the day, who were all-too willing to shun him and feed the boy's resentment.
Kurama had managed to speak with him outside of his dreams just a few times. The seal was…not weak, but Naruto's own mind was steadily allowing the fox's influence out in bits and pieces.
Progress.
Naruto had found the girl crying alone in the snow. She'd been…unafraid of him. Kurama spared her a lazy glance and paused; a Hyuga. The pearl-colored eyes were a dead giveaway.
He'd not been particularly interested in the Hyuga in the past, but their ancestors had been fascinating enough before the Old Sage died. Kurama remembered their progenitor only vaguely.
Naruto was used to being alone, often told Kurama that he wanted a friend. The fox had promised to be one for him (for his own gains, of course), though his inability to consistently speak with the child outside of his dreams made that somewhat restrictive.
The girl was too shy to speak much, but she managed to guide Naruto back to the Hyuga compound. Still, it was a connection the child hadn't felt before; almost friendship. Kurama made a note of it. If she damaged his chances of escape, he'd sabotage what he could. For now, he said nothing on the matter.
They ran into each other again later that same winter, when a group of older children managed to isolate the girl and began to bully her. Naturally, Naruto took to that poorly, and Kurama was always happy to feed his resentment for the people of the Hidden Leaf.
He beat them down easily enough. Worthless ants.
This time, she managed to speak words. Hinata Hyuga was the girl's name. She thanked Naruto and was even happy–until the girl's caretaker showed up and nearly exploded upon seeing the boy near his charge.
Kurama cracked an eye open, tails flicking slightly as the older Hyuga dragged a distraught Hinata away. Naruto could only watch, crestfallen and frustrated.
"Why did he do that?" Naruto asked in his dreams that night. He sounded angry and disappointed.
"The adults fear you. They know about me," Kurama told him. "They will never accept you, not so long as I exist."
"Screw them. What about…"
"Perhaps she will be an exception. Perhaps not."
He kept his options open. Hinata was of no interest to him, though if she fostered a friendship with Naruto…well, it could break apart and bolster his resentment. There were other possibilities, of course, but it wasn't like they were going to see each other very often.
He would keep watching. In the meantime…
"Shall we learn something new tonight?" Kurama suggested, and the boy grinned eagerly.
More time passed and Naruto continued to grow. He was training in-full to be a ninja now. Kurama fostered him in dreams at night and whispers during the day, sharpening his mind, lessons, and resentment.
Honestly, the village did most of his work for him in terms of the latter. Naruto had gotten so sick of their hostility towards him that he took to shopping only at nights, taking what he needed from closed markets and leaving money behind for what he took. The Hokage had him set up in a small apartment and gave him a regular allowance, but did little else.
Kurama was…admittedly surprised by that. Maybe the Old Monkey was finally going senile, leaving the boy isolated in such a way. He wondered if there was an ulterior motive for that decision, possibilities running through his mind, but ultimately he couldn't think of anything.
Well. All it would do was help Kurama escape.
There was even a time when Naruto was "shopping" at night and was stopped by a ninja Kurama recognized as Hatake Kakashi.
"Why are you stealing?"
"I'm not stealing. I'm paying for it," Naruto waved the money in his face and slapped it down on the empty counter as he shoved a loaf of bread into his bag. The ninja cocked his head slightly.
"And why are you buying it in the dead of night?"
"The asshole won't sell anything to me," Naruto scowled. "None of them will. Now can you leave me alone?"
The ninja regarded him for a moment before he sighed. "If you want, I could buy you what you need during the day. I won't tell them I'm buying for you."
Naruto's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Kurama's own whispers and the actions of the villagers over the years (the latter far more than the former, to his amusement) made trusting adults nigh-impossible for the child.
In this instance, he felt that Minato's old apprentice might be genuine in his desire to help. But Kurama did not like the idea of that.
"He has a Sharingan," Kurama whispered in Naruto's ear. "The eye he covers holds the power of the Uchiha."
Naruto's eyes widened for an instant before he scowled at Kakashi. "I don't want help from someone with a Sharingan."
Kakashi's only visible eyebrow rose. "How do you know about that?"
"None of your business," Naruto growled, holding his groceries close to him. "Stay away from me, creep!"
He ran off. Kurama felt a pulse of satisfaction when Kakashi didn't chase after him.
Sasuke Uchiha was an unwelcome presence.
Kurama was more than a little annoyed to learn that something (no matter how small and meaningless) of the Uchiha had, in fact, survived the brutal massacre years earlier. He'd thought them to be free of that damned disease of a clan.
Apparently, he was wrong. Well, the child had some uses.
Naruto despised him immediately. As soon as he found out who the other boy was, Kurama's host slapped a mental bullseye on him. More distrust in the village to foster.
Most of the other children were of no interest to him. The Hyuga girl shared a class with Naruto, though. A prospect, if nothing else.
Naruto…got along with some of the other children, but he was never allowed to play with them. Their parents or caretakers would drag them away immediately after school, leaving the child alone. Kurama knew that only deepened his loneliness and anger.
Hinata at least was happy to see him, if always shy. Naruto had worked up the courage to ask her to study with him during classes sometimes, and she'd been pleased to do so.
He was a smart kid; naturally, since Kurama had been teaching him for years now. Ninjutsu and taijutsu came easily to him, though the intricacies of genjutsu were too fine for his massive chakra reserves. Perhaps in time, when he had better control.
He picked up on advanced jutsu for his age quickly enough. Kurama had taught him the simple Shadow Clone jutsu when the standard cloning technique proved to be worthless. He'd identified the boy's chakra type as wind, though he'd not begun to teach him elemental techniques yet.
The teachers would fail him anyway despite his progress, save for one or two of them. Most of the adults hated Naruto and the feeling was mutual. Produce a Shadow Clone instead of a normal clone? Wrong jutsu; failure, despite it being superior in every way.
