Author's Note

I always find myself coming back to Kyuubi centric stories for one reason or another, and I couldn't stop myself from writing a second one...

Uploaded

12/01/2024

LEGEND BELOW

"Don't push it..." = Normal speech.

''O-Oh gosh, this is too embarrassing!'' = Normal thoughts.

"Someone has a death wish." = Bujuu/beast Naruto talking.

''Please make it end...'' = Bujuu/beast Naruto's thoughts.

Chapter 1

The birth of thr Nine Tails

Rated-M

M rating for mature themes, nudity, romance, violence, blood, adult themes.

Music of the day

Naruto OST- Senya

She didn't know how she'd managed to do it after all this time, giving that crafty woman the slip when she least expected it. Shizune was a keen girl, she'd give her that, dedicated too. Although her constant dotting was cute sometimes, it really got on her nerves when she wanted to be left alone. She did appreciate her, more than she realized.

Didn't change the fact that she wanted to drink. Drink and forget, forget her, forget her duty, her village, her love…

Forget it all. Forgetting everything just made life easier, if she could even call the way she'd been floating through her adult life anything worth living in the first place…

She just wanted that blissful high of numbness that her favorite sake brought her, and nothing more. What more did she have to live for anyway?

"It's not healthy for you, you'll die of liver failure at this rate." Her words echoed in the back of her mind as she slammed down another drink.

"Lady Tsunade, please treat yourself better. I can't bear to see you like this…" She shook the words away as she chased that diluted sense of numbness even more.

The pub around her was relatively quiet for a bar on the outskirts of the land of Fire, the patrons that attended it all civilian in nature, or border ninja who knew well enough to leave her alone.

The sun was setting on the land outside, bringing forth another night that would serve to be the same as the last. Days came and went, and her fleeting enthusiasm for life felt like it was dwindling with every sunset…

Even now, she felt like the only thing that brought her any comfort anymore was the drink in her hands. And even that felt like it had lost its charm long ago.

Yet, even still…?

"Oi, pretty boy! Get me another bottle!" She snapped, finger curling the young waiter boy over to her side, something he nervously complied with either out of fear of her wrath if ignored, or because he'd thought her a pretty face.

She wouldn't complain, she did secretly enjoy the praise despite pushing everyone she'd ever known away.

She couldn't be bothered to care anymore.

"So that's what it's come to, huh? Finding you hiding here in some back alley pub drinking your savings away…" The words echoed out from somewhere behind her, and even in her drunken state she already wished that she was somewhere else.

She slammed the mug down darkly, unable to hide the scowl that crossed her lips. She didn't even turn his direction when she addressed the white haired man with a less then respectful tone. "What do you want, Jiraiya?" She murmured lowly, voice slurred from her albeit excessive drinking.

She could feel his disappointed scowl without even turning around, back to him as she stared blankly ahead.

She couldn't bring herself to look him in the eyes…

He sighed audibly, wooden sandals clicking as he took a few steps forward. "I just wanted to check up on you. Make sure you were taking care of yourself." He admitted lightly, but she wasn't buying it.

"You mean the old hounds sent you to inquire of my whereabouts." She corrected sharply, the accusatory tone she'd taken with him making him cringe inwardly. "Can't have one of the legendary Sannin going off on her own for too long without supervision, can he?" She grinned darkly, finally turning to address him with a grin that certainly didn't reach her eyes. "Isn't that right, Spy Master?" She mocked, a little disappointed that her verbal jab didn't seem to affect him on the surface.

But…

It was the pity in his eyes that hurt her instead, the pity that shot right through her fragile facade of confident loneliness.

"Tsunade…" He tried, arms crossed loosely. "Come home, please." He asked lightly, already knowing her answer.

She had to turn away before he saw the tears begin to well up in the corner of her eyes. "Why?" She bit out, biting her lips to stop the shaking. "There's nothing left there for me anyway. I've got no family, no friends, nothing to come back to." She expressed bitterly, hand tightening around the table as it started to crack.

But then that heat faded, and she was left feeling empty once again.

"So, Jiraiya…" She started again, the use of his first name in place of that familiar nickname she'd used to call him stabbing at his heart. "Please tell me what I have to return home to? Please convince me that there's something worth returning to the Hidden Leaf for, I beg you. Because as it stands now, that place has done nothing but take from me. Take and take until there was nothing left…"

She wiped fruitlessly at her eyes in an attempt to stop the tears. "I-I'd sure love to know of a good reason… I really would."

