A young woman knelt next to an unconscious boy tending to his injuries while he recovered from the battle that raged two days prior. With utmost care she took the small towel from his head, and rewet it before ringing the excess water out, and placing it on his forehead. Gently she ran her fingers over his whisker-like scars on his cheeks as she remembered how she had met the boy, as well as how she had found herself falling for him. 'His smile is like a ray of sunshine. It brings such a feeling of warmth that I can't help but feel safe with him.' She smiled softly remembering how her heart jumped when he smiled at her that day in the woods. The smile faded though as she remembered the battle on the bridge, and the look in his eyes when he thought she had killed his teammate. Tears filled her eyes as the image of his eyes filled with such pain and sorrow filled her vision, and she vowed to herself to never allow him to feel that way again even if it cost her life. So caught up in her thoughts about the boy that she was growing to love more each day she failed to notice her father figure standing in the doorway behind her.

"Haku, you need to get some rest yourself. Come downstairs to eat." He said gruffly even though worry could be seen in his eyes.

Startled by the sound of his voice she quickly wiped her face before responding without moving from her spot next to the boy. "I can't leave Naruto-kun. He needs me to take care of him, Zabuza-sama." Using actions to illustrate her point she took the towel from Naruto's head to rewet it, and wring it out before placing it gently back on his forehead.

Zabuza sighed not wanting to deal with the emotional fluff. "Haku, are you disobeying me?" He said in a cold voice normally reserved for people that were about to die.

The girl flinched upon hearing this, and balled her hands on her legs causing the fabric of the kimono to bunch up. With her eyes locked on the sleeping face before her, she spoke in a quite but firm voice. "If I must, Zabuza-sama. Naruto-kun not only saved your life and mine, he spared me when he was well within his right to kill me." Her voice grew softer as she continued to speak even as it was filled with growing determination. "He is a great man that should be cared for, and even revered if for no other reason than the size of his heart. He has overcome hardships even greater than my own, and has not only survived, but has stayed true to himself where almost anyone else would have been lost." A smile graced her soft lips as she gently placed her hand on his face. "I can never repay him for what he has done for us, Otou-san."

The large man rubbed his forehead knowing she wouldn't leave his side willingly. Deciding to make this easy on himself he walked over and started to drag Haku out of the room by the back of her kimono. "This is for your own good, Haku. He'll be fine for a while without you after all there are 4 other ninja in this house."

Haku struggled to no avail in Zabuza's grip, and let out a yell as even holding onto the doorframe was futile. "OTOU-SAN!"

Unbeknownst to them the racket they made had helped the unconscious boy awaken. Slowly over several minutes Naruto became aware of his surroundings as if he was floating to the surface of a lake. It was about 10 minutes after Haku's shout that his eyes finally opened. Squinting from the light coming through the window he groaned from the headache he had, and slowly sat up. After a few more moments he regained his equilibrium, and got dressed. It was a slow process since his body still ached, and his headache stayed steady except for occasional spikes whenever he looked at something too bright for his eyes to handle. With one hand on his head he slowly headed downstairs following the sounds of daily life.

Reaching the dining room he didn't even notice who was there, and pulled out a chair at the table before gingerly lowers his body down. Finally noticing some small conversation going on around him he looked up to see who was speaking, having not noticed this earlier due to having his head feel like it had been hit with a sledgehammer. As his vision focused he saw a very attractive, finely boned girl slightly older then himself smiling as she talked to a one armed man that looked like he escaped from a psychward through a minefield.

As realization dawned on his still foggy brain as to who he was sitting with his jaw dropped and he stumbled back tripping over the chair and falling onto his back. As the impact with the floor seemingly settled his surprise he slowly stood back up holding his head.

"What the hell is going on? I would think I was still asleep if my head didn't hurt so much."

"Naruto-kun, are you alright? You should know better than to do things like that since you haven't fully recovered yet." The girl said as she helped him back to the chair.

As Naruto tried to settle his head the pale beauty went into the kitchen to get the teen some food, as she had heard of his inhuman appetite from his teammates. Coming out of his stupor as he placed a plate in front of him he eyed the bandaged one armed man before looking back at her.

"Ummm… Haku-chan. What is going on? The last thing I remember Kakashi-sensei, and Zabuza were going at it, and you had turned Sasuke-teme into a porcupine."

Looking down and blushing slightly as she recalled the memories from the battle that had taken place the night before last. Looking up at Naruto she met his sapphire blue slit eyes causing her blush to deepen. She glanced at the man who had been her father figure for the last several years ashamed at herself for the part she had played in the battle. Seeing the look his adopted daughter gave him he sighed and pushed away his meal with his one remaining arm.