More anger. It was almost too easy.
Naruto had been put on Team Seven under the leadership of Hatake Kakashi, and partnered with Sasuke Uchiha and…some brat Kurama didn't care about.
He suspected this was an intentional choice on the Hokage's part. Kakashi knew of Kurama's presence, though he doubted the ninja could actually stop him if he really managed to escape the seal. But the Uchiha boy–that was perhaps the greatest aggravation.
What was he supposed to be? A deterrent? A tool, learning how to control Kurama if he ever snapped free?
He shared his suspicions with Naruto and it only fostered his dislike of them. Still, they had to play nice. Naruto wasn't so old and strong that he could flee the village and get away with it.
They'd toyed with that idea before. Naruto wanted to get away from the village, away from its cruel people and start a new life. Kurama honestly couldn't fault him for that. But they'd pushed the idea away–for now. Naruto had too much to learn. Later perhaps.
The boy had been briefly infatuated with his other teammate, (Sakura, he managed to remember) but that faded swiftly when it was made clear her only interest was in Sasuke. Kurama gave her a month tops before she quit being a ninja. Soft, worthless child.
If nothing else, it gave Naruto one more reason to dislike the Uchiha heir.
Missions came and went. Some were more exciting than others.
The seal had weakened enough for him to enhance Naruto's power. That came in handy more than once, when the boy was forced to fight enemies he'd otherwise be ill-prepared for.
Then came the Chunin Exams.
The wretched Sannin was an unexpected problem, though thankfully his interest was in the Uchiha brat and not Naruto.
Unfortunately, he placed another seal over the Eight Trigrams to shut Kurama away. The fox raged when it was burned into Naruto's flesh, it wouldn't undo the damage he'd dealt to the Eight Trigrams, but it infuriated Kurama that Orochimaru had silenced him so.
The Five-Pronged Seal was meant to be temporary and Kurama viciously beat against it in the days following, pummeling Orochimaru's work into nonexistence. Naruto managed to join him in his mindscape and that added assistance allowed the pair to painstakingly break the jutsu down.
"Finally!" Naruto tore away the last of the chains belonging to the Five-Pronged Seal in his mind, watching with satisfaction as it melted away. "Stupid seal."
Kurama rumbled in agreement. Naruto walked to the cage doors and set his hand on the fox's claw. "Missed you."
His tails lashed and Kurama was struck with something that was…not anger. He vaguely realized he too, had despised the silence between them. Not that he'd ever admit it.
"Hm," he grunted, but said nothing more.
Humans were so bizarre. Imagine hosting a tournament between villages where your children beat each other to death for promotions.
Well, Naruto did well enough. The Inazuka brat and his mutt weren't much of a challenge. He'd picked the simpleton's fighting style apart easily enough; he separated Kiba from Akamaru, crushed them with a small army of Shadow Clones and a new Wind Style jutsu Kurama had taught him.
Easy.
The other fights were of little interest. The Uchiha brat had been marked by Orochimaru with a Curse Seal, though its power was of no comparison to Kurama's. That the boy managed to suppress it was somewhat impressive, he supposed.
Then Hinata was made to fight her cousin, Neji. Naruto had encouraged her when the girl showed fear and she made a valiant effort, but it was in vain.
She was badly wounded. Naruto had been ready to throw himself at Neji in the aftermath, but Kurama halted him.
"Not yet," he murmured in the boy's mind. "He will advance to the finals. Crush him before his peers, show him to be the worthless, caged bird that he is."
Naruto backed down after a moment's hesitation, though he fixed Neji with a vengeful stare. "I'll hurt you for this."
"You are welcome to try," Neji answered arrogantly. Kurama felt a pulse of amusement run through him.
Try, indeed.
Naruto had left the fights then, choosing to sit outside the waiting room while Hinata was being healed. Kurama didn't mind; the other fighters were not–
He felt something familiar. Kurama's senses sharpened and Naruto reacted to his growing awareness.
"What's wrong?"
"I sense a presence, one I've not felt since…" Kurama trailed off before it hit him. "Shukaku."
"What?"
"Another Tailed Beast, like myself. The One Tails," he hissed, tails lashing. "His Jinchuriki must be near. In this very–"
A second presence suddenly flickered to life as if in response and Kurama froze for sheer surprise. "Chomei, too. Seven Tails."
"There's two more Jinchuriki here?"
"So it would seem," Kurama pondered the information for a moment.
"Are they dangerous?" Naruto's eyes shot to the operating room, where Hinata was being cared for. Of course that was what the boy was worried about. His only friend besides Kurama. Well, he wouldn't fault him for that seeing as the girl had been beaten to within an inch of her life.
"I don't imagine they will unleash themselves here. But we must be wary. Should we face them, they will undoubtedly be a nuisance."
Naruto nodded slowly to himself and Kurama ended their silent conversation in favor of sensing Shukaku and Chomei's presences. The boy remained anxious and bristling all the while.
In the aftermath, it was confirmed that Shukaku's Jinchuriki was present. A boy named Gaara, roughly the same age as Naruto. His seal was far weaker, his host easily influenced. Kurama was immediately wary when he realized how degraded the host was.
"He's a bomb," the fox told Naruto grimly one night in the boy's mindscape. "A bomb rigged to go off. That seal won't hold for long."
"Should we do something about it?"
That was a good question. They could alert the Hokage; not for the safety of the village, mind you–neither Naruto or Kurama had much love for it. But Kurama knew well that for all that Naruto had progressed, he wasn't ready to face another Tailed Beast, even one as lowly as Shukaku. Kurama's seal was too strong for him to fully manifest.
"...We should watch and wait for now. If they mean to free Shukaku, the Sand Village will be after war. They might try to capture you just to take control of me."
Naruto scowled at the idea. "We're not tools they can just take! We're people!"
