Here it is folks, the new chapter of my rewrite of Haiburiddo Shinobi. I'm not going to go into too much discussion up here seeing as that's what end notes are for, though that one won't have much in it either seeing as I want to see your reactions first. So, for now I'll just say welcome all new readers and any returning fans I welcome you back and I hope whether new or returning that you enjoy my work.

I have two last things to address before continuing:

First, I must get the legal stuff out of the way: I, the author using the penname of Yurei King, do not own Naruto or any materials I reference in the following work of fiction.

Second, I again express my thanks to fellow writer Kamen Rider Arashi because without that madman's input my stories would suuuuuuuuuuck.

And with that out of the way, ON WITH THE CHAPTER!

Chapter One: Inspiration and Rebirth

Konoha Shinobi Academy, a place where young children of the village went to study the art of the ninja. It is this school where one Iruka Umino, a chunin instructor, was walking down the halls with his hand firmly latched onto the collar of his most troublesome student.

This instructor possessed a tall, thin frame with his brown hair tied back in a spiked ponytail and a healthy tan skin tone. A scar running horizontally across his face, just beneath his eyes, marred his otherwise simple features. He was dressed in the standard attire of a Konoha shinobi of a blue long-sleeved top with matching pants tapped at the ankles, blue sandals, a dark green vest covered in pouches and a Konoha headband wrapped around his forehead.

"Let me go Iruka-sensei," the boy he still held in his grasp yelled, struggling futilely to escape. The boy was short for his age with spiky blond hair and peach colored skin. His eyes were deep blue, and he also had a unique facial feature in the form of three lines on each of his cheek that, when he smiled, gave him the likeness of a young fox kit. He was dressed in a bright orange and blue jumpsuit and a pair of goggles resting firmly on his own forehead.

Iruka frowned and tightened his grip. "Naruto, we've just begun the semester and your grades are horrible. You've been in the academy since you were ten, that's two years before most students start in the academy and you've failed every attempt at passing beyond the first year. This is your last chance to become a shinobi and so help me I'm going to make sure you pass." Stopping in his tirade the chunin paused to get his bearings before heading toward a nearby door. "And since you won't make it easy for me I've no choice but to start acting drastic."

The instructor opened a door and pushed his unruly student into the room beyond. Naruto stumbled from the unexpected force but quickly reset himself and looked around, finding that he was standing in the academy's library. Iruka planted himself in front of the sliding door and crossed his arms, glaring down at his student.

"Naruto Uzumaki," he spoke, voice heavily weighted with authority. "You will choose four books from this library. You will read each of those books and write a report for me. All four reports are to be at least three pages in length and you will hand them in to me before the end of the month. When the last report is handed in you will choose four more and begin again. Understood?"

"Come on sensei," the blond wined, already hating his assignment.

"Understood?" The two locked gazes in a contest of wills to determine the more stubborn between them. Slowly, the fight went out of the boy, his body sagging until his head hung in defeat and he nodded. "Good," the teacher replied with a nod of his own, even if it went unseen by the downcast eyes. "Now for your first set I want you to pick at least one history book and one book detailing chakra. The other two are up to you."

Naruto nodded again and turned to do as ordered. First, he moved to the non-fiction section and found a brown book titled, "A Record of Clans Within Konohagakure" and pulled it from the shelf. First book in hand, he moved on until he came to the next book, "Chakra and the Body: A Beginner's Guide to Becoming a Shinobi." He was about to turn to search the fiction section, if he was going to read it might as well be interesting, but two books caught his eye. The first was a book that looked practically untouched, "Clan Rights and Regulations Within the Konoha Charter." Thinking it had to do with the first book he shrugged, grabbing it as well. Maybe it'd make it easier to do a report on a similar subject.

The other book he noticed was bound in a torn, well-used black leather cover with a thick leather strap holding it closed. Curious the blond pulled it from the shelf and read the title, written in white ink along the top, "Ancient Legends: Beasts of Nightmares and Myth."

Intrigued Naruto slipped it onto the small pile in his other arm, giving him a grand total of four, before finally heading back to his sensei. The chunin looked over his selection and nodded, only slightly hesitating when he saw the book of old legends, but he shrugged, what harm was there?

"Alright Naruto, remember I want the first report sometime next week okay?" he asked. "This is the last day of the week so try and use the weekend to your advantage." He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and knelt to look him square in the eye. "You've got so much potential Naruto," his lips turning up into a small, encouraging smile. "I want you to see it as much as I do, that's why I'm doing this. Just try for me alright?"

