Friendly Neighborhood Nine-Tails
Naruto's first night at the beach was... quiet.
That was the only word for it, really. His week atop the Hokage Mountain had involved him falling asleep with the entire night-time cacophony of the village in his ears. Drunks at bars, dogs barking, couples arguing, babies crying, people screaming from nightmares. Every sound in the village, and he had learned to tune it out.
Compare that to these shores? The gentle crashing of the waves, the wind blowing through branches? Some might even call it peaceful.
But staring up at the moon, Naruto remembered how much the quiet bothered him sometimes, ever since he could remember. His home had always been quiet. It reminded him he was alone as a child.
And he was alone in another way now: What was he going to do? Hokage was off the table. He literally wasn't human now. Protecting the village was obvious, for reasons both personal and practical. But before, he had a life beyond being a ninja. Friends, places he liked to go, and things he liked to do.
How does one have a life as a Bijuu?
A very loud and sudden pop made him look over in surprise to see a large cloud of smoke. He scowled and grew fairly confused as the smell of toad invaded his nose.
"Nice night, Naru-Boy?"
"What are you doing here, Gamabunta?" Naruto asked, glancing off to the trees where he knew Jiraiya was. "Why'd the Pervy Sage drag you out here?"
"You look like you can't sleep, and he thought you could use some company of a similar size," Gamabunta informed, taking a long inhale of his pipe.
"You're not exactly the type to pop in for a friendly visit," Naruto remarked skeptically.
Gamabunta sighed. "Well, I've been wondering how you were doing, being this new Kyuubi and all. And I did stab you, so a visit is the least I owe you."
Naruto growled thoughtfully before looking back out to the sea. "I guess I can't hold it against you too much. I probably made you piss yourself."
"You sure did, Naruto!"
Naruto did a double take, seeing a much smaller toad on Gamabunta's head. "Gamakichi?"
"Wow, dad wasn't kidding. What did that village of yours feed you!?" Gamakichi said with a laugh. "You should have seen it! Dad actually wet himself! It was hilarious. I thought he saw the Shinigami."
"You little-!" Gamabunta glowered at his son. "I told you not to say anything about that!"
"But yeah, the old guy summoned me and had me ask Dad if we wouldn't mind paying you a visit," Gamakichi explained. "What's the matter? Too important to summon us yourself now that you're some big shot with nine tails? That just makes you nine times a baby to us toads!"
"...If you were any bigger, I'd flick you into the ocean," Naruto said, his small smile revealing his true feelings.
"After that, I'd let him too," Gamabunta remarked with a snort. "So, Naruto, I hear this is your new home."
"More like secondary home," Naruto mused, glancing back at the whale carcass. "I'd have cleaned up, but I wasn't expecting visitors."
"Bijuu need to eat?" Gamabunta asked in legitimate surprise.
"No, but we still taste stuff," Naruto answered.
"Perfect! That means I didn't waste my time bringing this along," Gamabunta said as he pulled something out from behind his back…that something being a Saki bottle; a very gigantic saki bottle, fit for someone of Gamabunta's size…or Naruto's.
"Consider it a housewarming present, sans the house," Gamabunta said with a chuckle as he popped it open.
"...Last time, I told you I was underage," Naruto reminded. "Buuuut since then, I've died and become a giant ass chakra-fox. So, sure."
"That's the spirits!" Gamabunta jabbed as he produced two enlarged saki cups. "Besides, we never really did seal the whole henchman thing with a proper drink."
Naruto snorted. "Oh, so that's why you're here. You just wanted to be able to say the Kyuubi is your henchman," he countered as he picked up the cup awkwardly.
It was strange. The hands were like a human's, so it was very familiar, to grab a cup like this. But it still felt off, especially while sitting on his haunches like this and how long his snout was.
"Well, come on; let's see if all that chakra helps you hold your saki!" Gamabunta egged on.
Naruto shrugged and, in sync, they both started to drink from the cups.
"Go, go, go, go!" Gamakichi cheered on, pumping his amphibious hands in the air.
"Ahhh, that's the good stuff. Right, Naru-Boy?!" Gamabunta said with a laugh.
In response, Naruto reached over, grabbed the entire bottle, and proceeded to start chugging it without saying a word.