"I know," Kurama murmured. That Naruto included him as a 'person' was a brief surprise, but the fox said nothing on the matter. "For now, we should focus on your training. If Shukaku does emerge, you must be ready."
"What about the other one? The Seven Tails–Chomei, right?"
"Hm…If an opportunity arises, make contact with his Jinchuriki. Let us see where they stand. But be wary. We can deal with a single Tailed Beast. If they unite against us, there will be trouble. My power cannot fully manifest to protect you from them yet."
The boy nodded and focused.
Naruto took to training on his own after Kakashi ran off with Sasuke for private lessons. Favoritism? Maybe, but one way or another, it made Naruto irritated with the two of them.
Whatever the case, they found out that Neji Hyuga was set to be Naruto's opponent in the next portion of the exams. The boy took to the news with grim determination; he was out for blood and that pleased the fox.
He started wearing his forehead protector differently; let it hang loose around his neck, like the Hyuga girl. A statement, or a reminder of his desire to get revenge.
He also finally got rid of that ridiculous, burning orange jumpsuit. Naruto had gotten it a while ago because the color reminded him of Kurama, but the fox had finally beaten it into his head that the frankly offensive shade was the opposite of stealthy. Now he wore more suitable gear; darker colors, closer to the Leaf's typical ninja, though with the telltale spiral of the Uzumaki Clan here and there.
Kurama taught him in Kakashi's stead, helped the boy continue to master his Wind Style jutsu and learn a Fire Style technique from the fox's personal repertoire. That took some work, but Naruto had immense latent power. Combined with Kurama's knowledge and his frankly absurd chakra reserves, the child picked up the new jutsu almost easily.
Kurama had to admit, he was a little proud that his host was doing so damned well. Shukaku wouldn't know what hit him, and he felt some glee at the idea of one-upping the tanuki again.
Of course, there were a few deviations.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Kurama asked from within his mind.
Naruto answered with his thoughts. "I want to."
"Ask for her condition before you decide," the fox suggested. "It may be that you won't need my chakra for this."
"Here's hoping."
Naruto slipped into the hospital as he often had every couple of days for the past few weeks. The nurses recognized him by now and offered brief smiles before going about their business. He appreciated that none of them seemed especially biased towards him being around.
If they did have misgivings, they wisely kept it to themselves.
Naruto found the room he was looking for and opened the door, peering inside.
Hinata Hyuga was asleep in her bed, still hooked up to several monitors to keep track of her vitals. A nurse was by her side, observing her stats, and looked up when he knocked on the door to announce his arrival.
"Ah, Naruto," she greeted. "Back again?"
"I brought…flowers," he offered the small bouquet as he quietly closed the door behind him. "Is that ok?"
"Let me see," she held her hands out and he passed the flowers over. Violets he'd found in the mountains nearby. The nurse nodded, smiling kindly. "Yes, these should be safe. Just in time–the last ones you picked are starting to wither."
She replaced said flowers with the new ones. Naruto shifted over to Hinata's side. Her face was slack, her slumber deep. "How is she?"
"She's doing a little better today," the nurse admitted. "She was awake earlier."
"Is she still coughing up blood?"
She paused. "Not as much as before."
"But she's still hurt somewhere."
"She suffered heavy internal damage," she reminded him gently. "Recovering from such wounds takes time."
He mentally checked out for a moment to commune with Kurama. "What do you think?"
"The healers were thorough with her, boy," the fox rumbled. "Really, the only thing you could do better is flood her system with my chakra. That's the only way to cover everything. I'd sit this one out. It sounds like she's on the mend."
"I think you're right," he admitted reluctantly. Kurama knew, however, that he hated for the girl to be in pain. Besides himself, she was quite possibly the only being he shared a truly positive relationship with.
But he'd lay off–for now, at least.
The door opened and he reflexively tensed, eyes flicking over to the source of the sound. He calmed when he realized it was just Kurenai, Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino.
"Oh, Naruto!" Kiba exclaimed with a grin. "You're here too, huh?"
"Shh!" He hissed, holding a finger to his lips. "She's asleep, numbskull."
"My bad, my bad," he hushed himself, rubbing a hand behind his head. His expression became serious as their group came over to the bed. "How is she?"
"Nurse says she's a little better today," Naruto murmured. Said nurse nodded to confirm his words.
"I see you beat us to bringing her new flowers," Kurenai noticed. Her tone was grateful. Naruto just shrugged uncomfortably.
"Thought she might like them."
"She does love purple," Shino agreed.
All the talking (quiet or not) was enough to make the Hyuga kunoichi twitch in her sleep, and then her eyes were sleepily opening up. Attention flew to her.
"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty!" Kiba grinned at her. Naruto felt like smacking him–his loud entrance was probably why she was awake in the first place.
Hinata looked around blearily, but locked onto Naruto when she spotted him. "Naruto?"
She winced. Her throat was scratchy from disuse. He offered her an uncertain half-smile. "Good to see you awake."
"Hey, where's our hello?" Kiba grumbled. "We're your team, y'know!"
Akamaru barked agreement and Naruto again fought the urge to kick their asses the way he had at the Chunin Exams. In his mind, Kurama let out a deep chuckle, evidently amused by his annoyance with the other Genin.
"Hi," she managed, obviously still pained when she spoke. The nurse brought her a glass of water, which Hinata slowly reached for.
"Let's help you sit up, dear," the nurse got on one side and Naruto moved so Kurenai could take the other. They gently helped Hinata sit up, bunching pillows behind her for support. But she winced at one point and they both stopped.
"Pain?" The nurse asked.
"Y-yes," Hinata's hand gingerly touched the left side of her torso. "Here."
"Might be a lung," the nurse muttered.
Naruto was moving without thinking. His hand covered Hinata's over the spot she'd indicated and Kurama quietly sighed before letting his chakra trickle out.
Kurenai must've sensed it because she grabbed his wrist tight. "What are you doing?"
