Chapter 2 – My Demon
Naruto turned up the volume on his radio – a gift from his nee-chan – and collapsed on his bed, limbs spread like a starfish. He was exhausted from the "survival" exercise his dumb sensei had put them through. Come on! he complained mentally. What kinda moron would make us chase a cat around the village for hours? Naruto winced, rubbing his scratched arms. Stupid Kakashi-sensei…didn't even let us have breakfast!
Preoccupied with plotting revenge on a certain jonin, Naruto didn't hear the apartment door swing open. Yugito padded through the apartment silently, listening to the radio blare. Seems like he's home.
"Uggh…" she heard Naruto groan. "Dangit, Kakashi-sensei! I'm gonna kick your butt for this!" His hand slapped against the blanket as she crept into the bedroom.
"You're not going to be kicking anyone's anything until you tell me what you did on Wednesday," Yugito announced, throwing a kunai that bounced off the radio's cord, unplugging it from the wall socket. The music abruptly stopped, much to Naruto's dismay.
"Nee-chan!" he complained.
"I'm not mad at you," she said, moving towards the window and slipping off her armored bracers. "I just want to know what happened. Things are always better if you talk about them, right?" Yugito sighed, sitting down on the end of Naruto's bed and making the springs creak slightly. She ruffled his blazing yellow hair and immediately wrinkled her nose. Naruto smelled of days-old sweat and dust.
"Did you take a bath at all this week?" she asked suspiciously.
Naruto pouted. "Um…yeah! Of course I did!" Sweat dripped from his forehead. "On Wednesday night, just like always, dattebayo!" Yugito didn't believe him for one second, of course. He seemed to have forgotten that she could see his crossed fingers.
"That's a fib, little brother," Yugito said, throwing her ANBU gloves at him. "A ninja learns early on to see through deception. You smell like the aftermath of phys ed. Go get in the bathtub this instant."
"Waah! Nee-chan, how did you know?" Naruto groaned, rolling over and burying his face in his pillow.
"Wednesday was the day you stole the Forbidden Scroll from Hokage-sama's vaults, baka!" Yugito swatted Naruto with her socks before tossing them into the laundry hamper. "We can talk about that, or you can take your bath now." She was getting just a bit irritated from Naruto's defiance.
"A-ano, let's not talk about that, nee-chan!" pleaded Naruto's muffled voice from inside the pillow.
"Then bath it is." Yugito stood up and grabbed Naruto's wrist. Naruto shrieked, threw Underwear at her, and fled the room. Yugito saw his hands form an unfamiliar seal.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" he yelled as he zoomed through the apartment's door. Suddenly, four carbon copies of Naruto popped into existence and took off in different directions. "No way am I taking a bath, dattebayo!" Yugito heard them shout.
She called on Matatabi's chakra, inhaling deeply. Usually, clones had no scent, therefore allowing her to pick out the original quickly. But to her surprise, Yugito could detect four distinct instances of Naruto's sweaty reek, spreading out across the village.
Squinting at the sun, she estimated the time as about eleven-thirty. Now, if she knew Naruto at all, he'd be wanting lunch about now. Therefore, she could guess that he'd either stick close to home or unconsciously gravitate towards Ichiraku's. Only two scents fit those criteria – one in an alley near the Leaf-Mart, and one that was indeed heading straight for Ichiraku Ramen.
Following the scent, Yugito dashed towards the Leaf-Mart. A familiar orange coat ducked into a corner as she approached. She pounced on it, startling when it exploded into smoke between her fingers. Growling, she whipped around and broke into a run, hurrying towards Ichiraku. The aroma of ramen strengthened as she neared the building. Stealthily, she leaped toward Naruto's fleeing form, snagging her claws in a very substantial jacket.
"You are in so much trouble, little brother," she purred, seizing him by the collar and beginning to drag him back towards home. Naruto thrashed and flailed, but it was no use. Once Yugito had her claws in something, there was no way to make her let go.
"Itai! Leggo, nee-chan! Put me down now, dattebayo!" he shouted angrily, digging his heels into the pavement. "Nee-chan! Let me go, I say!" His complaints grew louder and more insistent as they entered the apartment. "Iie! Yamete, nee-chan!" Naruto wailed, but it was no use.
Five minutes later, Naruto indignantly sat in an elbow-deep tub of suds, having been forced to strip to a pair of swim trunks. "I hate you. Da. Tte. Ba. Yo!" After a bit of struggling, he'd finally resigned himself to the Bath of Doom. He glared up at Yugito, his arms crossed. "You're a jerk!"
"Is that any way to talk to somebody who practically raised you?" Yugito retorted, folding an orange towel and setting it by the sink.
Naruto showed his wrath by grabbing a handful of soap suds and flinging them at her head.
"You heathen!" Yugito gasped in mock horror. She stomped towards the tub, picking up a bottle of shampoo and drizzling it onto Naruto's hair.
"Waah! Nee-chan, you're gonna kill me with that much soap!" Naruto wailed, rubbing his eyes. Yugito looked at him sternly as a live earwig dropped from his hair and tumbled onto the floor, quickly scurrying into the drain. Naruto stuck his tongue out at her back as she opened the bathroom door to leave.
"Naruto!" Yugito glared at him, planting her hands on her hips. "You can make as many excuses as you want to get out of this bathtub, but the fact is: you're filthy! And you know what that'll mean for your future? 'Uzumaki Naruto: the Smelliest Hokage Ever'!" Sighing, she closed the door on his protesting complaints.
Naruto hadn't matured one bit since she'd met him.
