Author's Note:

This is my second Naruto fanfic and is more for practice than anything else. Never the less, I still hope that you will like this story, as I wish to bring new elements to the world of Naruto fanfiction.

I strongly encourage everyone to read my other Naruto fanfic, A Second Chance. Although it has a completely different plot, I think everyone will enjoy it.

All I can ask for is a nice review from every reader, so I would like to say….

READ AND REVIEW!!!!!!

Enjoy!

"Normal speech"

Thoughts

Biju speech

Biju thoughts

Chapter 1: First Meetings

Namikaze Minato stood upon Gammabunta's head, holding a newly born child in his hands. His child. His Naruto forever destined to hold a terrible burden. One that he never asked for, and one he could never shed without untold destruction. Konoha's Yellow Flash sighed as he looked at his sleeping Naruto. His son; his last remaining relative on the face of the earth…and soon to be an orphan. Tears welled in the Hokage's eyes at the thought of his beloved wife. She had died in his arms less than ten minutes ago in the hospital. She had died in childbirth, the strain of being a ninja combined with giving birth proved too much for his beloved.

"Forgive me my son." Minato begged softly. "Because of me, your life will be difficult. The village may not love you as I wish you would be as my son. Only time will tell. I'm sorry I can't live to see you grow up, to be happy, to laugh, to play, to cry, to succeed." A tear trickled down his face and splashed upon Naruto's brow. "I'm sorry Naruto." The great leader of Konoha slowly lowered his head and kissed Naruto where his tear had landed. "May you grow up to be strong, wise and loved. My you find happiness in many things and succeed in your life." His words were soft yet painfully spoken. There was weight behind his blessing. The blessing a father gives his son before sending him off into the world to forge his own path. He held the bundle of cloth tighter to his chest before forcing himself to look up.

Almost immediately, the sounds of battle returned to his ears. He had blocked out the din of battle to focus solely on his son. Less than a mile away, the Kyuubi no Yoko stood thrashing at Konoha ninja as they attempted to stop the fox demon's path of destruction. To keep their village safe they would make the ultimate sacrifice. Minato paused for a moment as he placed Naruto gently in between his feet, clamping the newborn firmly in place. He couldn't hold this off any longer. He knew that it was only a matter of time before the demon slaughtered every last Leaf Shinobi and attacked the village.

He slowly and carefully formed seal after seal, stringing them together in a long and complex chain, weaving a powerful jutsu out of his chakra. Gradually the pale unearthly shadow of the Death god came into being, hovering behind him, its fearsome sight unseen to everyone on the battlefield. "Goodbye Naruto…" Namikaze Minato felt the cold, death-like spectral hand reach through him as the Death god stretched its arm out through Minato and towards the rampaging biju. As soon as its arm reached its target, the Nine-Tailed Fox froze. A blinding light filled the ravaged war zone as Minato directed the Kyuubi's form into his son. Almost instantly the demon was gone, and on Naruto's belly a swirl seal formed as black as the midnight sky.

"Demon, if you can hear this, know that you will never escape." The Fourth Hokage coughed as the Death god moved in to claim its payment. "Aid my son in becoming the best person he can be." His voice weakened as life began to leave his body. "Teach him how to be strong, guide him to be a person of honor and courage." Minato was on his final reserves; the force of the Death god couldn't be delayed for long. "Help him learn my jutsu and become even greater than I." With his dying breath, NamikazeMinato managed to whisper. "I…Love…You…" He couldn't hold out any longer. With a savage yank, the Death god pulled Minato's spirit from his body and ate it, slowly disappearing into nothing as he swallowed.

With the death of his summoner, Gammabunta knew he couldn't stay long. With long, powerful hops, he carried his precious passengers back to Konoha, to the North gate opposite from the Hokage Mountain. His tongue snaked up to his head and gently wrapped around the body of Minato and the now crying Naruto. He lifted them off and slowly placed them at the feet of an old ninja, one who had seen countless battles and had come through victoriously. "IT IS DONE." He boomed in a pained and sad voice. "TAKE CARE OF HIM." With that, he disappeared in a large could of smoke which quickly disappeared.