"Healing."
"You don't know healing jutsu."
"I don't need to with my chakra. It speeds up the healing process."
Kurenai opened her mouth to object–he didn't really blame her, given that she was just as concerned for Hinata as he was–but her student stopped her. "It's going away. It…it doesn't hurt anymore."
The nurse glanced at her vitals. "Everything seems stable."
Kurenai hesitated, but Naruto pulled away before she could decide. "That should do it. It's not like I need a lot of chakra for small injuries."
"Warn me next time," Kurenai insisted.
"I will. I just didn't want her to…"
He trailed off. The Jonin seemed to get it and her grip on his arm loosened. "I understand."
Hinata's pale face was flushed red. Naruto offered an apologetic look. "Sorry. You're sure it doesn't hurt anymore?"
"It-it doesn't hurt," she squeaked out. "I'm…pretty tired, though."
"Yeah, it takes a bit out of you depending on how much has to heal."
"That's crazy. I didn't know you could heal wounds, Naruto," Kiba exclaimed.
He grimaced. "Don't spread it around. I don't do this a lot."
"We'll do a check-up soon anyways, so we'll be able to verify that you're healing properly, Ms. Hyuga," the nurse told her.
"Thank you," Hinata replied, this time taking the cup that was offered and quenching her thirst.
Satisfied that she was doing well, Naruto made for the door. "Then I'll be going."
"Already? Didn't you just get here?" Kiba protested.
"I'm taking a break from my training right now," he pointed out. "I have to get back to it. Gaara isn't going to be easy to deal with."
"Aren't you fighting Neji first?" Shino asked.
Naruto's expression darkened. "He won't be a problem."
"Don't get overconfident," Kurenai warned. "No matter if you're angry with him, Neji has a full year of training on you. He's an incredibly skilled Genin."
"I know that. I have a plan," Naruto glanced back at them, zeroing in on Hinata. Her eyes drifted down and she seemed startled upon realizing that his forehead protector was wrapped around his neck, mirroring her. "I'll take him down."
Her lips twitched into a tired smile and she simply nodded. Naruto slipped out of the hospital room and began the long walk to the training grounds.
Kurama, of course, had to interject on the way.
"You're getting soft."
"Look who's talking."
"I just didn't want to deal with you whining if I refused to help."
Naruto snorted. "Well, at least she's a good person."
"Hmm."
Their plan to track down the Seven Tails Jinchuriki at some point was put to the wayside when the girl in question sought them out herself.
Her name was Fu of the Hidden Waterfall Village. A bundle of energy, spirited, cheerful, and loud just like the Tailed Beast within her. Naruto almost made a run for it when she got in his face, overly pleased to meet a fellow Jinchuriki. Kurama found himself snickering; the boy was utterly unprepared for her enthusiasm and blinked owlishly at her.
She'd also passed the exams and would be fighting in the finals. A possible foe, but one Kurama felt could be bested. Chomei was strong, but his abilities generally leaned away from the raw, unstoppable attacks Kurama favored. He was a tricky one. The fox imagined his Jinchuriki would be much the same.
They'd found an unoccupied training ground near the outskirts of the village and had begun to prepare for a spar, flexing the chakra of their respective Tailed Beasts, when Jiraiya of the Sannin showed up. Kurama didn't know how to feel about that, frankly, but he was certainly wary.
Jiraiya had been a…steady, if not necessarily negative presence throughout Kurama's time with Mito and Kushina Uzumaki. He'd trained Minato, but to his knowledge, had never been involved with the Tailed Beasts. The old ninja was a hermit, though his power was certainly real.
Both Jinchuriki were unsure of him (as were their Tailed Beasts) until the man told them he'd help with their training. Naruto had been the most skeptical of the bunch, up until Jiraiya summoned a frog with a scroll sealed around its body.
"This is Geratora. He holds the key to your Eight Trigrams Seal."
"What."
Fu's eyes were round as she watched the exchange. Naruto (and Kurama, internally) was staring at the scroll with surprise and definitely hunger. The fox initially thought it was a prank, but no–the chakra within that scroll matched that of his prison. He could feel it.
Jiraiya snapped his fingers and the key promptly disappeared. Kurama snarled and Naruto was quick to protest.
"Hey!"
"Don't get too upset," the Sannin laughed. "I was entrusted with the key to help you master the power of the Nine-Tails. Though it seems you've already started down that path."
"How did you even get the key?"
"A story for another time. I should think you'd want to focus on training right now, hm?"
"Go with it for now," Kurama advised. "He may be irritating, but his power is real."
Naruto sighed and nodded. Fu was shifting uncomfortably up until Jiraiya offered her a friendly grin. "Of course, you're welcome to join us, miss…?"
"Fu! Fu of the Hidden Waterfall, Jinchuriki of the Seven-Tails!"
Kurama snorted at the blunt answer and flabbergasted expression of the old ninja. So he could be caught off-guard. Trust Chomei's Jinchuriki to pull a fast one.
"This should be interesting," Jiraiya admitted.
Their training went well for the next several days. Jiraiya was useful for helping the pair of young Jinchuriki learn how to fine-tune their control. It was something Kurama and Chomei (any Tailed Beast, frankly) weren't good at, admittedly. They rarely, if ever, needed to utilize fine control of their power. Why bother when you could obliterate entire forests with a flick of your tails?
But it was good for their hosts, who had been much more wasteful with the massive chakra reserves they threw around so carelessly. Not perfection, but the improvement was visible.
Fu's guardians (a pair of ninja who Kurama outright dismissed after sensing them for half a second) usually watched from a distance or with Jiraiya when the two Jinchuriki were sparring. They were happy for her to make a new friend she could relate so closely to.
And Naruto could relate to her, as well. The two Jinchuriki were flying through progress with one another, faster than Kurama could have anticipated. It was good for them. They were quick to strike up a tight friendship once they had adjusted to each other.