Naruto nodded, clutching the books tightly in his grasp as if frightened they would fly away if he let them go. Iruka smiled and ruffled the boy's hair, earning a cry of indignation and a pout to which he responded to by chuckling. "Alright, enough talking. I'll take you home." With that he returned to his feet and the two walked back down the hallway. They walked out into the village proper and toward the red-light district, more specifically a large apartment building just within the border of said district.

The building itself wasn't anything remarkable. Wooden walls covered in peeling paint and a staircase appearing positively life threatening with how much it squeaked underfoot. The teacher found himself frowning again, something that happened every time he visited Naruto's 'home.' He was aware of the fact the landlord was a former shinobi forced to retire from a wound to his leg that never healed quite right. That was the only reason Naruto had been able to find a place to stay, the landlord wasn't as stupid as most of the civilians and had figured giving the kid a break may shed at least a little positive light on the village. Being an orphan himself, Iruka was all too familiar with how much effect a simple kind word or deed could have on one and he always tried to make time to sit and talk with the older man.

As he walked with Naruto up the steps he couldn't help the smirk as he thought of the landlord. 'Bet Naruto would never believe the sensing technique I learned to track him down was taught to me by his own landlord.' That bit of information was enough to almost always put a slight skip in his step.

They parted at the door to Naruto's apartment and shinobi hopeful stepped inside, slipping off his sandals and unzipping his jacket as he made his way to the small kitchen. The books were carefully placed on the table as the blond academy student began preparing himself a cup of instant ramen. Once he was holding the steaming noodles that formed the entirety of his regular food intake he grabbed the legends book and headed for his living room, where he plopped down on the couch and opened the book.

To the curious soul who has deemed fit to read this record, you have my thanks.

In this book you will find the details of beasts that, for the most part, have long since gone extinct or faded into the background, hiding from the public eye. Most I would honestly be surprised you were to ever recognize beyond some silly legend or folktale you might have heard in your youth.

Make no mistake these creatures are very much real, and I have spent the better part of my life documenting them. My curiosity does not come from a desire to slay these beasts, far from it. I am a mere scholar whose curiosity led him down a path wrought with all sorts of perils and other nasty things that made me long for a warm bed and fresh food.

Nevertheless, I pushed on and this is proof of my efforts. Learn these well young scholar and remember what is written here. It may change your life forever.

Naruto couldn't help but marvel at the words he'd read just then. He didn't realize it yet, but the book had hooked his twelve-year-old mind hook, line and sinker and now he wouldn't be able to part with it any time soon. Practically bouncing with excitement, the blond eagerly turned the page, unable to wait a moment longer.

Chapter 1: The Vampire

One of the two most infamous characters in dark lore is the blood-sucking creature known as the Vampire. A creature that prowls the night, stalking its prey before sucking them dry of the precious liquid that caries the essence of life in all living things.

Like most monsters, the vampire is an accomplished hunter and has developed a series of useful traits to suit their preferred method of hunting. At first glance they appear completely human. A little pail perhaps but that is easily explained away by a life spent mostly indoors and a night-based lifestyle. Considering their preference for such it is not as surprising to find them in the circles of nobility or the equivalent.

Possessing incredible amounts of skill and mental prowess, the only one creature considered to possibly be the Vampire's equal is that of the Werewolf. While a vampire does possess impressive speed and strength compared to the average human, the Werewolf has it matched in stamina and pure brute force.

These two are in every way, the opposite of the other. Vampires rule in the sophisticated circles, hiding in plain sight. Werewolves are the epitome of basic animal instinct, however more notes on that species will be made later. Many legends and notes I have had the privilege of delving through have a few overlapping similarities regarding the abilities and weaknesses of the vampire and I have compiled them here for your observation. However, before I go into the rest of my knowledge I wish to convey one very important note. My information has been gathered by every means available to me, but rarely have I managed to make observations on the actual creatures in this tome. I have had the incredible fortune of meeting some of them, but these meetings were few and far between and I have yet to meet any vampires before I set brush to paper.

Now two traits are the most common when it comes to stories and records of this creature, these being the need to drink blood and an abhorrence of sunlight. For the first there has been speculations regarding the point of drinking only blood which I shall list now...

From there the author continued his notes, tying them off with another warning that he had been unable to solidly verify their validity before moving on to the Werewolf, then the subject turned to Trolls and Goblins. On and on the book continued, its pages bringing to life Naruto's imagination, helped with several illustrations presumably by the author himself. Those that had conflicting stories about their appearances he made sure to include drawings of each type to what appeared to be the best of his ability in as much detail as he could manage. For the child it was fascinating beyond belief and his young mind absorbed all the information presented like dry sponge dropped into water.