Meanwhile, the two humans were watching this unfold with increasing uneasiness.
"...Did you just turn my student into an alcoholic?" Kakashi asked, too dumbfounded to be upset.
"I didn't know he'd bring booze!" Jiraiya defended. "I didn't think Bunta was crazy enough to try and get a Bijuu drunk!"
"Apparently he is..." Kakashi said, sweat-dropping at the scene. "And Naruto is still going."
"You, um, you got a taste for it, eh?" Gamabunta asked in surprise.
The bottle now empty, Naruto put it down and wiped his mouth with the same arm. "Not really. Just wanted to see if I could get buzzed," Naruto said in disappointment. "Almost did. Then it was gone. I think my chakra burns through it too fast."
"Oh. I suppose that answers that question," Gamabunta mused. "Perhaps something stronger will outpace it. Still, glad we could have this drink."
"Yeah, it's funny seeing Dad work up a sweat," Gamakichi said with a chuckle.
"Kichi, you are grounded when we get home," Gamabunta said with a groan.
"Worth it, Pops!" Gamakichi said smugly.
Naruto chuckled. "Thanks, both of you. This...really means a lot."
"I can't say I know what you're going through, Brat," Gamabunta answered bluntly. "But I can tell it's a lot. You don't act like the same hyperactive ball of determined stupidity."
"I can probably throw you in the ocean with my tails," Naruto reminded me, mostly joking…mostly.
"My point is that you're not alone, Naruto. And who knows what you'll make of yourself," Gamabunta said encouragingly. "After all, you might not become the Fire-Shadow, but you'll cast a very large shadow all the same."
"..." Naruto silently looked back up at the moon. "Another time, think you might be able to help me with training?"
"Training?" Gamabunta mused, humming on his pipe.
"I had shitty chakra control to start with. Now it feels...not just that there's more chakra, but it's different," Naruto struggled to explain
"I can only imagine," Gamabunta mused. "I'm not sure how much help I will be. I might be the size as a Bijuu, but we are entirely different kinds of creatures."
"Can't hurt, having someone with a similar point of view helping out," Naruto said with a shrug.
"Point of view?" Gamakichi asked with a head tilt before looking between the Kitsune and his father. "Oh, I see what you did there."
"Mmm. Don't do it too often. I have to try to preserve whatever is left of my reputation. Being at your beck and call wouldn't help," Gamabunta stated. "Well, about time for us to head home, Naru-Boy. I hope you sleep well. Farewell."
"Seeya!" Gamakichi called out with a wave.
"Until next time," Naruto answered with a smile as they vanished in a puff of smoke.
All at once, Naruto practically flopped onto the beach, moving about to get into a comfortable position to rest.
"Well, I guess that actually worked," Jiraiya mused.
"It did," Kakashi agreed, watching his student start to slumber peacefully. "So, think he'll regret sleeping in the sand?"
"Please, a flash of chakra and his fur is spotless," Jiraiya retorted with a scoff, tilting his head. "Huh...the saki bottle didn't go with Gamabunta."
"You're right," Kakashi realized, glancing at him curiously as he didn't have much experience himself with giant summons. "Is that normal?"
"It's not abnormal, really. Personal stuff like Bunta's blade and vest always go with him. But the stuff they don't mind leaving behind sometimes doesn't," Jiraiya answered. "Can't help wondering what Naruto might do with that."
"Assuming he doesn't break it on accident," Kakashi pointed out, pausing before making an amendment. "Or on purpose for that matter."
The rest of the night went relatively peacefully, the sun soon rising for another day.
Said day formally started once Naruto awoke and, as predicted, dislodged the sand from his fur with a flare of his golden chakra.
"Good morning, sleeping beauty," Kakashi greeted as he strolled onto the beach, one hand in his pocket, the other holding his novel.
"I swear you sleep read sometimes," Naruto muttered, letting out a loud and near-thunderous yawn. "Ahh, wow, it feels good not worrying about everyone freaking out when I do that."
"Trust me, every ANBU that's been undercover for a long time can relate," Kakashi said knowingly.
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Do I want to know what the longest time you hid in a small place was?"
"Two months. Missed my birthday. I almost started humming the birthday song out loud," Kakashi remarked with a sigh. "Good times."