One evening, while Naruto and Fu were lying in the grass catching their breath, (Jiraiya had run them ragged through a training gauntlet involving two of his Shadow Clones) Kurama finally gave in to his own curiosity and reached out for his brother.
Chomei eagerly responded and they found themselves in the shared mindscape belonging to all Tailed Beasts.
"I wondered if you were ever gonna chat with me," Chomei's "wings" fluttered cheerfully. "It's been a while, Kurama."
"Mm. So it has."
"As much of a conversationalist as I remember," the huge beetle didn't sound disappointed in the slightest. "I hope you've been well?"
"As well as I can be. And you? I don't recall Hashirama Senju capturing you."
"The First Hokage couldn't fly. Lucky me! But I was captured not long after you were. The Hidden Waterfall Village is small, but it has quite a few powerful ninja to its name. They figured out that I don't like fire."
The fox snorted. "Imagine that. But you were lucky. Hashirama captured each and every one of us besides you and sold us like we were livestock to the other major villages."
Even Chomei's friendly personality didn't stop the way his jaws clicked angrily. "I wish I could have–"
"Don't," Kurama stopped that train of thought with a growl. "You couldn't have helped. Matatabi and Son went up against him two on one and the bastard still got them. He was as close to the Old Man of the Six Paths in terms of power as I've seen since the old days."
"True. But those powerful ninja are all dead and gone now. Even the strongest of them today can't compare."
"Mmhm."
"...What game are you playing with the kid, anyhow? It's not like you to be so…sociable."
"I played the force game with two Jinchuriki before him and it never worked," the fox muttered. "I decided to try something different. That's all. Besides, you're one to talk! Does your brat even have to ask for those wings?"
"I'll have you know I like Fu! She can talk for hours! I never get bored with her around!"
"I have noticed."
"You're still grumpy. Have you ever not been grumpy?"
Kurama resisted the urge to sigh. "You aren't even trying to get free of her, are you?"
"Are you trying to get free of Naruto?"
The fox opened his mouth to answer that…and hesitated. Just for an instant, but he hesitated nonetheless. "Of course."
"Hm."
"What?"
"Nothing," Chomei's tails waved lazily. "What about Shukaku?"
"What about him?"
"Don't pretend you don't know. His seal's barely intact. He's gonna bust out and it won't be pretty. He definitely knows you're here."
"That damned tanuki couldn't beat me if he tried," Kurama sneered. "We'll deal with him when the time comes."
"We?"
"My Jinchuriki and I. You can stay back and watch."
"I like this new you. You're more fun."
The fox finally ran out of patience with his happy go-lucky brethren, even if he felt no true malice for Chomei. "Bah! Enough. I'll speak with you another time."
"Sure! See you!"
Kurama returned to his usual prison and closed his eyes. He needed a nap after that. Chomei was exhausting.
The Finals of the Chunin Exams were upon them before they knew it. Naruto was fresh from a solid night's sleep. Kurama had fuelled him with a little extra chakra just to be safe.
They'd all felt the tension rising over the past few weeks. Even Fu and Chomei had become uneasy; like there was a blade hanging over their heads ready to drop at any second.
Sasuke was missing, though Kurama barely noticed the Uchiha brat's absence. He was on high alert, sensing the trembling of Shukaku's nearby presence. Chomei, too, was wary. Their brother was chomping at the bit and ready to burst free.
Fu and Naruto hung close to each other, tensing when Gaara finally approached them. Every other Genin in the room froze like statues, probably ready to flee at a moment's notice. The three beasts within the Jinchuriki sharpened their focus like blades.
"You're like me," Gaara's eyes were bloodshot. "Demons, both of you. I can feel it."
"Speak for yourself," Fu's brow scrunched into a frown. "When was the last time you slept?"
"I don't sleep. Too much screaming."
"Has anyone ever told you you're an asshole, Shukaku?" Naruto scowled.
The other two Sand ninja's eyes bulged with fear. The girl–Temari–snarled at him. "How do you–"
"It takes one to know one," Fu interrupted her with a teasing grin. Realization seemed to dawn on the other girl and her breath caught.
Naruto and Gaara were still glaring daggers at each other. Shukaku's Jinchuriki broke the uncomfortable silence. "Why don't you embrace it? It's easy. Nothing can stop you…you kill everyone in your path."
"And all you do is prove them right," Naruto retorted. "Just a stupid, slavering beast to put in chains."
A growl left the One-Tails Jinchuriki. Naruto's eyes flashed red, Fu's wings stretched from her lower back. Chakra pumped through the room, ready to burst–
The announcer in the stadium cut them off, announcing the first match. Naruto was meant to fight Neji in minutes. The Hyuga boy had already slipped down the stairs.
Finally, they stepped away from each other. Gaara retreated to the back of the room and Fu moved to the windows. Naruto followed Neji moments later.
Everyone else finally let themselves breathe.
He was itching for this fight. More than any fight he'd wanted before.
Neji had already adopted a standard Gentle Fist pose, Byakugan activated and at the ready. Naruto stood loose and light on his feet, prepared to move at a moment's notice.
He knew Hinata was watching in the stands. Naruto had dropped by the hospital that morning and Kiba had volunteered to escort her to the match. The nurses had deemed it safe. He'd asked to be sure.
The referee lifted his hand. "Let the first match of the finals…begin."
He formed a hand sign and five Shadow Clones spawned, immediately charging Neji. Naruto himself hung back, unsurprised when his foe dispatched the clones easily.
He got the feedback from each clone as they were destroyed (a neat trick he'd been unaware of until Jiraiya told him about it). Neji was fast, strong, and accurate. All things Naruto already knew. He needed to push more.
Seven clones now, this time mixing in ranged weapons. Several kunai and shuriken were hurled at the older boy, who took it all in stride and dodged them effortlessly. Then the clones rushed him while he was still regaining his posture.