Saratobi looked at the two forms at his feet. One living, the other dead. Sadly, the former Hokage of Konoha made a single shadow clone that picked up Minato's body, while he bent over and picked up the still crying bundle containing Naruto. He gazed at the newborn child in wonder and sheer amazement. Naruto had three long, thin scars on each cheek. They looked like whiskers. They were red and slanted upwards, tapered at both ends making them look streamlined. Surprisingly the scars fit the boys face perfectly. They were neither too long, nor too short. They complemented his visage to the point where they looked as if they belonged there.

The Third shook his head. Naruto's burden would affect his life forever. Foster parents were an unlikely bet; no one would want the prisoner of the Kyuubi in their homes. The people would live in constant fear of the boy, knowing what was sealed inside him. There was no chance for the village to not find out what Naruto held. The death of the well liked and adored Fourth would need a thorough explanation. Nothing could be withheld as the villagers would without a doubt demand an explanation. The aged man sighed again as the mournful faces of the villagers began to emerge from their houses, hearing the terrible sounds of battle cease. Individuals wept at the sight of NamikazeMinato dead in the arms of the Third.

Saratobi made his way through the streets of Konoha to the Hokage's mansion where he handed his successor's body to a small group of ninja specifically summoned to prepare their fallen leader's body for the grave. Wrapped in his bundle of cloth, a now sleeping Naruto lay unnoticed by the crowds and the ninja. The Third slowly made his way to the Hokage's office where he closed the door and examined Minato's last work. On top of the desk lay a scroll with hastily written but neat script. Saratobi sat down slowly in the chair behind the desk and picked up the document with one hand, the other keeping Naruto on his lap.

Saratobi-sama,

If you are reading these words, then you know I am dead and the Kyuubi is sealed inside my child. I'm about to head to the hospital now, but I need to write out my last testament for my child's sake. I know not whether it is a boy or a girl, but that doesn't matter. All I want is for him or her to grow up knowing how to live honorably and courageously. I would rather have lived out this battle to see my child's future. I know that his or her life without me will be difficult.

The medics informed me that there is a strong chance that Kushina will die from childbirth. They told me that the strains of giving birth are intense as it is, but her life as a shinobi may have pushed her body too far. If…if she is to die, then I wish for my son to be brought up in as loving an environment as possible. I know that you cannot take him in with more than likely your reinstatement as Hokage, but I beg that you find him a suitable home and watch out for him, as he grows older. Kushina and I decided that if we died, he would have the name Uzumaki Naruto. If he held my name, he would attract far too many of my enemies. When he reaches a mature age, please tell him who his parents were. Growing up without even knowing who his parents were will be tough, but it is for his own protection.

Signed: NamikazeMinato

Saratobi couldn't help but let a few tears roll down his face as he finished reading Minato's will and letter. "I will do as you ask Minato." He whispered resolutely. "I promise you that." The aged Hokage placed the letter on the desk and resumed to shift through the other letters and documents. Most scrolls were about sealing techniques, which Minato had pulled out of storage in an attempt to find something to use against the Kyuubi. Amid the jumbles of the scrolls, the Third was able to find mission reports and team assignments. Those he piled on the floor in order of mission rank, placing the S and A class missions closest to his desk, while leaving the lower B, C, and D class missions over to one side of the office.

The bane of the Kages seemed to be…paperwork. Nothing was more time consuming, nerve-racking, tedious, and hated in the Kage's line of duty. The most powerful shinobi of the hidden villages were stuck in their respective villages, doing paperwork, not missions, paperwork. Saratobi sighed as he gently picked up Naruto. The infant would need a wet nurse. With the number of shinobi killed in the attack, the orphanages would be admitting more children. More children meant an easier time slipping Naruto into the organization without unneeded attention. The old shinobi sighed as he exited the office. He was going to have to retake the title of Hokage. He was going to have to rebuild Konoha to its former strength. He was going to have to deal with Naruto.