"Amateur," Jiraiya said boastfully as he joined them. "My record is six months."
"Did you have research material?" Naruto asked bluntly.
"...Maybe?" Jiraiya answered evasively.
"Doesn't count," Naruto remarked flatly.
"Oh, that's bull and you know it, brat," Jiraiya said before turning more serious. "Well, good news, the seals held up fine. Even with that burst of chakra. No idea if they'll last if you got into more...intense training, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."
"Great. So, what now?" Naruto asked, glancing between them questioningly.
"Now, Kakashi and I head back to the village,' Jiraiya answered bluntly.
"Ahh," Naruto said in understanding. "Well, I'll try not to destroy the place before the next shift shows up. Say hi to everyone for me."
"...That's it?" Kakashi asked carefully.
"Thanks for asking, Sensei," Naruto said with an honest smile. "But I'm not going to start bawling my furry eyes out just because I have to be alone for a day or two. Besides, I'll be heading back with the next shift or the one after that. I'm going to sleep on that mountain at least once a week still."
"Fair enough," Kakashi said with an eye smile.
"Remember, try not to break the seals, or you'll have all kinds of tourists," Jiraiya warned.
Something Naruto decidedly didn't want. Fame was a nice idea, but he knew he'd have people climbing on him all the time eventually, on dares or just to say they did it.
With a wave from the Jonin and the Sannin, they made their leave.
"Think he'll be fine on his own?" Jiraiya asked idly.
"CANNONBALL!"
Instantly, the two jumped into the branches of the trees, heading for the tops.
Then they paused, looking around in confusion as they realized there was no rush of water or great flash.
"Ha! Gotcha!" Naruto called out with a grin on his furred face, snickering to himself.
Jiraiya gained a tick mark while Kakashi just had an eye-smile. "I think he'll be just fine."
As the two left, Naruto finished his laughter. "Well, at least I can still prank people out of boredom," Naruto mused as he watched them leave…or rather heard them.
There was a point where their voices and scents became...not fainter, but muted. Like something was blocking it; the barrier no doubt, which meant they were outside it now.
He allowed his grin to fall into a frown, glancing off to the side, nostrils flared as he stared into the forest.
"A lovely pen they've arranged for you, Naruto."
Naruto growled low in his throat. "I thought that was your smell, Orochimaru. Took you long enough."
The snake Sannin chuckled eerily, choosing to remain unseen. Anyone else wouldn't hear the voice from this distance, but Orochimaru might as well be face-to-face with Naruto for how well the human-turned-Bijuu could hear him. "Oh, so you did sense me on your trip here?"
"Hard not to. You smell rotten as ever," Naruto stated bluntly, snorting in disgust.
"I'm almost surprised. I thought you were going to reveal me to everyone. Or at least to my old teammate and your dear sensei," Orochimaru continued.
"I'm not a genius, but I'm pretty sure that you'd find this place eventually even if we scared you off," Naruto answered. "So tell me, why are you here and when can you leave?"
"Oh? I didn't expect you to be so willing to listen?" Orochimaru asked with an amused hum.
"I've gained a lot of training in tolerating horrible voices this past week, I'm sure I can stomach yours," Naruto retorted flatly.
"Mmm, perhaps there is a brain in that head of yours," Orochimaru joked.
"Go hump a rock," Naruto barked back. "Whatever you're selling, keep in mind I blame a big part of this on you."
"This, child?" Orochimaru asked coyly. "By this, do you mean your...ascension?"
Naruto was sure that the snake Sannin could actually feel his glare at this point.
"You have power beyond the wildest dreams of most men, even the Kages themselves. You are free of the many things that plague humans: hunger, frailty, and let us not forget...mortality," Orochimaru said with an audible grin.
"Mmm, I see where this is going now," Naruto said knowingly. "You want to become something like a Bijuu. I suppose that's why you're not still pinning for Sasuke's body."
"My goal is to learn all there is to know about Jutsu and chakra. The Sharingan is a useful tool to that end, there can be no denial. But immortality? True immortality? Well now, that would eliminate the greatest obstacle: Time itself," Orochimaru stated.
"Assuming you can even do Jutsu anymore if you were like me," Naruto said holding up his front limbs. "I still have hands and I still can't do it."