"I will tell him, Haku. Go ahead and finish your lunch. I'm sure Tsunami could use your help when you are through."

Zabuza turned to regard the boy that had started to eat the food Haku had placed before him. Silently he studied the young man that had not only saved his and Haku's life, but had brought them closer as well. Taking note of his daughter's glances at Naruto he was unsure of himself on this issue despite being infamous for slaughtering his entire graduating class and master of the silent kill technique. This of course irritated him no end and showed itself in the increasingly hard drumming of his fingers on the table. Focusing on Naruto as Haku left to find Tsunami Zabuza saw the boy wearily watching him.

"Since you clearly remember events up until you started fighting Haku I will start from there." The large man absently rubbed the shoulder of his missing arm as he recalled the battle, and what the others have told him.

"When you saw Sasuke put into a near death state by Haku you, apparently thinking he was dead, went into an enraged state and charged Haku. Not wanting to fight you, she threw a bunch of senbon at you trying to incapacitate you the same way she did with your teammate. Somehow her aim was off and you got hit in the eyes. Haku was giving you first aid when the mist started to clear enough for you guys to see Kakashi has me pinned with his dog summons, and about to use some lightning technique to finish me off." Looking out the window Haku and Tsunami could be seen hanging laundry as they talked. Shaking his head to clear the thoughts of his tool turned daughter he looked back to a seemingly confused Naruto poking himself in the eye. "When Haku saw this she rushed over taking the blow herself to save me. Before Kakashi landed the hit though, you appeared knocking Haku aside and deflecting the strike. You saved my daughter's life as well as my own, but it cost me my left arm."

Zabuza pointed to his heavily bandaged left side smirking at the pale look Naruto gave him able to tell how stupid and suicidal what he had done was. Taking great satisfaction in making this genin sweat he raised his killer intent at Naruto fully enjoying the distress he showed. Seeing Haku look worriedly back to the house he chuckled and lowered his K.I. back down before continuing the story.

"It was at this point that we heard clapping coming from the end of the bridge. It turned out to be that ugly little shit Gato with 100 or so of his cronies. He gave some long winded speech about how he never intended to pay us because he was going to have us killed. He went on to say how it would be cheaper to have his goons kill all of us now that we were all injured and tired from fighting each other, and as a reward his gang could raze the village. He also offered a bonus to whoever captured Haku so she could be turned into his private bedroom slave. Kakashi and I called a truce so we could deal with Gato and his goons together. Before we could engage them a crossbow bolt landed between us drawing everyone's attention. Turns out the little brat had rallied the Villagers after you saved him and Tsunami from those two sorry excuses for swordsmen, and had brought them to the bridge in time to help fight Gato."

Zabuza turned to the door as Tsunami and Haku walked back inside with empty clothes baskets. Haku glancing between her father and Naruto to reassure herself that Zabuza hadn't maimed the boy, and smiled seeing Naruto trying to process what he had been told. Scratching his head Naruto looked at Zabuza.

"What about Sakura and Sasuke? You said he was put into a near death state like you were after our first fight. Does that mean Sakura and him are ok?"

"They are doing better then you are, Naruto-kun. Sasuke-san was fully recovered yesterday. He and Sakura-san are with Kakashi-san helping at the bridge. The village has been celebrating every day since Gato was killed, and everyone that is able is helping to finish the bridge. Kakashi-san told us to make sure you rested, and ate as much as you wanted if you woke up while they were gone. Would you like more to eat, Naruto-kun?"

"That would be great! I'm starving. Just how long was I out for by the way? I know it was at least a day since Sasuke recovered yesterday, and from what my stomach is telling me it has been way too long since my last meal." Naruto chuckled sheepishly as his stomach growled loudly reinforcing what he had just said.

Giggling softly Haku moved into the kitchen to get more food with Tsunami's help. Naruto watched the two women cooking unable to hear what they were discussing still trying to wrap his head around what was going on. Not truly surprised at Zabuza and Haku seemingly changing sides in the middle of a battle as this was far from unheard of in the world of shinobi. He was grinning in his goofy way glad that his team was alright after such a rough event, especially since in retrospect they should have returned to the village for backup. Suddenly feeling a wave of K.I. he turned to see Zabuza glaring at him.

"Haku is the daughter I never had, boy. Be very careful you don't do anything that would cause me to do something…unpleasant to you." Zabuza stated as he sharpened his K.I. on Naruto causing him to visibly sweat.