He twisted on his heel and Naruto watched as chakra burst forth from his opponent. "Rotation!"
All the clones were instantly repelled and blown apart. The feedback was useful–a powerful defense that could act as a counter. Nasty thing to run into directly.
Neji resumed his previous stance and now went on the offensive, charging Naruto in a blur of speed. Six more clones spawned and he dove into their ranks to attack alongside them.
Time for another experiment.
He slapped an explosive tag onto a clone and leapt back as the clones mass-attacked Neji again. He watched the Rotation begin and triggered the bomb.
The blast wasn't especially powerful when facing the Rotation, but it packed enough force to jerk Neji out of it. He staggered backwards, scowling, but unharmed for the most part. Perhaps a bit rattled.
Well, there went that idea.
Neji watched him cautiously. "You're crafty, I'll give you that. But you can't overwhelm me. I know how to counter all of these tactics already."
"It's a good thing I just opened my bag of tricks, then," Naruto grinned nastily.
Time to try something with more firepower, he decided. He clapped his hands together as he amassed the chakra necessary for his next attack.
Tailed Beast Art: Foxfire Jutsu!
A spectral fox formed out of flames at his feet, bounding around him in a circle before leaping at Neji. As expected, the boy began to twist for a Rotation.
Unfortunately for him, there was more.
His hands flew through the necessary signs as he sucked in a deep breath. Wind Style: Air Bullet!
The blast of wind flew into the spectral fox as it charged and gave it an immense boost in size and speed. The fox, once only the same height as Naruto himself, surged into a monster the size of an elephant.
Neji committed to the Rotation, but Naruto wasn't playing the game he was expecting. The gigantic, fiery fox leapt and ran circles around the enemy, causing the temperature to spike abruptly. Inside the vortex, there was only the heat.
It was a trap, not an attack.
Naruto spat another Air Bullet to make the inferno even bigger before he backed off a bit, trying to gauge the effect of his jutsu.
Maintaining the Foxfire expended a fair bit of chakra without him tapping into Kurama's reserves. He made a sign with his fingers and the spectral beast howled, lunging downward to clamp its jaws around Neji's defensive position.
He took a few deep breaths to recover, but he was certainly in better shape than Neji. The older boy was singed, sweating and shaking from the inferno that trapped him. He looked furious and frustrated, causing Naruto to sneer.
Neji clearly hadn't been expecting the Fire Element techniques from him. He hadn't shown them up until now, after all.
Still, Naruto was leery about getting too close. He didn't know Neji's limits, but Lee had sung him praises up and down, touting the Hyuga boy as a genius. It was impossible to forget how badly hurt Hinata had been in the aftermath of their match. Gentle Fist was dangerous and he had no idea how to safely counter it with taijutsu.
What to do…
He made a sign and summoned seven more Shadow Clones to attack. Time to see how Neji was really doing after that assault.
Neji didn't use Rotation this time, instead opting for his Gentle Fist arts. He managed to take the clones down, but he was visibly slower than before. And yet none of the clones landed a hit; Neji's taijutsu was deadly and efficient, not a single movement wasted.
"Slick bastard," Naruto muttered. He could see the Byakugan was still going strong.
An idea struck him.
He made three more clones and they all scattered, hurling smoke bombs as Neji. Unfortunately, he was obviously fed up with being on the defensive and started to rush them, dancing around the bombs in pursuit of Naruto.
He was slower, but Naruto couldn't outpace him. The speed difference was tight enough that he was able to drag things out for a while longer as he bombarded the field with smoke.
Neji caught two clones before he locked onto the original. Naruto scowled.
More smoke as he retreated. His eyes stung. Finally, the bastard was forced to blink and his eyes squeezed shut from pain. The strain of using the Byakugan for so long on top of all the smoke must've been excruciating.
Now!
Naruto created a dozen clones in an instant and they lunged at Neji as he tried to regroup. He was still a highly experienced taijutsu expert, batting away and cutting down several clones in a matter of moments. Naruto jumped back again, summing up some of his remaining chakra reserves, and spat.
Another Air Bullet blew the mob fight apart, sending Neji flying in the opposite direction. Two of his clones bit the dust, but it was the first big hit he'd scored.
He pressed his advantage. More smoke bombs to fuck with Neji's eyes. No more Byakugan would make Naruto happier.
His remaining clones were finally starting to do a little damage while Neji recovered from the Air Bullet. They landed a few good hits before his opponent destroyed them, visibly exhausted by the effort of fighting so many foes for so long.
Naruto backed off further into the trees after summoning a few more clones. Without the Byakugan to track him, he could actually hide for a moment and come up with a rough plan to finish Neji off.
He had a little chakra left, though it was less than he'd have preferred. He was hoping to get through this without having to rely on Kurama's power, but the bastard had lasted longer than Naruto was entirely happy about.
"Just do it," Kurama growled in his mind. "You'll have time to rest and infuse chakra afterwards. You'll need my power to take on Shukaku anyway. Finish him! I know you're starving to put him down."
The fox was right on all accounts. Naruto reached for the crimson power and Kurama answered, giving him enough juice to finish the battle. The boy left his sanctuary and went on the offensive once again.
Foxfire Jutsu!
The blazing fox lunged at Neji, smaller and faster than the first one, and dove into the fray amidst the clones. Neji focused on it quickly, dancing through the surviving clones to avoid the fox's attacks.
He was herded close to the original and took notice of that fact. With a twist of his feet, he managed to escape the clones and lunged for his true foe.
His hand struck the chakra point above the heart–and his target was destroyed.
Neji froze in shock for a moment, whipping around halfway before a fist drilled into his jaw. Naruto had snuck into the fray while the fox was wreaking havoc and left a decoy behind as bait.