-=-oOo-=-
When Naruto finally exited the bath, Yugito was waiting for him at the kitchen table. Water dripped onto the rug from Naruto's hair as he walked by her. He opened the cupboard and seized an apple, taking a bite before dropping into the chair across from his sister and adopting a glum look.
"Am I getting in trouble again?" he complained. "I already 'pologized to jiji and Iruka-sensei, an' they said I was okay, dattebayo!" He made a face and slouched. " I'm not gonna apologize again!"
Yugito sighed. "That's…not what I mean, Naruto." She rubbed her forehead. "Hokage-sama told me that Mizuki revealed your past."
"Yeah…" Naruto dragged out the word like it was molasses running downhill. He looked down at the table, tapping his fingers against the worn, dull wood. Tap. Tap. Tap. Yugito saw that he looked subdued, something rare for her energetic friend. He was quiet for a long while.
"Naruto-kun?" she asked hesitantly.
Naruto looked up at her, and to her surprise, Yugito saw tears forming in his eyes. "Nee-chan…I – I'm the baby. I'm the kid the Yondaime sealed the Kitsune into. That's why everybody hates me. I'm sorry, nee-chan. You don't hafta stay with me… I'm a monster." He sniffed. "I don't want you to leave…"
"Naruto!" Yugito leaned across the table and took his hand in hers. "You're not a monster. The Kyūbi no Kitsune is the monster. You're just his container. Heck, you should feel like a hero. You're the only one stopping that fox from running amok!" She got up and walked around the table. "I'm not going to leave you, Naruto-kun. No matter what. Whatever made you get that idea?" Yugito wrapped him into a hug.
"Mizuki-sensei said so," Naruto sniffled. "He said that you'd leave immediately if you knew 'bout the fox, dattebayo."
"You know I wouldn't leave you." Yugito rubbed her thumb in calming circles against Naruto's palm. "I love you. You're my little brother, for Kami's sake!" Naruto giggled. "But listen, Naruto. I have something to tell you too." She took a deep breath.
"I…also have a Bijū."
"No, you don't." Naruto huffed. "There's no way you-WAAH!"
"Greetings, Uzumaki Naruto, partner of Kurama," Matatabi said, causing Naruto to jump so high that he nearly touched the ceiling. He looked around in amazement, searching for the voice's source. "We finally can speak."
"What the f-"
"Don't finish that sentence," Yugito warned. "Gentlemen don't say the F-word."
"-fried egg. I was going to say fried egg," Naruto muttered. "Who are you, mysterious voice lady?!" he shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Show yourself, dattebayo!"
"I'm speaking in your mind." Matatabi purred with amusement. "I am Nibi no Matatabi, the Bijū partner of your elder sister." She twitched her flaming blue tails. "It's good to finally be allowed to talk to you."
"How are you doing this?" Naruto asked out loud. "Oops. I mean…"How are you doing this? His excited voice echoed through Yugito's head. Wow! It's like I'm in a whole other place! Blue eyes twinkled with delight. This is sooooo awesome, dattebayo! He got up out of his chair and danced around.
"The Bijū are linked in their minds. I can speak to my comrades telepathically, but it is harder over longer distances. However, since you are right here, it is easy to connect our minds." Matatabi purred.
Naruto grinned. So, does that mean I can also talk to ol' Nine-Tails? Hey, hey! "Nee-chan! Do you have like, superpowers or something? Do I have superpowers?" He gazed at her in awe. "Cuz that would be super cool! Can you breathe fire – or shoot lighting from your fingers – or smash mountains with super strength?" He was bouncing around in excitement. "Tell me! I wanna know!"
Matatabi laughed. "Not exactly. A jinchūriki can attain all of their Bijū's abilities, but they must first achieve synergy, when they are united in mind and soul. It is an intimate connection that not many jinchūriki are able to make because it requires total trust between the human and the beast. Furthermore, many of the seals used to contain the Bijū are strict, blocking the Bijū from sharing their chakra with their host even if they have formed a trusting relationship. This is the case with Yugito's seal. Your Hokage has the power to release some of the limiters," she growled, "but he does not because he is afraid that I will destroy his village like Kurama. As if!"
"He only wants to protect his people," Yugito said quietly. "I would do the same if I were him. I can only use a limited amount of Matatabi-dono's chakra because of the seal, but it's enough for me to protect myself." She snapped her fingers, sparking a flickering electric blue flame that hovered above her palm. "I can augment my strength a little, as well as sharpen my senses, like my sense of smell." Yugito shot a pointed look at Naruto. "I can also grow my nails out like claws. The only other thing that her chakra affects is my Katon jutsu, which is blue now."
"Aw! No wonder you can bust me every single time I don't take a bath, dattebayo!" moaned Naruto. "It's unfair, that's what it is!"
"Exactly." A grin appeared on Yugito's face.
"So, like, how do I get to use those abilities?" Naruto asked. "Those are so cool!"
"Pay attention, child," Matatabi purred. "I work with Yugito, but Kurama has no desire to work with you. He hates humans and wouldn't lift a claw to help someone like you. Most likely the only chakra he sends your way will be malevolent and possessive. You'll become a raging beast if you try to draw on his power now. You could kill your friends."
"…Oh." Naruto's face dropped. "Well, then, I've gotta make friends with the fox first then!" He scrunched up his face and closed his eyes. "Hmmmmm…"
Splash! His feet touched down in a pool of clear water.
"Hello, brat." Two red eyes appeared in the shadowy darkness of his mind. "I was wondering when you'd come to your senses." Naruto could see the glint of shining white teeth behind thick iron bars. "Set me free, Uzumaki Naruto."
A/N: I finished another chapter in a week! Yay me! Please drop a review if you liked it and don't forget to look out for the upcoming story EMERALD REQUIEM! What will happen to Naruto next week?