What nobody could have known, however, was that deep within the mind of this young child, another entity was reading the same book through his memories. The beast that had been known for centuries by the, in his own opinion, unimaginative moniker of Kyubi which can translate to Nine Tails, watched from within his prison behind the Yondaime Hokage's seal. He could not help the amusement at such material being read by his living jail cell as in the several thousand years since his 'birth' the giant fox had met more than one of the creatures being described. He had also eaten several of them but that wasn't all that important for the topic he was considering.

The subject of his pondering was his host, and how to go about making sure the ningen would survive his chosen lifestyle. Such considering may seem odd seeing as normally if a host of a tailed beast were to be slain then the beast would be dispersed and able to eventually reform after several years to once again continue with their existence and were circumstances different the beast would be of the same mindset. But all that previous knowledge went out the window the moment he was able to examine the seal that held him in this new prison. While the fox had never been provided with the opportunity or motivation to study the art of sealing and thus could not discern the intricate nature of the seal, he recognized the power that had aided in its establishment. There was no mistaking the cold touch of the Shinigmai, for it made even the mighty being of pure natural chakra shudder in fear. Further examination upon himself when he awoke within the new seal was that he was greatly diminished in power, as if he had been ripped in half before being locked away.

The only conclusion he could come to was that the missing half had been part of the payment to Shinigami in order to perform the sealing. This meant half of him was locked away in the god's stomach while the other was trapped behind a seal made with that same being's energy. If that energy returned to the Shinigami upon his host's death it was incredibly likely that he would be dragged along with it and there was no way he knew of to escape the stomach of a god. This realization had understandably shifted his priorities.

His time in the seals of his previous hosts had allowed him some limited access to their memories, teaching him little things here and there when he brought himself to pay attention. One factor he was sure to remember were the discussions revolving around the subject of his fellow tailed beasts and the unique abilities their hosts were known to have. As far as he could recall, beyond extremely massive chakra pools and a healing factor, his own vessels had shown no such abilities. "And considering they were Uzumaki clanswomen anyway the chakra pools were just bigger than usual," he grumbled to himself which was a truthful observation. The clan that had once inhabited the land they took their own name from had been legendary for both their talents in the sealing arts and their abnormally large chakra pools. His current host had enough chakra to throw jutsu around like candy if he ever got around to learning them.

He shook his head, forcing his wandering mind back onto the task at hand. The book had given him an idea, the vampire and werewolf. Those two were among the most legendary of monsters, one of which among those classified as immortal. Though it could not be called true immortality as there were ways to slay them. They just didn't age, which was a step in the right direction in the fox's book. Unfortunately, the likelihood of him managing to arrange for his host to find either one of those creatures was so minimal it may as well be truly impossible. If the notes the blond was reading were any indication, then the creatures had either been wiped out or secreted away their society to avoid the humans. He felt his lips turn down in a frown at that thought, when his father had walked the earth they had not needed to be afraid, for while humans were crafty they had no powers of their own so while not the easiest prey they may not have been all that difficult either. But since the day Hagoromo spread his teachings of chakra across the world they had risen a great deal higher on the threat scale.

And now any chance of getting the curse the original way for the one named Kurama by the ancient sage was gone. However, foxes were known for their craftiness, kitsunes most of all, and was Kurama not one of the infamous breed? Here he felt thankful for his time in his previous hosts, for it was memories from them that he managed to craft a new plan. Both had spent a great deal of time around medics and physicians in their lives.

Mito, his first host, had a granddaughter that eventually grew to become the most legendary of practitioners in that particular school of her time.

His second host, the fiery Kushina, had been teammates and friends with a member of that white-eyed clan, a woman who used the eyes their clan was so proud of to increase her capabilities in the healing arts. Kurama spared a moment to wonder what those people would think if they ever learned that they, like the Senju and Uchiha, could rightfully claim a power owned by the first users of chakra. He also considered the fact that of the few humans he could truly respect, it was that white-eyed woman. With a technique so proficient in killing, an art humans had grown only more skilled in since his creation, she had found a way to heal. Granted she also was dreadfully skilled in creating such fear in her patients they wouldn't dare cross her when in her care. The woman had even been able to make Kushina sit still with that smile.