Not surprisingly the streets of the Hidden Leaf were packed with civilians and ninja alike, all of them trying to help the wounded to the hospital. Konoha's renowned medical teams would have to come through for the village yet again as the wounded continued to flood into the gates. No one seemed to notice the Hokage suddenly henge into civilian and mingle into the crowd. He was hidden as a middle-aged man with scars on his face, obviously a laborer, with brown hair, brown eyes, and plain clothes. Nothing stood out about him except for the sleeping infant in his arms.

When he arrived at the most hospitable and well-known orphanage in Konoha, he acted confused and slightly on edge. "Um…excuse me?" his voice was deep and commanding and instantly got the attention of an aid.

"Can I help you?" She asked in a kind voice, one that exuded calmness and peace. She had been around children long enough to learn how to ease them back to sleep or calm their fears, however strong they might be.

"Um…I was told to bring this child here." The Hokage's henged voice said with some uncertainty. "He was a ninja who was leaving for battle."

"That's understandable." The aid replied. "Did he say who he was?"

"No, but he said his son's name was Uzumaki Naruto." Saratobi replied, his false voice slowly gaining confidence. "He said that if he survived, he would come to reclaim his son here, so here I am."

"Very well." The aid said with a sigh. "With such an intense attack, we are literally over flowing with new orphans." Naruto started to cry that moment. "I guess he is hungry." She looked at the man and said "I'll take him from here. Thank you for bringing him, and if you see the man, tell him where his son it."

"I will." Saratobi replied, knowing full well that Minato would never come. He walked out of the orphanage and into the streets. He released his henge and readied himself to face the tack at hand.

-Five Years Go By-

Naruto was running as fast as his little legs would carry him. Behind him, and angry crowd was chasing him, throwing all manner of projectiles at the poor blonde boy. Ducking into an alleyway, Naruto desperately hopped that he could escape in the narrow confines between the two story buildings. Unfortunately for him, it was a dead end. He was never going to escape now. Desperate, he huddled into a shadow as best he could. In the late afternoon sun, the towering building prevented the sunlight from reaching the pavement, creating an artificial twilight. Only five of the mob decided to brave the dark and smelly alley to search for their prey.

"Come out DEMON." One said in a sickening singsong voice, mocking the terrified Naruto. "Come out and DIE!!" Naruto couldn't help but huddle closer to the alley wall, partially hidden by a dumpster. His arms were wrapped around his knees, which were tucked into his chest. Naruto was small, but his blond hair and lack of objects to hide behind didn't aid in his hiding. Even in the artificial twilight, he would be completely visible if the villagers only edged a little further down the alley. He shivered in the crisp October air.

For some reason, they stopped and abruptly turned around and left the alleyway. A teenage boy wearing a ninja outfit, complete with a hitai-ate, dropped from the rooftop and landed next to the small five-year-old. "You…save…me?" Naruto asked, struggling for words. Even though he was a five, his vocabulary wasn't stellar. Being called 'monster' and 'demon' all his miserable and lonesome life didn't help him build his speech.
"Why do you think I tricked them into leaving you unharmed?" He asked with a grin on his face.

"I…no…know." Naruto replied, stuttering just like the first time.

"So I can kill you now DEMON!" The teenager slowly drew a kunai from his weapons pouch. "This is for my parents whom you KILLED!" The boy drew back his arm.

"DUCK AND ROLE!" Naruto heard a women's voice cry out. He immediately did as the voice commanded, but was too slow. The ninja plunged the gleaming black kunai into Naruto's heart…or he would have if Naruto hadn't started to move. Instead he stabbed right through the young blonde's rib cage and right lung, causing Naruto to scream in pain. The primal cry was enough to make all but the hardened veteran flinch. It was filled with pain and anguish beyond comprehension.

The teenage shinobi swore shamelessly as he missed the heart of his parent's killer. Naruto coughed up blood as he tried to gasp in shock and pain. More blood trickled down his cheek as it leaked from the corner of his mouth. His now torn shirt was soaked in thick red blood that flowed from the hole in his chest. The ninja would have continued his assault if it were not for several other leaf shinobi and civilians coming to investigate. Hastily, he withdrew his weapon from Naruto's chest and leapt out of the alleyway, leaping from rooftop to rooftop to flee the scene of his cruel assault.