Suddenly several ice senbon embedded themselves into the table breaking the tension. "Zabuza-sama, there is no need to treat Naruto-kun like that. He still hasn't fully recovered from the battle." Haku stated frowning at him as her and Tsunami placed several plates on the table. Seeing as she was irked at her father about his treatment of Naruto it was no surprise she was protective of him, or that she embedded a senbon in Zabuza's arm when he reached for one of the plates.

"This food is for Naruto-kun!" Haku stated firmly holding more senbon at the ready. "You have already recovered from the battle, and are capable of getting your own food, or at the very least asking. Naruto-kun is too strong, kind, caring, nice, loyal, and cute to be treating the way you have been, oto-san."

Not realizing every word she had said she was caught completely off guard as she head Tsunami speak. "So you think Naruto-san is cute." Tsunami's smile grew as Haku looked rapidly at everyone there with a growing look of embarrassment. "It's not really surprising considering how hard he fought, and saved your life. It must have been like a white knight rescuing a damsel in distress."

Haku's embarrassment grew with every word until she saw Naruto scratching the back of his head, and spoke with a fox like grin "Heh….I'm cute." Those words were the last straw for her as she started backing to the door. "I'll go inform Kakashi-san that you are awake." With that said she quickly ran out the door forgetting to even put her shoes on.

With Kakashi

The elite jonin appeared to be doing nothing more than reading a small orange book, but if anyone had been paying close enough attention they would have noticed that he had not turned a page in over an hour. Though no one could tell he was truly worried about one of his students. It was the second day after the battle of the bridge, and Naruto had yet to wake up. This worried the man known as "Kakashi: The Copy Ninja" greatly especially since he was one of the few that knew Naruto was the Jinchūriki of the 9 tailed fox bijuu known throughout the elemental nations as the Kyuubi no Yoko. Being honest with himself he was terrified when he felt the demonic aura coming from Naruto as he tapped into the Kyuubi's chakra. He was definitely not looking forward to telling the Hokage about what had happened when they returned to Konoha.

Looking at his other students with his one uncovered eye he wondered what was going through their minds after the last week. Sasuke had been silent, but that was nothing out of the ordinary. Sakura had been frowning a lot, and looking worried ever since the battle. He had explained to them about Zabuza and Haku no longer being a threat since Gato was dead, but that had only lessened the pink haired girl's worry by a small margin. It had been difficult to get them to help on the bridge until he had explained that helping to build the bridge was a form of training. It worked rather well since Kakashi needed the time to figure out what he was going to do when he gave the mission debriefing to the Hokage, and the so called training kept Sakura and Sasuke occupied at the same time.

Despite all the time he had been thinking about the situation he was no closer to being able to put the whole series of events into a positive light then when he first started. So deep in thought was he that he did not notice a pale young woman body flicker to his position on the bridge until she addressed him.

"Kakashi-san. Naruto-kun is awake, and eating. It appears he doesn't remember anything after I incapacitated Sasuke so Zabuza-sama filled him in. He didn't tell him everything just as you requested."

"Thank you, Haku. Would you mind taking over guard duty while I take Sasuke and Sakura back to the house?"

"Not at all, Kakashi-san. With Gato gone there shouldn't be any issues."

Kakashi put his book away and headed over to where Sasuke and Sakura were to tell them Naruto was awake. Sasuke's reaction was to grunt, and dust himself off. Sakura on the other hand sighed in relief and grinned eager to see how her other teammate was doing.

A SHORT TIME LATER

Zabuza was sitting outside watching the waves as he relaxed more than he had in a very long time contemplating the recent changes to his life, and where things would go from here. As a missing nin his survivability had drastically declined with the loss of his left arm. Combine that with his realization of just how precious Haku was to him he was more than reluctant to return to the life he had live for the last 10 years. No longer seeing Haku as nothing more than a useful tool, he wanted to make sure she was safe, and didn't have to run from hunter nin only to end up dead or worse. He knew of Konoha by its reputation, and the shinobi he had met from there only reinforced his opinion of it. As his thoughts focused more on Haku he knew it would break his heart to cause Haku more pain than he already has especially after what she had experienced during the bloodline purges in Kiri. These thoughts only made him realize he had already reached a decision when he heard Team 7 returning.

"Calm down, Sakura. Haku said he was fine so stop worrying. If he needs more medical treatment the Hokage will make sure he gets it when we return. More than likely he will have all of us go to the hospital for examinations."