What was the point in trying to act tough now? He'd seen right through her from the get go, and unless there was some long lost brother of hers that she'd magically had no knowledge of until this point, she was right. There was nothing left for her anymore, no one or no thing to return home to.

Why should she even care anymore?

Drinking…

Drinking her tears away was all she had left, and he wanted to take that from her. Why couldn't they all just leave her alone? It was her life to do as she saw fit, and she didn't have anything that she wanted to live for now.

Maybe he finally understood that too, if his silence was anything to go off of. Try as he might he'd never been able to get through to her, and she didn't feel any better about returning now then she didn't years ago.

"This isn't what Dan would've wanted…" He knew it was the wrong thing to say the moment he'd said it, the air in the bar growing cold as a murderous aura began to surround her.

The table was split in half as her grip around it tightened, standing up so quickly that it sent the chair she'd been holding down across the bar. She rounded on the white haired man with a cold fury that could raise the dead, tears streaming down her cheeks as she leveled the most murderous glare at the man she once called a teammate.

"Don't… you dare… talk about him!" She snapped, hair flying up as her carefully curled levels of chakra exploded out. Her fists clenched so tightly by her side that her bones began to pop. "You don't get to talk about when he's gone! You don't know him, you never knew him!" She shouted, rounding on him like a cornered animal.

"I knew he wouldn't have wanted you to grieve his death forever." He knew he was making a mistake in trying to get her to see reason through him, but he also knew he couldn't live with himself if he stood idly by while she drowned herself in alcohol and misery. "Princess, please…"

She fell silent, eyes shadowed by her long platinum bangs. She shook where she stood, unbridled fury shaking held barely contained.

"Jiraiya…" She spoke lowly, sounding devoid of even that anger she'd held before. That's when he realized that he'd made a grave error in using Dan to try and make her come around. "Leave, or I'll kill you." She muttered darkly, hands falling to her side as she turned her back on him once again.

"P-Princess, please." He tried calling out to her, but she wouldn't talk anymore. She sank back down into the chair, plucking it up off the ground. "Tsunade…" He sighed sadly, realizing that in the end all he'd done was push her away.

If there was ever some way that she was going to return to the village, he knew now that it certainly wouldn't be because of him. "They're going to have a child soon… He named you the Godmother, because he felt like he could trust you if anything happened." It felt like a fleeting last chance as he said it, not naming names as he faced away.

She was quiet for a long moment, dwelling on the man's words, mulling them over. She swallowed thickly, hands shaking as she stared down at the full mug on her table. "H-He did…?" She murmured quietly, thumbs fumbling anxiously together on the wooden table.

"Yeah… He did." He didn't turn back her way, muttering quietly.

She swallowed thickly, biting her lips as she held back tears. "W-What-?" She asked, holding back a sob that threatened to break out. "W-What's his name?"

Jiraiya was silent for a moment before relenting. "Naruto." He muttered, before taking his leave knowing well that he wasn't welcome in that moment. He didn't say another word as he turned and left her, alone once more.

She'd managed to hold her emotions in until he'd left her again, before the damn broke and she cried. And she didn't stop crying.

It hurt, hurt so badly that she wanted to die…

She was here drinking because she wanted to forget about him, because it would be easier to forget than remember a dead man. She'd left because anyone who she'd ever cared about or who'd ever cared for her had died, and even looking at those mountains brought her so much grief.

Seeing his face in the back of her mind broke her as she fell into hysterics, the world around her blurring away.

Why?!

Why did he have to leave her?!

Why did he have to die?

Why did they all have to die…?

Why was she left all alone in the end?

Why…?

Why did that man name his child after her? Why did he even care about her? About the woman who'd turned her back on his village, the woman who'd given up after the war ended, the woman who couldn't even stop her close teammate from defecting?

Why had he decided that she was worthy of such respect, such responsibility?

"Tsunade-sama!" She didn't even register the frantic voice calling out to her, body numb as she sank into the chair, almost as lifeless as a corpse. It was only when the younger woman wrapped her up in a fierce hug that she realized where she was, coming back to her senses as the gently black haired woman held her close.

"S-Shizune…?" She croaked, voice raw.

"Tsunade-sama, please…" The younger woman begged, tears streaming down her face as well. "Please don't run away again! I-I thought that, that you…!" She couldn't even formulate the right thing to say, nearly hysterical when she'd finally found her again.

The blond sucked in a short breath, the cool night air filling her lungs as she tried to sober up even the tiniest bit to console the young girl. She wrapped her arms around her in return, blowing out a shaky sigh. "I'm sorry…" He muttered under her breath, moving to stand.