Reality for five-year-old Naruto was different from the bloodied mess the villagers found. Although the boy was still alive, he seemed to be unconscious, not surprising considering the amount of pain and blood loss the kid was suffering. Reality for Naruto was damp and dark. He fearful eyes glanced from side to side, seeking something, anything that could tell him where he was. He heard a rumble to his left and glanced in that direction. Although his appeared to be in a tunnel of some sort, with a few inches of water at the base, a red glow seemed to emanate from the side tunnel.

"Who there?" He asked in a frightened and subdued voice. He heard nothing in reply, so he stood up and walked towards the light with one hand on the tunnel wall for guidance and support. He walked for only twenty of thirty steps before a huge chamber opened up before him. The young Naruto couldn't help but gaze upwards in awe of the immense height. After a moment he leveled his gaze at an immense gate in front of him. It's thick iron bars were square and allowed Naruto's curious head to pear inside the cage.

"Naru-kun." Crooned the women's voice again.

"Where…you?" Naruto asked confused by not being able to see whoever was talking to him. "Why I no see?"

"I'm right in front of you Naru-kun." The voice said again. "Do you wish to see me?" It was calm and soothing almost tender as the voice spoke to the small blonde.

"Yes!" Naruto replied almost instantly. "I want see you." He said in his little kid's voice.

Behind the bars of the gate, an immense form materialized. Red eyes slowly opened and a halo of red light illuminated the voice's owner. Naruto yelped and scrambled away from the large creature behind the gate. "I will not hurt you Naru-kun." The creature said softly and comfortingly.

"Who you?" Naruto asked in his broken speech, but still able to convey his question.

"I am Kyuubi no Kitsune." The red creature replied. "I am the Nine-Tailed Fox."

"Nine-Tails bad." Naruto said automatically. "All say so."

"Not everyone knows who I am." The Kyuubi replied.

"You girl?" Naruto asked curiously as he listened to the female voice resounding through the cavern.

"Yes, silly. I'm a girl." The Kyuubi answered, grinning and revealing a row of flashing white teeth that seemed threatening to the small boy who scurried away further. "You may call me Kyu-chan."

"Kyu-chan?" Naruto half asked and half stated. "That you? Why you here? Where here?" Naruto's rapid-fire, scared questions assaulted the Kyuubi in a sudden barrage.

"One: yes, the creature you see is me." The Kyuubi replied. "Two: I'm here because I'm in your mind. Three: This is your mind."

"My head?" Naruto asked unsure of what the Kyuubi referred to.

"Yes, your head and your mind. The place where you think." The Kyuubi replied. "You're asleep right now, that's why I can talk with you."

"I sleep?" Naruto asked confused. He was obviously awake. How could he be talking if he was sleeping?

"It's hard to explain." The Kyuubi said softly. "Don't worry. I'm here to protect you."

"You keep me safe from bad people?" Naruto asked finally able to make a complete sentence.

"Yes I will." She replied. "I will help you get strong and grow."

"How?" Naruto asked. "How you do that if you in my head?"

"I can tell you how." The nine-tailed vixen replied. "Now it is time for you to wake up so you can get strong."

Naruto was about to protest, but the scene before his eyes faded to black, letting him fall to sleep.

Naruto woke up slowly. At first he heard a constant, steady electronic beep. The next thing he noticed was that he felt warm, yet something soft and silky was rubbing over his bare skin as he moved. The final sense that activated was his smell. The sterile smell of a hospital filled his nostrils. Groaning, he rolled over, but found something holding him back. His eyes opened slowly. A harsh white light overhead made him squint until his eyes could adjust.

He turned his head and saw wires running from his body to a box on a cart. A soft glowing square monitor showed graphs and tables full of data that the five-year-old couldn't make heads or tails of (pun intended). He weakly tried to sit up, but again, the wires restricted his movements. He felt something rough rub gently against his skin as he bent his torso slightly. He looked down and saw that the right side of his chest was bandaged tightly with a long pure white strip of cloth. Almost immediately as he lay back down, fingering his bandage, a nurse slid open his door and stepped inside.

