In this story, team 7 are 14 years old, and Sasuke is still in the village. Whether he never left or he was caught is up to you to decide, it's not revealed here, and I can't remember what I thought when I wrote it (it was a while ago).

In Naruto's "inner conversation" with the Nine-Tailed Fox, everything he says/thinks is in italic, while everything the Nine-Tailed Fox says/thinks is in bold. Single words in a regular sentence in bold are not the Nine-Tailed Fox.

---pretendingtobeastraightlineisfunforwordsnothumans---

Kakashi-sensei was late for training as usual. So far, his record is three hours and forty-one minutes. We had been waiting on the bridge for only a little over an hour and a half. I was sitting on the bridge, leaning against the railing, and staring straight in front of me. Yes, I was quiet. I'm fourteen and I have the Akatsuki following me, trying to kill me, so I'm bound to get more mature. Anyway, Sasuke was leaning against the railing a couple of feet to my left, and Sakura was for some weird reason standing on the middle of the bridge. What wasn't weird was the fact that she was stubbornly trying to start a conversation with Sasuke. This wasn't going very well, as he was just being his usual loner monosyllabic self. I have yet to figure out why Sakura – and almost every other female ninja around our age – continuously tries to talk to him and get to know him. Not even I can do that just by normal chit-chat (which by the way is very rare for us), and he has claimed that we're best friends.

I quietly sighed, my eyes still fixed on the river on the other side of the bridge. I had tuned Sakura and Sasuke out a while ago, because they obviously didn't want me in their 'conversation'. I was fine with that. I talked with them regularly.

And you call them your closest friends a deep, growling voice commented in my head. I know that voice. It's Kyuubi. I felt a small smile coming to my lips as my vision blurred and I half left reality to have a little conversation with the demon.

It's been a while

Now that you mention it, it actually has. I hadn't noticed

Why's that?

I've been sleeping a lot

What, nothing else to do?

Basically

So, you're not one for keeping in touch, I see

Hey, you could have visited me as well

I've been a little busy in a while

And I haven't?

You just said you spend most of your time sleeping

You got me there

Now, what's that about my friends?

Some friends they are

What do you mean?

They ignore you, they insult you, and Sakura even hits you as well

So?

That doesn't seem very friendly, not even to me

Wow, I'm impressed. But they are my closest friends

As I said earlier, some friends they are

All my friends are a little mean to me

Then why do you even call them friends?

Because that's what they are

Hn

They are!

Hn

Are you trying to pull a Sasuke or something?

Not really. The guy you call your best friends isn't exactly my secret drinking buddy

Of course not, you can't have a drinking buddy. You're stuck inside me

You know what I meant, Kit

Yes I do

You are so annoying sometimes

You're not exactly on my list of people or things I like

Right back at ya, Kit

Can I ask you something?

It's not like I can run away from your questions

You could go back to sleep

True

Actually, before the question I wanted to ask you, do you do anything except sleep?

I help you fight and heal

When I'm not in need of your strength

I take a look inside your thoughts every now and then, and watch the world through your eyes. I just never comment on it

You just commented on it a few minutes ago

You got me there

So, my question. What is it that makes you think my friends are mean to me?

I pointed that out earlier

I know, but friends tease each other

If you ask me, your friends are downright mean to you

They are not!

Yes they are, and you know that

Now you're the one who got me. I'm just too positive to want to face that

I almost feel sorry for you, you know

EXCUSE ME!?

I'm shocked as well

Huh

Okay, I'm gonna quickly change the subject. What happened to your back while I was sleeping?

A villager hit me

Why is you care so much about this dumb village if the villagers keep beating you up?

I don't know

Why don't you just let it all out every once in a while, and just hit them back?

Why don't you drop the matter?

Because I'm stuck inside your tiny body

And?

I have to heal you when you're hurt

I never asked you to do that

If you're hurt, I'm hurt

So you just do it for yourself?

Basically

You're not helping my current situation

Your yearly depression?

Right

Am I supposed to?

It's your damn fault I'm depressed

Like I care

Would you care if I decided to jump off the Hokage Mountain?

You'd never to that

Shall we test that later today?

You've got to be kidding me

At this point, I got the strangest mental image of Kyuubi's eyes widening and his jaw dropping. It almost made me laugh, that's how funny it looked.

I saw that!

Like I care, as you so nicely put it a second ago

I ought to cause you lots of pain

You can't, you're still stuck inside me

Good point. But seriously, you wouldn't jump off the mountain, would you?

Maybe

What's going on? You've never been suicidal before. Depressed yes, but not suicidal

I'm just having a bad day. Or bad week actually

Why?

Because it's a certain time of year

Is it that bad this year?

Maybe I'm just more moody this year, because they're actually the same

What has made you moody?

I'm not sure

Maybe it's your so called friends

Lay off my friends already!

Fine, Kit

Don't worry, I'm not gonna kill myself

You actually almost had me a little scared there

What an accomplishment! I almost scared the most dangerous demon!

I feel a need to hurt you

You still can't

I know that

I am going to hold this over your giant head for a long time

My 'giant' head?

You're just giant in general, Kyuubi

True enough

"Hey, Naruto!" someone called rather loudly. I blinked a couple of times to get out of my head and saw a hand waving in front of my face. I looked up. It was Sasuke.

"What?" I asked.

"I asked you a question" he said. He looked a little annoyed.

"Sorry, I was having a conversation in my head" I said.

Look at that! He's annoyed because you weren't paying attention!

Oh, shut it for a while, will you!

"A conversation in your head?" Sasuke echoed. I nodded, not feeling like elaborating on that. It was, after all, a very big secret. "Why?"

"Because the voice in my head wanted to talk" that was a little true.

I am more than a voice in your head, Kit!

Please, shut up!

No

I'm ordering you to!

Why should I listen to an order from you?

Because you live inside me

Not my choice!

Not mine either!

"Naruto" Sasuke brought me out of my head again. "You okay?"

"Yeah, the voice in my head just won't shut up" I said, scratching the back of my head.

Why are you calling me the voice in your head, Kit?

And people say I'm an idiot

Be nice, or I'll pull a Shukaku and stop letting you sleep

If you do, then I'm gonna jump from the mountain

Forget I said anything

And I can't really tell Sasuke I'm having a conversation with the Nine-Tailed Fox, because he doesn't know you're in me

Good point

Now, shut it, please

No

Why not?

I like bothering you. It's the most fun I get while stuck in here

Look, Sasuke is trying to talk to me, and he can't do that when you're talking to me or annoying me

Why should I care?

Because I have the power to kill you, but you don't have the power to kill me

"Hey! Naruto!" I blinked again to leave my head and saw that Kakashi-sensei had arrived and had said something. "Did you hear me?"

"Uh, no sorry" I said.

"Naruto!" Sakura groaned.

"It's the voice that doesn't want to shut up!" I said defensively. Kakashi-sensei looked at me strangely.

"You talk to him?" he asked. I nodded.

"Talk to who?" Sasuke asked.

"Just someone" I said.

Hey, Kit

What now?

Can I go back to sleep?

You're tired? After having been asleep so much?

I have a feeling you're going to be training soon, and that's not that fun for me anymore

It was fun for you once?

Yes. Now, do you need me?

Not right now

Okay, then I'll sleep again

Go ahead. I'll contact you if I need you

Whatever

"Naruto!" I blinked again. "Tune him out"

"Sorry" I said to Kakashi-sensei.

"Right. Now, let's get some training done" he said.

The End

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So what'dya think??