Her conversation with Jiraiya faded away, now hours past as midnight fell upon the little road town. The patrons had done well to leave them alone in their little corner the rest of the night, only when closing time came did anyone see them finally get up to leave.

The midnight air was brisk on her rosy cheeks as she left the building behind, the dimly lit streets greeting her as she walked with a half awake girl holding desperately onto her. Her hotel room wasn't far, a short walk down the road was all that stood between her and a nightmare filled sleep.

Yet her mind wasn't focused on that in that moment, something else drawing her attention. Something felt horribly off, a dreadful aura in the air.

It had taken her a moment to realize it in her drunken state, but the moment she did she knew something terrible was happening. Then she felt the ground shake beneath her, a subtle feeling, distant even.

She turned towards the depths of the land of fire, the barely visible mountains of Konoha far, far away.

And then she saw it. Her mouth felt dry as she saw what could not be confused with anything else, the tell tale tails of the Kyuubi raised high into the skies of the Hidden Leaf. Even from here she could feel its dreadful chakra leaking throughout the entire land of fire, the killing intent it radiated putrid even from this distance.

She couldn't even imagine what it might be at ground zero…

Fire and smoke filled the skies of the village far away, billowing high into the air. Its roar echoed throughout the entire land, death and devastation delivered with every swing of its mighty tails, thunder cracks of chakra exploding out as the monster ravaged the village around it.

However, before she could even begin to question what was going on, what had happened to Kushina or the Hokage himself, it vanished. In a flash of light the Kyuubi was gone, alongside it went the vile chakra. She wasn't even sure she'd believed what she'd just seen, either chalking it up to the restlessness or the alcohol coursing through her system.

Her answer, however, came in the form of a familiar blond haired man appearing from thin air.

"Tsunade-sama…" He wheezed, holding something close to his chest, his breathing ragged. He wore a bloodied white cloak with fire tickling the fringes of it. His once vibrant blue eyes were fading away, as if death itself had come for his soul. "I beg of you… take care of…" Blood poured freely from his lips, the light fading from his eyes as he fell to his knees. "T-Take care of my son…" Arms shaking, he held out the little squirming bundle in his hands up to her.

She didn't have time to truly take in what was happening, doing as was asked almost unconsciously as she took the bundle into her arms. Instincts did the rest as she held the wet shivering baby to her warm hefty bosom, instead directing her attention back down to the man who she knew all too well was actively breathing his last.

"M-Minato-sama!!" Shizune rushed to his side, supporting the dying man as he bled out in her arms.

The life had all but left his face, yet despite that, despite the sheer pain he was likely suffering through he still found the strength to smile. He offered the frantic young woman a bloody smile as he pushed her healing hands away, already knowing that there was no Ninjutsu in the world that could save him now. "D-Don't bother…" He choked out, blood filling his mouth. "I was d-dead long before I arrived…" He laughed a bitter sound, tears beginning to well up in his eyes.

Shizune clasped a hand over her mouth, horrified as she held the man in his last moments. The blonde stared up at the skies above, eyes widening as it began to rain. He couldn't help but find a last bit of cold amusement in that moment, for it felt that even the clouds were crying tonight.

"T-Tsunade-sama…" He breathed out, voice ragged as he beckoned her forward.

"I-I'm here." She'd sobered up completely, voice quiet as she knelt by his side. He reached up to take her hand, his grip surprisingly strong as he forced her to look him in the eyes. "I-I'm here, Hokage-sama…" She breathed, hands shaking as she held the surprisingly quiet infant in her arms.

"I couldn't ask anyone else…" He wheezed, coughing up red. "I-I'm not going to be there for him…" His tough facade began to crumble to dust as his heartbeat grew quieter, biting his lips as he began to cry, grip on her fingers slipping away. "H-His village won't see him f-for who he is… I beg you, p-please don't make t-their mistake. H-He needs.. needs… you…"

"…M-Minato-sama?" Shizune asked quietly, eyes slowly widening in horror as she watched his hand slip out of the older woman's, falling lifelessly to the ground below.

Tsunade stared down in sobering silence as she watched the life leave the man's eyes, his gaze locked firmly onto her own as he faded away. It felt like the entire world had slowed to a crawl, watching one of the last few people she'd ever cared for leave her behind…

Yet she found herself surprisingly calm in that moment, instead she glanced down to the infant in her arms held cradled to her bosom. She felt her breath leave her entirely as what she'd first thought was an orange baby blanket covering the newborn was in fact nine billowing little tails, all connected to the smallest little fox she'd ever laid her eyes upon.