Naruto clamped his eyes closed and pretended to be asleep, but the machine, which the nurse examined, measured his increased heart rate and gave him away. "It's okay." She said softly as she turned to stroke his spiky blond hair with one hand, the other scribbling something illegible onto a piece of paper on her clipboard. "You're safe here." She played with his hair almost absent-mindedly as she continued to examine instruments and other readouts. "You took quite a blow. We were surprised when you began to show signs of recovery even before we healed you up."

Naruto was completely relaxed in his bed. The nurse's stroking and playing with his hair had left him in a semi-hypnotized state. He was…comfortable. For the first time in his miserable life, he was comfortable. He relaxed and let his eyelids droop down. He yawned and fell back asleep. The nurse smiled at this and finally pulled her hand from his hair as gently as she could. She scribbled another note onto her papers and then left the room as quietly as she could.

-Two Later-

"Naru-kun!" The Kyuubi's voice rang out, pulling Naruto from his slumber and into the waking world. He glanced around his hospital room and saw he was disconnected from the machine. It was in the corner of the room opposite from the bed and powered down.

"What is it?" Naruto asked aloud.

"Think your words and I'll bear them. You should know that by now." Her voice was comforting and yet concerned at the same time.

Oh right. Naruto replied. Sorry I forgot.

"Obviously." The vixen said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. In the past two years Naruto's speech had improved dramatically, thanks to the tireless work of the nine-tailed fox sealed inside him. Already she had started to train him to become stronger. He was currently learning how to access and manipulate his chakra. Things like hand seals and jutsus were out of the question; the Kyuubi didn't know them. To compensate for that loss of training, she made an extra effort to help him with his physical conditioning. For a seven year old, Naruto was strong. He constantly was lifting and carrying rocks around one of the lighter sections of forest surrounding the village itself.

Under the vixen's careful eye he set to building small forts to which he could escape to if he needed. They were carefully hidden among the foliage and were almost invisible to the naked eye. Having to drag and carry moderately heavy loads gradually increased Naruto's strength and conditioning. When he first started, even the smaller of rocks proved challenging for him to transport even a few meters. Now he was pulling long branches through the woods (its tougher than it sounds—you try it), to quicken the building process and add some camouflage to his hideouts.

All his alcoves were watertight and stocked with small amounts of non-perishable food. If he needed to, he could close himself into one and remain there for nearly a two days before needing to replenish his water, and food supplies. An unrealized boon of spending so much time in the training areas of a shinobi village, was finding discarded kunai and shuriken. Although he didn't know how to use them, he still stockpiled the ones the Kyuubi thought were in reasonable condition. The rest he sold as scrap to a local smith, named Daren, who gladly took the stiff metals off of Naruto's hands for both money and sometimes a blanket or another useful item.

Even though little Naruto made incredible efforts to keep well fed, the amount of food he could buy with his pitiful income was negligible compared with the nutrition he needed. There were times when he could have sworn that a lady behind him in line was charged a quarter what some shop owners charged him, but he never complained. That surprised the Kyuubi the most about her host. No matter what they did to him, Naruto wouldn't cross the villagers. It was impressed upon him very early on that everyone hated him for some unknown and hidden reason. No matter what he said, no matter how flawless his logic, he was still discriminated and ostracized.

To say the least, he was in a rough situation almost every day. Whether it was a mob of villagers, or a lone ninja or two, he was harassed and beaten on a regular basis. He could try to hide and use a different route every day, but they still found him. Despite this, the pair couldn't look at it as anything but training. The more poundings he took, the tougher he would get. His new muscles helped reduce some internal damage, but even they were not enough. The Kyuubi was constantly using her chakra to heal her host's body after nearly each beating. To the villagers, this was just another sign that he really was a demon. No matter what they threw at him, he always ventured back into the town the next day, never seeming to be in pain from his injuries the previous day.