"Kakashi-sensei is right. You know how fast he heals. I'm surprised he wasn't up yesterday giving us all headaches with his antics. So enjoy the peace and quiet while you can, Sakura."

Seeing Zabuza leaning against the house Kakashi sent the kids inside to talk with Naruto before heading over to speak with the man. "I assume you have come to a decision, Zabuza?"

"Yes, Kakashi, I have. I still have my doubts about it, but all things considered it is probably for the best. We will go with you to Konoha, but I won't spill the beans on any sensitive info about Kiri. I may be a missing nin, but I know doing that would only cause more problems for me and Haku."

"I wouldn't expect you to, Zabuza. Of course there will be a probationary period if the Hokage does allow you to stay in Konoha, and you will be watched by ANBU during that time."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Zabuza said as he waved his remaining hand as if to brush the subject away. "You know that kid is a piece of work. He may act like a buffoon, but he has a good head on his shoulders as well as a big heart. He has a lot of potential to go far if he doesn't get killed like a lot in our line of work do."

Sighing as how Zabuza was right, and that people in his own village wanted Naruto dead because of what was sealed within him. "I agree, and it's a sad thing so many in Konoha don't like him. Mostly because of all the pranks he pulls, but it's just a cry for attention since he grew up an orphan."

"Really? No wonder Haku connected with him so well. They had similar childhoods. It makes me more supportive of their friendship since it seems highly unlikely he will cause her harm."

"That is something you won't have to worry about. Naruto is severely loyal to his friends, and will not hesitate to jump to their defense. I am confident he will help her integrate into the village sooner, and help her make friends her own age. You have to keep in mind though that he is known as Konoha's most surprising ninja. Heh after all he caught two jonin level ninja off guard enough to turn the tide of battle more than once."

Replying with a chuckle Zabuza smiled as he spoke. "Who would have ever thought that a mere genin barely out of the academy would surprise a jonin let alone do anything to change a jonin level fight? Judging by what I've seen of him fight I certainly wouldn't want to fight him once he gets jonin. The boy will grow up to be a monster on the battlefield."

"Tell me about it. When he graduated the academy I gave the team a test to see if they would stay genin or go back to the academy. During the test Naruto actually did so well he made me have to put away the book I was using as a handicap, and even think about revealing my sharingan. "

Raising a nonexistent eyebrow Zabuza showed his surprise. "That is no simple feat. For a genin to make some with a 35,000,000 ryo bounty on his head bring out the big guns is no laughing matter."

"Heh. I'm just glad the other jonin didn't see that. They never would have let me live it down. They were surprised as it was when the meeting was had to notify the Hokage about who passed, since I have never passed a genin team before."

Hearing people talking in the distance the two high level shinobi turned to see who was approaching. The bridge builder Tazuna could be seen talking with Haku as they casually walked toward the house. Glancing at each other for a moment in silent communication Zabuza nodded before heading into the house. Pushing himself away from the house Kakashi walked over towards the old man, and the girl.

"It looks like everything went well. Were there any problems we should know about?"

Tazuna laughed before answering. "The only problem was getting everyone to stop bombarding this girl with questions, and do the work they were supposed to be doing. If things keep going at the rate they have been I'd say the bridge will done in a few days."

"That is good to hear." Kakashi said before turning to Haku. "Why don't you head inside? Tsunami should have dinner ready soon. You might also want to see how Naruto is doing. Sakura has a habit of trying to cause him brain damage."

"Thank you Kakashi-san. I'm sure Tsunami-san could use some help with having to make cook for so many people." The young konoichi said as she hurried into the house.

Slipping his hands into his pockets Tazuna chuckled slightly. "She will make a great wife some day. Kind, caring, good around the house. The only down side is Zabuza. He's not a bad guy once you get to know him, but Kami forbid any of her future suitors piss him off."

Remembering some of the looks Haku had given Naruto as well Kakashi sweat dropped as he could easily see Zabuza chasing Naruto around town trying to dismember him with his sword. "You're right. I hope whoever catches her eye is smart enough to realize it."

Night found Naruto laying on the roof staring at the moon in thought. As the day went on he noticed something odd happening to his eyes. His sight grew clear, and shaper. His range of vision also increased. After hearing what happened during the last fight he thought it had something to do with how his eyes were healing after they got injured. He knew by all rights he should be blind from the damage Haku did with her senbon. He was glad that was not the case but it still worried him with how they were healing. Lost in his thoughts he never noticed his eyes slowly closing as sleep overwhelmed him.

