Author's Note: This chapter has been edited by KarinMS. She had edited it months ago, but has only been updated just now. The same happened to the other next seventeen chapters.

Chapter One

First Contact

Naruto sighed for the tenth time today. His attempt to befriend the other kids was foiled…again. The parents were taking their children away the moment he walked to them and glared hatefully at him. He wondered why it happened to him… He knew that he had never done something bad to them, so that leaved an option where his relative—if he had any—had done something bad to them. But if that was true, certainly his relative couldn't have aggravated all of the villagers… They have even attempted to assassinate him 10 times! Those were the ones he knew off anyway. The ANBUs were always there when he was threatened, so maybe they have stopped many other assassinations that he didn't know about.

Those ANBUs appeared to be assigned to keep him safe. He wondered if he has enough value to have them watch him like a hawk. The only good thing happening to have those assassinations directed to him was that it motivated him to be stronger and have better senses at sensing someone walking closer to him. He didn't train like those ninjas who used kunais, shurikens or jutsus. He only trained to strengthen his body to have endurance, and also speed. He was good at running and dodging. He always escaped when his fist failed to protect him. Being a kid definitely sucked. His body wasn't strong enough to knock out an adult. The only thing he could do was to bruise them, and it seemed to infuriate his attackers more. If he then failed to escape, some ANBUs with their masks on would come for his help. The attackers would then run away, but Naruto frowned when those ANBUs didn't chase them. They only watched them leave and then vanished. Why didn't they capture those bad people and punish them? Certainly there were some laws regarding child abuse. It was like the ANBUs themselves wanted him to be killed and that they were only forced to save him. He was confused with this.

At the age of 5 Uzumaki Naruto already understood his surrounding better than any other kid. He didn't know why he was brighter than the other children. He was certainly not a genius, but he matured quicker than the other kids. Probably it was because he was lonely, so he was more perceptive, because he used his time to reminiscence every thing that happened around him, while the others were pampered by their parents.

He always wanted to run from the village, but he was still a kid, and there was no doubt on his mind that he could easily be killed in the wilderness. Sometimes he wondered why he wasn't left in the wood when he was a baby, knowing how much the villagers hated him.

The blond haired kid sighed again.

A growl interrupted his musing. He quickly stood up from the ground where he laid and looked around frantically. What was that? He backed away from the woods.

"At last… I can speak with you, boy," a deep rumble voiced out. He whipped his head around, trying to find the source of the voice. It really creeped him out. He heard another growl that he identified as an amused chuckle. It was an animalistic voice. He didn't know how he could translate something that seemed to be rubbish to most other people. His mind quickly darted to that of Inuzuka clan. They were shinobis that could communicate with dogs. But certainly he wasn't from that clan, was he?

"Who's there? Where are you? Show yourself coward!" he shouted in fear.

"Stupid boy, I am inside you."

"I-inside me?" Naruto stammered, certainly he imagined that voice. Maybe he had finally cracked under the pressure of all of those assassinations.

"Yes, inside you. I was sealed inside you when you were just a newborn."

"Sealed…inside me? When I was just born?" Naruto's mind quickly processed this information. Something was sealed inside him, meaning that it was a spirit or something like that. And it was sealed when he was just born… He was born at 10 October. At the time Kyuubi was attacking… Konoha. He gulped when he realized it.

"Very good, boy. You're right. I am indeed the nine tails fox demon." The demon appeared to be pleased at his quick mind.

"B-but you're supposed to be killed by the Fourth!" he shouted, not wanting to admit that it was true.

"Don't deceive your own mind, boy. You have already realized that the tale isn't true. The truth was that I was sealed inside you and the villagers hated you, thinking that you were me."

Naruto opened his mouth, but closed it again. Everything became clear now. Why the villagers hated him, why they wanted to kill him… The only thing he didn't understand was why the ANBUs were assigned to keep him safe.

"It was because the leader of this pathetic village ordered to keep you safe despite the protests from the villagers," Kyuubi answered his question. Naruto's legs grew weak and he dropped to his knees. This didn't happen to him. This… couldn't be… For the first time since he was 3 years old, Naruto cried out loud.

The fox snorted at his display of weakness. "Shut up!" He snapped. The boy quickly stopped crying his heart out, but he was still sniffing.

"W-why did you just decide to c-contact me now of all times?" he hiccupped.

"It was because of the interference of that stupid seal of yours. I have had a hard time altering it inside you. Now listen to what I want to say to you!"

Naruto nodded. He brought his knees closer to his chest and prepared to listen to whatever the fox demon wanted to say.

"I really don't like to be humiliated!" The fox snarled disdainfully. Naruto jerked at his sudden anger. "The moment those filthy humans started beating you, throwing you trash, and every other thing they have ever done to you; I am humiliated! I am Kyuubi, one of the Great Beasts, and shouldn't be treated like trash!" The demon paused for a moment. "I wanted my greatness to be recognized, but I also understand that I couldn't be free from this seal because it was Shinigami himself who sealed me inside you. And that was why… you, my boy, will be my messenger!"

"Your…messenger?" the blond kid asked confusedly.

"Yes, you have to prove yourself to everyone that you; the vessel of the nine tails fox demon, are strong! If the people know that you're strong, they would know that I'm not someone to be trifled with. They will learn to fear me from you."

"You don't mean to make me kill people to prove myself, do you?" Naruto gulped.

A snort was his answer. "You will kill someone eventually. There are many people who want you dead, and you have to kill them if you want to survive. But even if you didn't slaughter them, there is another way. Prove your strength as my vessel. Founding a strong village would be a good way!"

"Founding a village?" Naruto shouted in disbelief. "How in the hell could I do that? I am only a kid. And founding a village will be hard. What about the resources, money, the people? Why can't I just prove myself as a strong shinobi rather than founding a village?"

"Shut up, boy, and listen to me until I'm finished with my explanation! Becoming a strong shinobi is indeed a good way, but you're still a human. You have a limit and with people wanting you dead you will be hunted by many. Do you think you could handle all of them? If you have a village, you will have something to back you up when you're tired. And for resources… don't forget that I'm a great demon. I could help you with those. And for the people for your village…you will find many of them in Water country. That country had a civil war and people with bloodlines were shunned there. Yes, people that were just like you. They would be easy to recruit if you could give them a safe haven. Of course you have to prove that you are stronger than them before they would obey you. You could also recruit orphans that were left alone to fend for themselves. There are many of them after the Great Wars between the shinobi villages." Kyuubi paused to let his explanation sunk on his brain before proceeding. "So, how's that?"

"I-I," he stammered.

"How is that, boy?" The demon snapped.

"You'll help me, right?" the nine tails grinned.

"Yes, I will."

"Then I agree. I'll prove myself that I, Uzumaki Naruto, vessel of the nine tails, am strong," Naruto stood up and said firmly. His eyes shone with determination.

TBC…

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