"A minor setback, I'm sure, for both of us. If nothing else, we're both rather stubborn," Orochimaru said mockingly.
"I...can't argue with that, since you found a way around dying, even if it involves body-hopping," Naruto mused before blinking. "I suppose that's two things we have in common."
Orochimaru made a noise of interest and confusion at that.
"We both don't have our first bodies anymore," Naruto explained. "Ever miss it?"
"...Yes," Orochimaru answered knowingly. "No skin is quite like your first."
Naruto grunted. "So, let me take a guess. You want me to let you get some of my furs or something to study, and as a trade, you'll help me find a way to take human form?" Naruto listed off neutrally. "Pass."
"Such a shame," Orochimaru mused. "Is this the part where we have an epic clash, O Great Kyuubi?"
"No," Naruto answered flatly. "No, it's not."
"Hmm? Not going to try to fight me? Is the mighty fox wary of the trespassing snake?" Orochimaru taunted.
"More like I don't care to play with a snake's shed skin," Naruto said with a snort. Silence was his answer. "I know you're not stupid. You wouldn't come all the way down here in person. You're either a clone or have some weird Jutsu to possess somebody. I could be wrong, but by the smell, I'd guess you're using a corpse as some nasty puppet."
"Hmm, clever, Naruto, clever," Orochimaru praised, clapping softly in praise.
"What I don't understand is what the Pervy sage is waiting for," Naruto commented.
"Summoning: Toad Mouth Bind!"
Orochimaru glared as he suddenly found himself surrounded by a flesh corridor. "Well played, I suppose."
"Thanks, that means so much from an old friend like you," Jiraiya remarked with a dry smirk, on the same tree as Orochimaru, on the opposite side.
"I was referring to Naruto," Orochimaru countered. "Oh well, I suppose there is no use in continuing this. Perhaps we'll come to an arrangement another time, Naruto."
"Arrange your ass!" Naruto snarled.
"Don't bother," Jiraiya said as he dispelled the summon toad's stomach. He came around the tree, finding there was indeed a corpse lying against the tree trunk, lifeless eyes staring up. "He's already gone. Also, arrange your ass?"
"Yeah, yeah, I realized how bad it sounded when I said it," Naruto grumbled. "You knew he was following us?"
"I knew someone was, even since you stared at that mountain on the way here," Jiraiya remarked with a frown. "Why didn't you say anything before?"
"You mean not wanting to blow whatever plan you had cooked up? "Naruto asked with a shrug. "I wanted to hear what he had to say."
"Naruto..."
"Relax, I'm not interested. I don't want an Orochi-bijuu anymore than you do," Naruto assured casually. "But I wanted to know what he was after. Seemed like something useful to know, what he wants from me. I almost thought "becoming a Bijuu" was too obvious an answer for him."
"Don't get me wrong, Naruto, I don't think you'd betray us or anything," Jiraiya assured. "Just-"
"That I'd be stupid and desperate enough to do it by accident," Naruto finished without accusation.
"Well, to be fair, you were tricked into stealing the forbidden scroll once," Jiraiya reminded delicately.
"Oh, yes, an orphaned boy was tricked by the one sensei that acted remotely understanding to him," Naruto retorted with an eye-roll. "Be more alarmed that an academy student could have run off with it if I hadn't stopped to learn from it."
"Can't argue with that," Jiraiya agreed. "Well, the barrier is secure with him gone, if only for now."
"Yeah, why did you let him find this place?" Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow. "I thought we were going to fight him on the way here."
"Orochimaru is smart enough to figure it out after a while. I wanted to confront him here and now and not leave it to some unlucky Chunin Tsunade assigns to come down here," Jiraiya explained with a frown. "You need to be careful, Naruto. It's entirely possible that someone might come here and try to seal you away. It'd probably fail, given you're the Kyuubi now, but still."
Naruto frowned. Not a thought he wanted to dwell on more than he had to. He had heard more than a few conversations about sealing him around the village. He imagined a few more were happening now that he was out of earshot of the village.
"Don't look so glum," Jiraiya said with a sigh. "Sealing any Bijuu isn't easy. You need a strong seal, a vessel that can survive holding one, and you actually have to subdue a Bijuu."
"Hmm? You do?" Naruto asked with interest.