Opening his eyes he found himself in what appeared to be a cavernous room with a cage on one end that stretched the entire width and height of the room. There was ankle deep water covering the floor, and by the looks of the wall he was in a large sewer. Turning toward the cage he heard a roaring of wind coming from within. Slowly walking forward he heard movement from inside the cage soon to be revealed as a red 9 tailed fox towering several hundred feet above him. The fox stared at the boy who was too stunned to be afraid.

"So you finally show up, kit. I knew it would only be a matter of time since you tapped into my chakra."

The monstrous demon fox chuckled in a way that that sent shivers down Naruto's spine. Grinning Kyuubi lowered down until his eyes were only a good 30 feet from the floor.

"I imagine you have questions about your eyes. You have me to thank for that. With your eyes damaged I decided to improve them as I focused on healing you. A blind container would be insulting to me after all." The strongest of the bijuu chuckled in an alarmingly demonic fashion before continuing. "Your eyes have turned out even more powerful then I had planned. Unfortunately I sneezed during the process so even I am unsure of the extent they have been altered."

Naruto stood still terrified of the creature before him having heard stories about how the Kyuubi no Yoko would have left Konoha a smoldering ruin if it wasn't for the 4th defeating it. As a curious expression crossed his face Naruto's fear strangely decreased to an almost negligible amount.

"Where are we? You healed me? Hell. Why would a demon like you be healing me if the first place?" He suddenly held his hands on his head as if the thoughts were giving him a severe headache. "Gaaaaahh. What the hell is going on?! One of Haku's senbon must have gone into my brain or something. There is no way this can be real."

"Oh no, kit. This is all quite real. Take a seat this may take a while since you apparently know nothing of what has happened. While I was attacking your village, something I didn't want to do at first, the shinobi there tried to fight me off to no avail. Many fell before me until Minato Namikaze showed up. When I saw him I could not help but laugh as he appeared to be offering me his own newborn baby boy as a sacrifice. Oh how wrong I was. I will not bore you with the details since you obviously won't understand them. When I neared him he caught me off guard by using the Shinigami to seal me within the infant. So here we are chatting in the depths of your mindscape."

Although the greatest of the bijuu chuckled at the completion of his statement his tails could be seen moving in displeasure. The only upside to the current situation was that the boy was in such a state of confused denial it was almost comical. Suddenly the fur on the terror of the elemental nations bristled as he saw something behind the boy. Watching carefully he saw a pair of eyes float through the air towards the boy. The eyes stopped just above and behind the boy looking at Kyuubi assessing him in a way that even made his skin crawl.

"So this is the origin of my being here. It is very interesting and yet abominably disappointing that I am part of such a pathetic creature."

Naruto turned quickly stumbling back in surprise as he stared in shock at the eyes that just spoke.

"Wha….How…when…." The boy clutched his chest trying to get his heart to calm down as he shook his head in denial to the events transpiring before him. "I must have eaten some bad fish or something. This has got to be a nightmare. First the Kyuubi claims to be in my head and now a pair of floating eyes is speaking to me. By Kami there is no way this can be real."

"Child. Weak, pathetic child. This is very real. You had better accept this soon, or else you will not only break in exquisite ways, but also die very horribly. I am here due to the Fox's unstable way he healed your eyes. The simple truth, now that I am here, is that you will either grow to be just as powerful as the demon behind you, or you will die very soon.

Naruto stood still as the truth of what was being said, and the beings here could not be denied. Over several minutes his emotions played across his face until he finally sighed as his mind fully accepted the reality before him. Slowly raising his head to the eyes that had not moved since they first spoke his mouth opened and closed in a fishlike manner before he got a hold of himself and swallowed. "What are you?"

Though no change could be seen Naruto and the Kubii both felt as if the eyes had just grinned like the Cheshire cat with such demonic power that the fox took a step back.

"You may call me Jagon."

As several minutes passed Naruto gathered himself together from the unsettling aura the eyes had given off. During this time the Kyuubi remained silent watching and considering. Scratching his head in thought he put the information together in his head before continuing the conversation. The Jagon eye never moved or spoke choosing to remain still in a way that in any other situation would be extremely unsettling. Naruto took a deep breath before looking up at the eyes before he decided to speak.

"I understand about the Kyuubi now or at least a lot more then what I did before. You on the other hand ….Jagon. What does that mean? Is that your name or what you are? What did you mean when you said I'd die if I didn't get stronger?"