He wanted to bloody this guy up with his own two hands. No clone could give him that satisfaction.
Now he channeled his jutsu into one last burst. The fox lunged, slashing and biting with its fiery claws and teeth, and exploded once it had Neji in its grasp.
His enemy let out a cry of pain, but Naruto dove in, disregarding the last embers still in the air, and crushed Neji's face with one final punch. He felt bones giving way, warm blood bursting upon his knuckles.
The older Genin hit the ground heavily, tried to rise, and collapsed.
Naruto staggered back, panting. He'd give it to Neji, the bastard had some insane skill holding off against his onslaught for so damn long. It had really come down to Naruto more or less outlasting him.
Neji was burnt and beaten, and though he struggled, he could not rise. His wounds were too severe.
The proctor looked surprised, but did not sound like it when he called the match. "Winner: Naruto Uzumaki."
He heard some cheers and clapping, but didn't really care for them much until Fu somehow yelled above the whole crowd. "HELL YEAH, NARUTO!"
That brought a quick smirk to his lips, but it dropped as he stumbled towards Neji and crouched down. He sat on his heels, glaring down at the other boy. Neji's bloodied face displayed his disbelief at the loss.
"Don't fucking touch her again," Naruto hissed.
With his message received, Naruto stood and made his way off the field. Medics came in to get Neji out on a stretcher, but Naruto paid them no mind. He had to focus on other things–Gaara, most prominently.
Kurama flooded his body with chakra and that warm, healing energy. Naruto's breath settled before he'd even made his way back inside.
Sasuke's match (after he finally showed up, that is) saw everything go to hell.
Fu had won her match against some Sound ninja Naruto didn't give a damn about. When Sasuke showed up and started fighting Gaara, he had to begrudgingly admit the Uchiha boy was doing a decent job. Kakashi hadn't been wasting his time.
Gaara was even hurt, but had cocooned himself into a sphere of sand. Kurama's attention sharpened.
"He's going to change into Shukaku," the fox hissed, tails lashing.
"Right here?" Naruto froze. Some sound was in the air, lulling him–
Kurama jabbed him with a spike of chakra. "Focus! Someone is using genjutsu!"
"Fu–"
But the girl had also been snapped out of it, presumably with Chomei's assistance. She cast a glance at him, both confirming the other was in decent shape, and then an army of Sand and Sound ninja moved in on the Village and stadium.
Battle was joined all over the place. Sasuke was still in the arena, though Kakashi had joined him. They were trying to get past a Jonin to reach Gaara's cocoon.
Naruto and Fu made to join them when Gaara's teammates got in the way. He reached for Kurama's power and the fox funneled as much as he could at once.
"Get LOST!" Naruto roared, blasting them with an Air Bullet that tore part of the building apart. He and Fu seized the chance to escape and made a beeline for Gaara. Kurama yanked all of their minds briefly together.
"We will tear the sand open," the fox decided. "Get him with a genjutsu. Chomei–"
"We're on it!" Chittered the Seven-Tails. Fu's wings snapped open from her lower back and she blitzed towards the cocoon, spitting a curtain of glittering scales all around Gaara's position. His allies were forced to retreat.
Naruto created dozens of clones in an instant that engaged and forced the enemy ninja further away. Kurama's chakra spilled into him again as he began blasting the sand cocoon with everything he had. It was a tight defense, heavily compacted and strong.
Gaara hadn't had enough time to fully change, but the beating he was taking (in conjecture with Kurama and Chomei's proximity) was enough for him to emerge early.
He was covered in sand that had changed parts of his body to resemble Shukaku's form. A massive, clawed hand slashed at Naruto, but he dove away. As the cocoon fell away, only his legs remained human. Even his eyes had changed to gold, star-shaped pupils.
The beast that was Gaara roared and lunged at them. "I'll KILL you!"
"He's losing control," Kurama snarled.
Naruto avoided the charge, but before Gaara could even slam into the ground, a thread of silk wrapped around his newly-formed tail and dragged him into the air. Fu yanked him upwards with all her strength.
"Ok buddy, let's get you out of the village!" Fu shouted, hurling Gaara skyward towards the village outskirts. She got some impressive distance; the girl was a lot stronger than she looked, especially with Chomei backing her up.
"Naruto!" She reached out a hand and he leapt for her. She caught him and spun in the air, throwing him after Gaara before giving chase.
Gaara had righted himself, preparing to land, but he hadn't seen Naruto being thrown after him. The boy's hands flashed through signs. Air Bullet!
The impact slammed into Gaara's back and drove him even further away, clean into the forest where he crashed into the trees with a thunderous impact. Fu swept over him, scattering scales that gleamed until they were blinding.
Kurama juiced him up again and Naruto spat several more Air Bullets, pummeling Gaara with one shot after another. He was preparing to unleash a Foxfire Jutsu when Kurama roared a warning. "He's changing!"
Smoke exploded outwards from Gaara's position, a mountain's worth that blew Naruto and Fu skyward. The girl managed to catch him, but the damage was done.
Shukaku towered over them in all his terrible glory. Kurama snapped orders to them immediately. "Do not let him fall asleep! Our best chance is while the Jinchuriki is still in control!"
Fu launched them skyward with a burst of power from Chomei, racing towards Gaara's shape with blistering speed. She saw his eyes start closing and fired a blast of scales at their foe.
"Oh no, you DON'T! Tailed Beast Art: Blinding Scales!"
The light from the scales was concentrated this time and searing. Gaara howled in pain. Fu threw Naruto at him.
He landed on Shukaku's skull, Kurama's power flaring into a red cloak around him to fight off the sand that immediately tried to grasp his body. Naruto lunged, creating clone after clone after clone to assault Gaara's position. The sand rose in defense.
Fu danced through the air around them, whipping at Gaara with threads of silk that wrapped into the sand to clump it together. Nets and webs were formed to help however she could.