Groaning Naruto slid upright in the bed, still partially covered by the bed sheets. He yawned and raised his arms over his head to stretch. The tightness in his side alerted him to a fresh bandage wrapped around his torso. The previous morning he had been ambushed by two particularly cruel ninja. Even after slicing him up with kunai and shuriken from a distance, they had kicked him in the side when he was immobile on the ground.

He grimaced at the memory of the pain he had felt as ten of his ribs shattered under their blows. If it wasn't for the vixen sealed inside him he knew he would be dead. Her power to heal his body almost instantly had kept his internal organs from bursting and instantly killing him. If it weren't for a patrolling ANBU, he would have been too injured to continue living. Cuts and scrapes were one thing to heal, but broken bones and shattered ribs were a completely different level. Even his partner couldn't heal those quickly.

As if the room was bugged to let the nurse know he was awake, his nurse opened the door and stepped inside. She was the same one for all his trips to the hospital. No one else came in to check on him. She was the only one. She had deep blue hair that fell to her shoulders. Her face was soft and warm, it helped comfort Naruto when he was terrified of something or needed a kind face after enduring years of angry glares. Her mother's touch helped Naruto trust her the most. She seemed to know exactly how to stroke his hair or touch him in a comforting manner. (Don't get ideas Jiraiya)

Despite all her care and lack of ill will, Naruto still found himself not completely trusting her. Years of abuse left him as a cornered animal, not trusting, always suspicious. The animalistic ways of the Kyuubi made him act more like one in turn.

He was broken from his train of thought as she spoke. "You're all set." Naruto looked at her. "Your bones seem to be healing incredibly quickly. All you have to do is keep that bandage on for a few days for everything to completely heal."

Naruto nodded in understanding. "Thank you." He mumbled as he sat up straighter.

She smiled at his words. "You are quite welcome Naruto. But please, for your sake, don't go looking for fights. You're always getting hurt."

"Its not like I'm trying to find a fight." Naruto replied sullenly. "They come looking for me." Both of them knew who 'They' was—all the villagers and a portion of the ninja population hated him for what he contained.

"Well, try to take it easy for a few days." She said, laying his clothes at the foot of the bed. "You're free to go. You've recovered sufficiently to make your way home and rest."

"Thanks for everything!" Naruto called after the nurse as she left the room smiling. Quickly he stripped off his hospital clothes and slipped into his own patched but intact clothes. He slipped out of the hospital and successfully made it to one of his many hide outs. Once inside he relaxed and flopped down on the ground, careful to keep his ribs from screaming in protest.

"Careful." The Kyuubi warned. "You aren't healed all the way yet. You need to rest for a while."

But I'll need to get food by noon tomorrow. Naruto complained. I'll need to move about.

"Didn't you listen to a word that your nurse said to you?" she asked. "She said to not strain yourself for several days." She paused to contemplate their situation. "I'll have to think of something to help you out."

But what about food? Naruto asked.

"You certainly have a one-track mind. You know that?" The Kyuubi asked, mussing about what to do.

Food is important. Naruto retorted. I need food to survive.

"You might be able to summon me." The Kyuubi said after a minute of ignoring Naruto's protests and rants about food.

How would that help me? Naruto asked. You're hundreds of feet tall and will attract a bit of attention.

"Baka!" She shouted, smashing her many tails into the water in her cage. "I'm incredibly powerful. The only reason why I'm big is because of all the power I have. If you were to limit the amount of chakra that leaks out, I could assume any size needed."

If this was possible, why didn't you make me summon you when you first started to talk with me? Naruto asked, slightly betrayed by the vixen's apparent lack of consideration.

"Back then you didn't have the strength to do didily squat." She said, offended by the blonde's accusation that she, the Kyuubi no Kitsune, would betray someone. "Now, only after all your training, might you be ready for this."

Alright… Naruto replied, slightly forgiving the fox. So how do I do it?

"I haven't gotten that far yet…"She confessed. Naruto sweat dropped at this.

Then why mention it if you don't know how it would be done? Naruto asked.

"I'm sorry," She replied. "But I could teach you how to bring the big version of me out. I'm only working on the size control right now."