It must've noticed her staring at it as its many tails slowly unfurled, revealing a small little creature, his little black nose sniffling. His eyes slowly opened, likely for one of the first times in his life, revealing deep red slitted orbs more akin to rubies than anything else. Its long bunny-like ears flopped backwards, the fur that lined the insides of which trailed all the way down to around his eyes akin to a natural maskcera.

Little hind legs curled up, the soft pink paw pads of his four little clawed toes practically sparkling in the moonlight of the late midnight hours. He stared up at her quietly, the first face he'd ever seen, the first pair of eyes he'd ever remember.

And then he smiled, a tiny little look as his dark black lips curled upwards.

"K-Kami…" The busty blonde breathed in awe, almost unbelieving her own eyes as she gazed down upon the form of a baby Kyuubi held within her own arms. It looked so much like the monster that had just ravaged the village that it was alarming, and yet she couldn't bring herself to fear it even a little.

That overwhelming hatred?

That unmistakable feeling of anger and rage?

That bubbling resentment for all of humanity?

Yes even that terrible aura, was gone. In its place was calmness, a blank slate ready to be molded into something new, something different…

Something beautiful.

And in his last dying breath, Minato had been sure that she was the one he could trust to do it.

She felt her breath hitch in her throat as the little fox held up his right paw as if reaching out to her, trying to touch the face of the one who so gently held him. She found her heart beating beneath her breasts with a newfound sense of life as his human-like paw took hold of her thumb, innocent eyes sparkling up at her.

In that moment she knew what she was going to do, what she had to do. She was going to take care of him from now on, raise him as her own.

And not a damn thing in this entire country was going to stop her. She had to withhold a coo of adoration as it snuggled up against her bosom for warmth, his nine long tails unconsciously curling around him as he gently drifted off to sleep.

"T-Tsunade-sama…" Shizune breathed in awe, looming over the sleeping fox with strange and mixed emotions. "Is that…?" She asked quietly, glancing up to her master's face. She felt her heart flutter at the genuine smile that graced the older woman's face, her cheeks warming as she gazed down at the furry baby in her arms.

"Yeah…" The platinum blonde whispered gently, completely enraptured by the cooing little fox in her embrace. "He is…" She trailed off, eyes widening slightly as he began purring against her chest, quickly falling asleep knowing that he was safe within her embrace.

Sleeping soundly within her arms, she finally felt the weight of the world settle back into her when she tore her eyes off the kit in her hands and back to the dead man laying peacefully below. Minato's dying words echoed in the back of her mind as she watched the wind part his bloodied bangs, the sounds of trees ruffling as Ninja rapidly approached their location.

''Don't make their mistake…''

''They won't see him for who he is…''

Her eyes widened as his words echoed throughout her mind, glancing back down to the sleeping bundle in her arms. The men approaching were likely high off of adrenaline and fear having just survived the Kyuubi's attack, and there was little to no chance they would see the creature in her arms as anything but an abomination that needed to be put down for good.

And she wasn't about to let that happen.

Moments before they appeared she gently shifted the little fox into her shirt, his little body resting between the valley of her hefty bosom as she wrapped her loose green coat over her chest to try and hide him. She knew there was no chance that they'd miss his chakra signature, but with the Kyuubi's menacing aura still within the air to some extent, she was praying that they don't.

She glanced down to the sleepily confused face of the little kit with a smile, gently shushing him as she ran her hand over his head. "Shh, it'll be ok." She cooed, heart fluttering as he smiled, immediately falling back to sleep.

Her gaze sharpened as they landed before her, the aged face of the third Hokage grim as he took in the lifeless corpse of his dearest student. Hiruzen had to withhold his grieving heart as he stared down at the young man, looking so peaceful even in his death.

His Anbu appeared as well, flanking him as he knelt down beside him. "I'm so sorry I had to come to this…" He muttered underneath his breath, closing the man's eyes as he sent out a silent prayer.

A wind blew through the area, a pin dropping could've been heard.

"Sir. It's nowhere to be seen." One masked ninja reported sharply, his dog-like mask emotionless.

Hiruzen looked grim as he slowly stood to his feet, finally turning to address the two women before him. "Tsunade-chan…" He muttered almost in surprise, as if just now taking in her presence.

"He… came to me." She found her voice speaking up, sure to not raise her tone more than necessary.

The old man's eyes widened as he looked her over, something about her stance and the way she was presenting herself setting off confused alarms. "Why?" He asked lowly, still mourning the loss of his student. "Do you know what just happened? I'm sure everyone within the land of fire felt that attack…"

"T-The Kyuubi attacked, sir…" Shizune spoke up nervously, drawing the attention to her as she stood by her master's side.