"Your death is assured for it is the law of nature. The strong survive while the weak parish. As you are now you are nothing more than a sheep that knows its teeth can be used to do more than chew grass. As for your second question the answer is one and the same. Jagon is that it is a doujitsu. Unlike other bloodlines that come about because of a demon merging with its host this one would be termed artificial. I am a result of the fox's inept attempt to regenerate your eyes. Despite his ineptitude he by accident has accomplished something that those who are far better have failed to do for millennia. Any offspring you may have will be born with the Jagon as what you would call a bloodline limit."

The Kyuubi had started to emit a low growl at the backhanded compliments growing increasingly angry due to the blows to his pride. Naruto oblivious to this stood in a thinking pose as he took in what the Jagon had said. Suddenly a light bulb went off over Naruto's head.

"That means I have eye powers like the Sharingan. Oh man that teme is going to be so pissed." He said laughingly holding his stomach.

"You dare compare me to such a pathetic thing as the sharingan?! All that does is allow weak creatures to stay weak by mimicking the strong to survive. To gain any of my powers you will have to prove your worth to me. I will NOT allow a weak being to possess my power!"

Realizing that the Jagon was not something to piss off especially since it was inside his head, and could do only Kami knows what, Naruto decided to act in a more respectful manner.

"If that means I have to train to become even stronger then let's get started. The sooner I gain your power, the quicker I can get stronger, and become Hokage!" Naruto said with his biggest grin and his fingers held in the V for victory pose.

"Those are strong words, boy. We will see if your conviction is a match for your mouth. Just remember one thing…..Begging for death will not absolve you of training."

Naruto swallowed hard at this, but then burst into a wide grin. "No sweat! Not even ANBU can beat me."

"Wrong, boy. They COULDN'T. Now they can. As you are now that banshee bitch could destroy you in a fight. You will only grow stronger through blood, sweat, and tears. Lots and lots of blood."

"Hey! Leave Sakura out of this. She isn't that bad." As it hit him as to what else was said his eyes turned angry and confused. "What do you mean she could beat me?! She is the weakest out of our graduating class!" Naruto said with his arms crossed, and a glower on his face.

"The implantation of the Jagon has striped you down to genin level." Looking up Kyuubi thought to himself. 'In hindsight I should never have let Mizuki place those limiter seals on the kit.'

"YOU ALLOWED WHAT?! The mightiest of the bijuu indeed. You are nothing more than a pathetic excuse for a mass of chakra! To do something as petty as allowing that to happen to your host is unforgivable."

The eyes began floating towards the Kyuubi. As they grew nearer the Jagon was surrounded by flames that appeared to be made of pure darkness. The flames continued to grow until they were around 5 feet tall, and the Jagon was within arm's reach of the bars.

"Since you are a part of this fiasco you will help to rectify the situation. You can start by giving us the memories of the when the limiter seals were placed."

The Kyuubi though slightly unnerved by the flames grew angrier at being addressed by the Jagon in such a way.

"How dare you speak to me like that?! I am the Kyuubi No Yoko the greatest of the bijuu. Show proper respect before I devour you"

"Proper respect? You claim to be the greatest of the bijuu, but you are nothing but a pathetic overinflated chakra balloon."

As the Kyuubi listened his eyes narrowed dangerously. At being call a chakra balloon his pride could not take anymore and stuck out at the Jagon with his claws extended. As his claws met the fire he let out a roar of pain quickly withdrawing his paw back into the cage. Looking at his paw the Kyuubi was shocked at the damage that had been done. One of his claws was gone, as was a lot of fur. Where the fur once was could be seen a mass of burns. Focusing his chakra to heal quickly he was surprised to see a very slow progress when it should have been near instantaneous. Deciding to err on the side of caution until he knew more about the Jagon he acquiesced for now.

"The memories are of no consequence, but they were not all you had in mind. What else is there?"

Having made his point the Jagon floated back to his position about halfway between the cage and Naruto. Still trying to understand what was happening Naruto was wisely remaining silent as he watched the confrontation knowing it would be a bad idea to piss either one of these creatures off.

"Being as old as you are I assume you know how to make chakra cuffs? Not the ones the shinobi use to hold prisoners, but the ones that increase a person's chakra control and reserves. I want you to give that knowledge to Naruto so he can make them and wear them as soon as possible."

Kyuubi was quite taken aback by this as no one had used chakra cuffs of this sort in several hundred years, and had thought the knowledge of their existence was lost during the last demon/human war 150 years prior to the 1st great ninja war. Taking his eyes from Jagon he studied Naruto for a moment before replying slowly.