Regardless, whether he meant to or not Kurama had witnessed talks regarding the medical field and in the memories of these talks he found his inspiration. Deoxyribonucleic acid, more commonly known as DNA, the very building blocks of all organisms. Mito and Kushina, thus him by proxy, had participated in several discussions with doctors who explained this genetic map and how it carried the instructions from which basic functions of a body know how to act.

Gathering what little of the information he could remember, the ancient being stretched the minor control he possessed over the mindscape and body of his host. His efforts were eventually rewarded when the iconic double-helix-shaped molecule appeared hovering in the air before him. It was many folds greater in size compared to its original, bigger even than the fox's head allowing him to see the individual pieces as it hovered.

'This is going to take a long time,' he thought while pondering on his next move. 'I'm going to have to experiment a great many times until I managed to isolate the exact combination that will offer the results I need.' Fortunately for the living chakra construct, one of the few things in his prison he could control was the flow of time compared to the world outside. A handful of years could pass in the hours simply until the next sunrise, which meant he had all the time in the world. 'Best not to waste any of it.' Furrowing his brow in concentration he raised his tails up to the image, and began to work.

XXXXX - Morning - XXXXX

Consciousness slowly returned to the young Uzumaki. Cracking his eyes slowly, he found himself sprawled on the same couch he had been sitting on the night before. The book of monsters was sprawled open across his chest where it had fallen when he'd finally succumbed to sleep. Slipping it onto the coffee table in front of him, nicked from a street corner and in fairly decent condition, he finished his transition to wakefulness with a yawn and stretch that popped several places in his back and shoulders.

The sensation was odd, if he was being honest with himself. The blonde teen was used to waking up in odd places considering he tended to physically train beyond the point of ordinary exhaustion up to the point he'd simply collapse until his body managed to heal itself enough he could move again. But falling asleep while reading? He'd never done such a thing before and if he was being honest about it, he felt more rested now than any other time he could remember waking up.

"Maybe I should try to get some regular sleep more often," he mused on his way to the bathroom. "Iruka-sensei keeps talking about how rest is important, but I never really gave it much thought." Putting thoughts on that matter aside for later the blonde quickly took a shower, thankful his water heater worked this time, and set about preparing his usual breakfast of five instant ramen cups. Ten minutes later he had a happily full belly and was looking at the books he'd brought home. More specifically, the book on chakra. This time sitting at the table to avoid getting sleepy, Naruto opened the beginner's guide.

What greeted him was an outline of what chakra itself was. The mind and spirit produce an energy which people commonly referred to as Yin, which is mixed with the energy generated by the body itself, Yang. This mixture is the chakra and could be harnessed and directed to achieve a truly phenomenal number of varied results. There were a few mentions of theories developed by some who studied its nature, even a list of reading material should the reader be interested in furthering their knowledge in that area, but he really started paying attention in the next chapter.

Control

While some may believe learning to use the chakra is all that's necessary, there is an important step often easily overlooked by beginners.

The reasoning is best described with a mental image. Imagine your chakra is represented by pond and performing a jutsu is scooping water out of that pond. At first you will not know how much 'water' you would need to complete a task and pour too much into it, using a bucket when a cup would suffice.

It is for this reason that control exercises were created. By learning these exercises which have been listed and explained in this chapter you can better develop your control while also learning skills that can be incredibly helpful in your shinobi career.

Now one thing that cannot be overestimated is Naruto's desire to succeed in becoming a shinobi. Even when his last two attempts at his first year in the academy was hindered by the unfair bias of his instructors he tried his best and trained hard. Unfortunately, before the evening prior he had never had someone present this kind of knowledge to him. His surrogate grandfather figure, also the Sandaime Hokage, had read stories to him on occasion but had not really given much insight on his chosen career path save the encouraging word here and there.

Iruka had, at first, been distant to the boy as while he did not hate him for what he contained he was still cautious around him. Eventually, however, he learned to look past his caution and what he saw was that same lonely kid desperate for a little positive interaction that used to look back at him in the mirror when he himself was that age. That was part of the reason he had given this assignment to Naruto, to help him learn.

Now there Naruto sat, reading exactly what he needed in order to begin correcting his personal methods and start moving down the right path. He was also completely unaware of the reasonings behind the assignment beyond fixing his grades like his sensei had said. But he was nothing if not resourceful, his career as a prankster had more than proven that after all.

Thus, before even beginning to read the first exercise the blonde student was up and grabbing a pencil and pad of paper to copy it down. The first exercise was one he was familiar with as he had encountered it in all his attempts at the academy's first year.