"Minato sealed it away into his son to stop it…" Hiruzen stated lowly, glancing down to the man by his feet. He bent down, gently picking him up in his arms.

He couldn't express how awful it was to be in a situation just like this more than once in his life, to have once again outlived one of his own students. Only this time he was there to see him die.

"But we've as of yet been unable to find the beast…" The dog masked ninja murmured lowly, fists shaking by his side. The killing intent radiating off of him was palpable, to say the least.

"Yes…" Hiruzen muttered lowly, shaking his head. "He sacrificed himself to seal the demon away."

"What do you intend to do with the child?" Her clipped response must've come out a little too quick, a bit too accusatory, for the older man's eyes narrowed. His gaze drew to ehe chest, noticing clearly that she was hiding something underneath her clothes. That's when he felt the chakra.

"Tsunade." Hiruzen muttered lowly, tone dipping into something a little more dangerous. "Give us the child." He ordered, grip on his bo-staff tightening.

"Answer my question." Her eyes narrowed into a dangerous look that none of the ninja there that night had seen for many years, and it gave a few of them more than a little pause.

"It must be locked away for its own saf-"

"It?!" She snapped lowly, fists tightening so firmly that a crack echoed out across the clearing.

"Tsunade. This is non negotiable." The third muttered lowly, lips leveling out into a firm line.

The woman was quiet for a long moment, staring at the ninja that stood before her, sizing them all up. The old man didn't like that look in her eyes.

"Shizune, pack out bags. We're leaving." She ordered sharply, tone low as she addressed the black haired girl.

"Y-Yes! Tsunade-sama!" She almost squeaked, quickly running off to do as was ordered. She knew better than to get in between the heated argument that was taking place.

"Shizune, stand down!" Hiruzen shouted to the fleeing woman, making her stumble.

But…?

"I said back our bags! Ignore him!" Tsunade shouted over him, staring the old monkey down with a look that told him he needed to run.

Shizune didn't need to be told twice, quickly running off without turning back around.

"Stop!" One of the Anbu shouted, leaping after her to force her to obey the Hokage's orders.

He then fell to the ground just five feet past the platinum blond haired woman, clutching his legs in surprised pain. Tsunade said nothing, yet her one hand was glowing with a green aura in the shape of a blade.

A chakra scalpel.

"This is your last warning, Tsunade-chan." Hiruzen begged.

The chakra scalpel quadrupled in length, the blade of hyper lethal chakra now slicing a gouge into the ground below her. That was her response. The first attack was a warning, something the young man she'd cut could easily fully recover from.

This next attack?

Would end the life of whoever it touched. "Hiruzen." She muttered lowly, gaze dark. "I will be leaving now, and I'm taking this child with me." She stated firmly.

"Tsunade!" He shouted.

"And if you or your men try to follow me?" She posed the question. "Then I will kill them." Her stance was made abundantly clear in that moment, and he knew that she wasn't planning on backing down or playing nice. He also wasn't sure he was capable of stopping a woman of her caliber without losing some of his men, or himself in the process.

So he didn't chase after her as she slowly began to walk away, his fists clenching tightly by his side as he watched her slip out of his fingers. "Damnit woman! Don't you realize what you're getting yourself into?!" He hissed.

"Do you?" She responded sharply, before vanishing into the darkness, child in tow. He knew not if he would ever see her or the boy again, for if there was one thing that was certain, it was the fact that if she wanted to stay hidden, you weren't going to find her anytime soon.

It hurt all over again, a strange newfound sense of Déjà vu. For it was not the first time he'd seen one of his students turn their backs on him and leave the Hidden Leaf, and this time around he knew there had to have been a better way of handling it but…

Perhaps she was right?

Perhaps that's why Minato had come to her and her alone in his final moments, for he must've realized that his people, the ninja of his village would not have judged the boy kindly in their despair.

In the end, he sacrificed himself to save his village, and simultaneously banished his only child in the hopes that he would not suffer. Yet here he stood trying to drag him back to Konoha, going against that plan.

"Oh Minato, I'm so sorry…" He muttered to himself, bending down to pick up the cold body of his student.

"Hokage-sama! What are your orders?" The Anbu had been patiently waiting their orders to give chase, but at the look in his eyes they realized that no chase would be occurring.

"The Forth Hokage is dead." He pronounced aloud. "In this tragedy so too was lost his wife and their only son." He muttered lowly. "Those are my orders." He turned around, turning his back on the woman as he made his way back to the village knowing damn well that this may be the last time he will ever see his beloved student…

Chapter

1

End?