"Such a tool would be of great advantage, and will most definitely make the kit stronger. There is one condition for my assistance in this." At this Kyuubi's eyes seemed to bore into Narutoin a way that he knew he would not be able to avoid whatever the condition was. "You will be the avatar of my revenge on the one responsible for my humiliation. It will be by your hand that he dies."

So saying Kyubii shoved the knowledge into Naruto making him dizzy enough to fall onto his butt as his mind sorted the information.

"It's a good thing that was done in your mindscape. If Kyuubi had done that without you being here it would have knocked you unconscious for several hours. As you know your eyes are much more perceptive then they once were, but that is not all they are capable of. I will train you in the other functions of them when you are ready. Tomorrow you will make the chakra cuffs, and start training with them. If anyone asks they are some bracers that caught your eye in town, and decided to buy them. Your training will also involve shadow clones as it will help with your control since their knowledge and experiences return to you when they are deactivated. If you train right you will be able to give a jonin a run for his money by the time your chakra reserves return to what they once were. Our time grows short so listen well. When you return to Konoha tell the Hokage about the limiter seals. They can be seen on the back of your neck. Also if anyone asks about the change in your eyes tell them it is because of your increased healing factor unless it is someone that knows about you being a Jinchūriki. In that case you will tell them it is a side effect of housing the Kyuubi much like all the other Jinchūriki have from their "guests". It nears the time for your shift to be relieved. Go get some sleep and in the morning your training will begin."

With that being said Kyuubi kicked Naruto out of his mindscape. Opening his eyes Naruto could see that over an hour had passed, and Sakura was approaching for the shift change. Getting up he waved at her letting her know everything had been quiet, and headed inside eager for to begin his new training.

The Jagon stared at where Naruto had faded away from for a few minutes before turning to look at the Kyuubi, who at this point had turned to lay down for some sleep. Slowly the Jagon floated to the cage with small flames of pure darkness the likes of which had not been seen since before creation when all of existence was the Void. After a brief time a thin jet of the flame lashed out like a whip all but flaying the chakra beast in the process.

"Who said we were done? You and I have much yet to discuss." The Jagon said in a voice that was eerily devoid of emotion considering the actions that had just taken place. "Your chakra will be used to correct the failures you have done out of blind pride. Your foolishly prideful habit of merely healing Naruto to his current state instead of improving him to be a worthy embodiment for us will no longer be allowed. You may be satisfied with such a pitiful host, but I am beyond such petty things. We WILL alter him so that he is more fitting for a being of MY stature. We WILL start the enhancements of his physical condition now as well as increasing the number of chakra pathways to his brain to increase his mental fortitude.

The Kyubii growled as he thought to himself 'I have no choice to do as this impudent whelp says for now. He can get to me while I can not get to him, but soon a time will come when that will change.'

The next morning found Naruto walking into the village to get the supplies he needed for the chakra cuffs as well as a list of things Kakashi said they needed to resupply with. Although the village itself was almost unchanged the people were much happier, and walked with none of the fear that could be seen just a few days earlier. Over the next hour he had walked into several stores trying to find what he needed with no success, and as the day wore on his progressed slowed due to the villagers offering gifts, and cheers to their hero. At first Naruto welcomed the attention it quickly became an annoyance as his frustration grew. Finally walking into a blacksmith's shop to escape the crowds he saw a few of the items he needed. Gathering the items that he found he walked over to the clerk.

"Will that be all today, sir?"

"Yeah, unless you know where I can find the rest of the things on this list?" Naruto said as he showed the list.

"I don't have any of that here, but there is a shop a few streets over that has most if not all of what you need. The owner picked up a lot of things like that from when we raided Gato's hideout after his death." After receiving directions and paying the bill Naruto headed to the shop eager to get back so he could train.

A week later

After having set up camp for the night Naruto could be seen rummaging through his pack as Sakura and Haku were cooking dinner. Pulling out a scroll he had forgotten about he suddenly grinned before approaching Haku with the scroll behind his back. Having noticed Naruto getting closer Sakura got a tick mark on her forehead knowing all too well about his appetite.

"It's not ready yet, baka. So go sit down and wait like everyone else." Sakura said waving a ladle at him.

Smirking Naruto moved toward the side of the table Haku was at as he replied without looking at Sakura.

"If I want to rent billboard space I'll let you know, but I have better things to do right now."