How long have you been working on this? Naruto asked.

"Shhh!!" She hushed him. "About five minutes and I'm almost done, so stay quiet!" The blonde could hear the Kyuubi's mutterings and after another five minutes she finally spoke. "Alright, I've got it."

Finally! Took you long enough! Naruto exclaimed with mock exasperation.

"You try figuring out something this complex in ten minutes." She retorted. "All you have to do is hold your hands in this position." She pulled Naruto into his subconscious in front of her cage. She used her forepaws to show Naruto the hand seal.

"I though you didn't know any hand seals." Naruto's voice rang out and echoed around the chamber.

"I don't." She replied. "That's why I invented this one."

Naruto blinked, taken aback by her words. "You…created a hand seal?" Naruto tried to take in the magnitude of those words. "I thought that was impossible."

The Kyuubi sighed. "Hand seals are used to manipulate your chakra without having to concentrate hard. In reality, you don't need the hand seals to perform a jutsu if you know exactly how you need to mold and manipulate your chakra." She explained to him how most of the time, shinobi used hand seals to make forming the jutsu easier and more effective. "You could learn how to summon me into any size you want, but that would take years to learn and then many more years to master. Instead, this hand seal will allow you to mold your chakra and only have to concentrate on the flow. The flow determines my size."

Naruto tried to form the complicated hand seal in the Kyuubi's presence before he got it down correctly. Looking at the seal, he realized that it looked like a tent. He interlocked all his fingers except his index and middle fingers, which he crossed to form a 'V.' Pulling out of his subconscious, he practices forming the seal a few more times. On his forth try he let an inkling of the Kyuubi's chakra through the seal. With a 'poof' an incredibly small fox stood in front of Naruto.

"A little more chakra next time." She said in Naruto's mind.

Naruto nodded and released the new jutsu. The Kyuubi disappeared in a second 'poof' of smoke. All right, how much more chakra would you recommend? The blond by asked.

"Maybe twice as much." The vixen replied. "I'd like to be the size of a normal fox."

Alright. Naruto replied as he performed the jutsu again. When the smoke cleared this time, the Kyuubi sat blinking at Naruto. She was about three feet long, with a single tail swinging behind her.

"I thought that you had nine tails." Naruto stated.

"The more power I have, the more tails I will grow." She replied. "With the pitiful amount of chakra you let me have, this is the biggest I can grow with the most tails possible."

"So you could have nine tails worth of power while still being that size?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, but the power would undoubtedly bring shinobi running from miles to investigate." She sighed. She would love to be roaming the plains and feeling the air run through her fur, but instead she was trapped inside a small, human boy. "The kind of power I possess cannot be hidden or masked. There is simply too much."

"Oh…Alright." Naruto said. "So are you going to get food or something?"

"I was just heading out." The vixen replied as she bound out the entrance and disappeared into the underbrush around the hide out. Naruto looked out trying to see the red fox through the dense foliage but to no avail. Sighing he settled into a slight depression in the ground that he fit in perfectly.

Without anything else to do, Naruto picked up one of his many kunai and began to whittle a short stick. It was one of his habits that he fell into when he needed to think or simply pass the time. Now was just time to be wasted. With his Kyu-chan out hunting or doing something to gather some food, all the little blonde seven year old could do was to wait for her return. He whittled and whittled, not really paying attention to what he was doing with his hands, completely on auto pilot. He heard a twig snap out side and then another. Kyu-chan where are you?

"I'm stalking a rabbit. Shhh." She replied from her location not too far away.

There's someone near me on the outside. Naruto said with worry creeping into his voice.

Shit…"I'll be there as fast as I can be." The Kyuubi said, leaping from her hiding spot, scaring the rabbit half to death, and bolting back towards the hideout. You'd better be alright when I get there…

Alright, a little cliff hanger, but I needed something to beak off this chapter so I could post. Don't expect me to update quickly. It's hard to write this much for a regular schedule.

Please leave me a review and PLEASE, PLEASE read my other Naruto fanfic, A Second Chance.

Almost 6,000 words =)

~Cyberviper42~