Jiraiya nodded sagely. "Unless it's somehow restrained or overpowered, sealing a fully formed Bijuu is almost impossible. Any sealing that can be done that quickly is too fragile. Any that take that long, well, if the Bijuu doesn't kill you before it's done, it certainly won't stand still enough for the impact. That isn't even getting into how powerful the chakra can be and overwhelm the seal or the vessel before it takes hold."
"Well, good to know someone can't just come right up to me and surprise-seal me," Naruto remarked in some relief.
Jiraiya nodded. He didn't bother mentioning that the only thing that could normally survive having the Kyuubi sealed into them long-term was someone from the Uzumaki clan. Something they were in short supply as of now.
The irony of Naruto's lack of family being a good thing for his continued freedom wasn't lost on Jiraiya.
"Well, I'll be heading out for real this time. I told Kakashi to hang back in case something went wrong," Jiraiya informed, waving as he departed.
"Good, I can finally get the snake smell out of my nose. The damn whale leftovers smelled better," Naruto said, snorting hard as he rubbed his nose.
Meanwhile
I See You.
Those three words haunted her mind with every waking moment.
I See You.
Those words, and that great blue eye, peering into her soul from across time and space
I See You.
She knew that if she ever so much as tried to sense out that massive chakra once more, He would see her again.
I See You.
She could no longer tell if that notion filled her with dread or numbness.
I See You.
"Karin."
She stiffened before trying to hide it. "Yes, Gensui-Sama? I'm sorry, did you say something?"
"I asked how you're doing," Shiroyasha repeated patiently, eyeing the dark rings around Karin's eyes.
"I already filled for a return to work, Gensui-Sama," Karin answered evenly.
"Yes, but I asked how you're doing," Shiroyasha reiterated, getting only silence. "Karin, you were unconscious for two days and in the hospital for another. Physically you're fine, but you've refused to answer any questions about what happened."
Karin balled her fist. Not in anger, but to steady herself. "If you're worried I can't do my job as a sensor-"
"I'm worried about YOU, Karin," Shiroyasha stated forcefully. "You don't have to explain what happened. But can you give us some idea of what you're going through?"
"..." Karin looked down. "I think He can still sense me."
"The Kyuubi?" the leader of grass asked with a raised eyebrow.
"The new one, yes," Karin answered, refusing to look up still. "Every now and then I can...feel some spike in His chakra, whenever He's..."focused" on my direction."
"...Karin, do you think the Kyuubi...marked you, in some way?" Shiroyasha asked carefully.
"I don't know what He did. Or what I did," Karin answered with a shiver. "Just that I am acutely aware of Him, more than I was before. Like I'm going to turn around, and He'll be watching me from just over the trees."
Shiroyasha looked troubled at that. There was no telling what all of that could mean.
"Gensui-Sama, I'm fine, honestly," Karin assured with a weak smile. "I just...need to get a good night's sleep for a change."
Shiroyasha nodded slowly. "Is there anything else?"
"Yes," Karin answered with a frown. "I'm not sure if you knew already, but He went south."
"South?" Shiroyasha asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I don't know why. But I could feel Him move further and further away yesterday."
Shiroyasha cupped her chin. "They're probably keeping the Kyuubi somewhere out of the way so that he's not lurking over the village all the time. I'm sure that even if the village got used to that, it wouldn't be good for customers."
That was objectively true, Karin knew. "Why...haven't they tried to seal Him though?"
Shiroyasha gave her a dry smile. "Because having a Jinchuriki is one thing. Having an actual tailed-beast as a willing ally? That's terrifying."
End of Chapter
Yo! Welcome bakc to another chapter. Here we had Naruto geting two very interesting meetings- a friendly one with Gamabunta, and a less-friendly one with Orochimaru. Yeah, Naruto has been aware that Orochimaru was following them, but could'nt make sure anyone else knew without giving it away. Luckkkily, Jiraiya is Jiraiya, and figured it out as well.
Also,a little peek into how Karin is doing. Not great, but not too horrible. Naruto really mindfucked her. Which, to be fair, was less to do with what he did and more to do with her being a sensor-type.
Still, all in all, Naruto had eventual start to his new beach home.
Until next time!
Early viewing of chapters 12-13 avaliable on my pat-reon:
p a treon . com (slash) akumakami64