Sakura caught off guard but such an "un-Naruto" comment is in shock for a moment, until the sounds of Sasuke, Kakashi, and Zabuza laughing reached her ears. Clenching her fist hard enough to make the ladle creak in protest as "inner-Sakura" raged at Naruto. Giggling at the exchange Haku glances up from preparing the meal, she sees Naruto walking towards her with a mischievous smirk, and his blue eyes twinkling in mirth causing a slight blush to grace her cheeks. Feeling the heat on her face she ducks her head trying to focus on the food in front of her instead of the shrinking distance between her and her newfound crush.

"Oh Haku-chan. I have a surprise for you." Naruto said in an innocently seductive tone of voice causing Haku to go as rigid as a post. Haku's eyes flew wide open, and her blush returned, so powerfully that a certain Hyuuga would be jealous, as she heard Naruto speak in a way that had been making her dreams especially enjoyable the last few days. The responses from the males of the group to hearing Naruto's way of addressing Haku though varied were along very similar paths. Kakashi raised an eyebrow before eye-smiling with a giggle usually only heard when his face was buried in a certain orange book. Sasuke stared at Naruto for a moment before shaking his head and mumbling to himself. "…dobe." Zabuza's was the most pronounced, but understandable considering his realization of how Haku was like a daughter to him, and the over protectiveness that went along with it. A scowl appeared on his face just as suddenly as his laughter shut off. Fingering his sword Zabuza began walking over to the kids with a quietness only a master assassin could use.

Softly Naruto lifts Haku's face so she is looking him in the eyes smiling at her in such a way that she is unable to turn her head. Unbeknownst to the boy Zabuza was standing less than a foot behind him with his sword ready to sever his head if he saw a sign he was thinking with the wrong brain. Still smiling Naruto holds out the scroll. "You really shouldn't hide such a beautiful face, Haku-chan. Here is a present that might help you display an equally beautiful side of yourself." He said in a tone of voice that was filled with innuendo. While Kakashi was making a note to himself to remember that line for future use, Zabuza stood as still as a rock wondering at the blond midget since Naruto sure as hell wasn't player material from what he had seen before now. After having noticed the blood seal on the scroll Zabuza put his sword away before coughing to get their attention.

"You'll have to use some blood to open that, Haku. It is locked with a blood seal."

Blinking a few times to get a hold of herself upon hearing Zabuza cough Haku blushed, and carefully took the scroll thankful for a chance to clear the thick fog that had seemed to envelope her brain. Inspecting the scroll she saw what her adopted father meant. Biting her thumb just enough to cause a few drops of blood to flow, she drew the bloody digit across the seal hoping it worked since seals of this kind were usually set to specific blood signatures. After several seconds the lines of the seal began to shift, and flow over the scroll before settling into a new shape that turned out to be words. Clear as day in bold print could be seen the words "Hyouton Bloodline skills, and other jutsu". Saying that Haku was shocked was like saying that Kakashi liked to read porn once in a while. Holding in her hands a tangible connection to her family for the first time since her mother died. After a moment her hands began to shake as her emotions began to overwhelm her.

Wet spots appeared on the scroll as tears began flowing from her eyes before she suddenly tackles Naruto to the ground kissing him full on the lips shocking everyone there. Breaking the kiss she hugs Naruto tightly whispering "thank you….thank you" over and over feeling Naruto's arms wrap gently around her as her tears soaked his shoulder. Sasuke actually unfolded his arms and leaned forward in unabashed surprise at what had just happened. Kakashi merely eye smiled before pulling his headband back down covering his sharingan eye. Sakura was not just surprised she was stunned. What she had just seen was so far out of what she thought was possible that she let the ladle slip to the ground unnoticed. By the time the ladle hit the ground however, "inner Sakura" was ranting in a very Yosemite Sam fashion before stomping over to a chalkboard and placing a hash mark under Naruto's name. On the board the names of the rest of the "Konoha 12" could be seen as well as large letters stating "Successful Seduction Attempts". Sighing deeply at the blank space by her name she turns to a near identical chalkboard that says "Failed Seduction Attempts". Asides from the title the major difference between the two was that Naruto was the only one with success points while Ino and Sakura had over 100 failed points each.

Several long moments passed before Haku stopped crying, and stood up. With her head down, and her eyes on the scroll, she made a decision as Naruto brushed himself off. Pocketing the scroll she wrapped her arms around Naruto's neck and kissed him deeply. After a long enough time to leave the boy short of breath Haku smiled looking into his eyes. "You have no idea how much this means to me, Naruto-koi." She said coyly before walking over to her tent with a sway in her hips that left Naruto unable to look away.