The Shukaku body was moving slowly, its host harried and not fully controlling it. A massive arm swept towards Fu as if she were a fly, but she danced around it with mocking ease. Gaara roared in fury and directed waves of sand after her. His defenses dropped for just a moment.
It was enough.
Six of Naruto's clones dove in, attacking with everything they had and yanking on the sand-soaked nets Fu had created, pulling away at Gaara's defenses. A gap opened.
"Foxfire Jutsu!"
The fiery beast shot down like a bolt of red lightning and clamped onto Gaara's flesh from behind, searing his arm and shoulder until he was screaming in pain.
The sand rose again to smother the flames. It left his face open.
Kurama pumped him full of as much power as he could squeeze through the seal and Naruto delivered a savage blow to Gaara's jaw. The impact sent his eyes rolling.
While he was stunned, Fu shot another silken thread down to wrap around Gaara's torso. With a mighty heave, she pulled him free of Shukaku's body. "I got you!"
Without the host, the sand-formed behemoth fell apart. Gaara was still stunned by the blow and sudden separation from the beast he'd just been linked to. Fu brought him down to ground level and he collapsed.
Shukaku's Jinchuriki groaned, trying to regain control of himself. As he pushed himself to his feet, Naruto tackled him and drove him onto his back. Another punch struck him in the temple.
"Are you done?" Naruto snarled.
"He's dangerous, Naruto. The seal is too weak. He'll just transform again in a moment. You'll have to kill him."
"No!" Fu protested. "He's–okay, yeah, he's really messed up, but he's still one of us! Maybe–"
"Don't be naive, girl!" Kurama rebuked, though Chomei made an offended noise in their minds. "Sympathy won't change that he is your enemy! He will get up again and again until–"
"I don't give a damn!" Naruto grabbed Gaara's collar and yanked the other boy up until they were nose-to-nose with each other. "What are we even doing? Are we seriously just going to beat each other to death? Are we just weapons like the Villages want us to be? We're killing each other for NOTHING!"
Gaara was half-stunned, still unable to speak as he stared in the face of Naruto's impassioned spiel. Fu shifted on her feet uneasily, not sure what to do.
"We're tools to them," Naruto growled. His eyes were red as Kurama's. "All six of us! We're all the same, so why are we fighting each other?"
Kurama was silent for a moment, surprised by the vehemence in his host's voice. He considered something, then sighed and dragged them all into the Tailed Beast mindscape.
The young Jinchuriki stood before each of their beasts. Kurama and Chomei were beside each other, Shukaku faced them opposite.
The tanuki eyed Naruto with a mix of disdain and confusion. "You're a weird human."
"And you're a massive pain in my ass," Naruto snarked, adjusting to the sudden change in scenery faster for his anger. Fu was staring around her with wide, curious eyes. Gaara just looked shell-shocked.
He had taken a hell of a punch.
"Enough," Kurama growled. He gauged Naruto for a few moments before finally making a decision. Damn the boy, but he had a point. They were really just wasting themselves, fighting each other like this.
And he saw a possibility for freedom he'd not considered before.
"Naruto is right," he finally said. "We shouldn't be fighting."
"That's rich, coming from you!" Shukaku accused. "All high and mighty as you are!"
"He's not the one putting chains on you, though," Chomei pointed out.
The tanuki hesitated. "...No, I guess not."
Gaara was still frozen, seemingly unsure if he should speak. Shukaku eyed his Jinchuriki disdainfully. Kurama caught his thoughts and cut the other beast off.
"Don't try to kill him. It's irritating, but the Jinchuriki might just be our best chance for freedom. They're not so easily tracked. The Hidden Villages have learned well how to trap and capture us."
"Why are you right? I hate it when you're right," Shukaku complained. Kurama just sneered back.
Chomei intervened before things could get ugly. "So, what do we do?"
Kurama pondered the question for a moment before he answered. "We're strongest as a group. We could leave together. Try to find the rest of our brethren, disappear where the Villages cannot find us."
It was an idea none of the beasts had ever considered, for how widespread they were. But this was no longer a time where they were free to do as they pleased. Much had changed since they'd been split from their progenitor.
"...You're serious, aren't you?" Shukaku sounded incredulous.
"Do I look like I'm joking?" Kurama grunted. "I've tried to escape from two Jinchuriki before. Even I can't break free on my own. What choice do we have? We can be weapons, or we can be free."
Naruto was watching him curiously, though he seemed pleased that they were in agreement. The boy thought more like Kurama than the fox had anticipated.
I practically raised him, the fox realized in a second. Of course he's like me.
"Fu? What do you think?" Chomei asked.
"I…I love the Hidden Waterfall Village," she admitted, frowning. "But I'm lucky my village loves me. The other Jinchuriki haven't been so lucky, have they? If we can help them and their Tailed Beasts, shouldn't we?"
Kurama nodded slightly and glanced at the only person who hadn't spoken since they arrived in the mindscape. "Gaara?"
The boy stared at the giant fox, glanced at the tanuki and then the beetle in-turn. He didn't seem to have an answer.
Shukaku finally rumbled. "The assassins might stop coming after you if we leave."
"Assassins?!" Fu gaped. "What?"
"His father tries to kill him regularly. Trying to find a more stable host for me, I think."
Naruto's jaw dropped. Even Kurama's tails stilled for a moment.
Gaara looked even more tired than before at the mention of his would-be killers. Or perhaps the exhaustion came from the mention of his father.
"I don't know. I'm just so tired."
Kurama lifted his eyes to Shukaku. The beasts said nothing, but it was Naruto who finally approached the other boy and set a hand on his shoulder.
"Leave with us," he said. "We'll plan it out–the six of us. We'll find a new home. Somewhere they'll never find us."
Gaara looked down at Naruto's hand, frowning. He glanced at Fu, who offered him a hesitant, but cheerful smile.
"Ok."