Leaf Concentration Method

This method was developed in the village of Konohagakure and is even speculated to have been the origin of the mark sported on headbands by shinobi of said village.

To use this method, it is best to assume the lotus position and hold a leaf against your forehead. Concentrate and direct your chakra towards the point of contact with the intent to hold it in place. When you are confidant you have established a link between the leaf and yourself, release it and let your hand drop. Should the leaf be sent flying, or be damaged, you have used too much chakra. If it simply flutters down, then too little was used.

If you do not get the desired results the first time do not be discouraged, as it will be the first step toward improvement. Should it be sent flying from you, then use less the next time. Keep doing so until it stays, and then concentrate on the flow of your chakra.

This exercise is a staple of the early academy lessons because it focuses on several skills that shall be important throughout a budding shinobi's career. The control, of course, is an obvious one but it also develops patience, concentration and a sense of one's chakra itself which can lead to greater skill in future control exercises and jutsu.

The book continued in that vein for another half a page, but Naruto had what he wanted for the moment. He paused to tear a slip of paper from the bottom of his note page, placing it between the pages to save his place and setting the now-closed book aside. The section of the page left was folded and stuffed into his pocket before donning his jacket and sandals and stepping out onto the balcony of his apartment.

He jumped to a neighboring roof and started running in the direction of the village's center. He made good time, the rooftops providing a road above the usual congestion of people in the streets. With the skill of practice, he leaped from roof to roof until the buildings began to thin out, giving way to open yards around compounds and parks.

Here he switched from roofs to trees, travelling deeper into the open area until he came to a small fountain. It's bubbling waters mixing with the songs of birds and the rustle of leaves in the wind to create a soothing background medley. Being a student in the academy, Naruto was not allowed to use the training grounds of official Konoha shinobi. The academy itself had training areas for motivated students to use if they weren't part of clans but they were almost always being used even on the weekend and at the moment the blond needed a place away from people.

This area of the park was a spot Naruto knew for a fact was not often visited by others. It was one of few places he had found and used to get away from the looks of the adults when they became too much and his emotions got the best of him. With a force of will he managed to shake off such thoughts, not letting them affect him now beyond a brief scowl before reminding himself why he was here.

A few moments of gathering produced a large pile of leaves which he placed next to one of the trees bordering the secluded area. His jacket was placed to the side and he sat on the grass, crossing his legs and taking one of the leaves. He took a deep, steadying breath to center himself before placing the leaf against his forehead and closing his eyes.

XXXXX-Mindscape-XXXXX

Kurama cursed at his most recent failure. Decades had passed within this place, yet he was barely any closer to achieving his goal. Using the knowledge he had been able to glean from his memories he had experimented with small changes to the DNA sequence first. Changing the dominant gene for hair color from blonde to red, eye color from blue to lavender and back again. After each change he would feed his energy into it, allowing it to replicate for a time to see if there were any signs of depredation in development.

Some failures lead to breakthroughs until he eventually had managed to get a basic understanding of what he was doing. His next goal was to recreate the supernatural viruses of the vampire and werewolf, a process that lasted far longer than he would have liked for just one let alone both. Yet, perseverance had triumphed in the end and he had smirked so confidently when the two successful sequences hovered before him glowing in the darkness of the mindscape.

But the satisfaction of that achievement was nothing but a faint memory after the countless failures he had experienced since then. Again and again he tried to fabricate the perfect middle ground between the two, a virus to grant the powers of both the skillful vampire and beastly werewolf but managing to cover the weaknesses to avoid making his creation too easy to kill. Every combination he could think of had destroyed each other and had he let even one out into the rest of his host's body it would have unleashed a monstrosity that would have been truly unstoppable…right up until it eventually burned itself out or, kami forbid, exploded from the sheer pressure from its own body trying to take two completely different forms.

"It looks like I'm going to need a buffer of some kind to stabilize the conflicting transformations," the chakra beast growled, one clawed finger tapping against the submerged cobblestones beneath his lounging body as he glared at the two hovering strands. "Something that can allow him to switch between the abilities and provide a middle ground. But what could do that?" He'd already tried making it where he could simply activate one gene over the other, but the strand kept collapsing under so many draws on its physical state.

Resting his head on his crossed forelimbs he pondered over what was required to fulfill his self-appointed task. The easiest way to provide stability he could think of was to add the genetic code of a creature capable of a greater level of transformation. The unstable nature would be able to handle the conflicting signals from the two extremes. But what to use?

Having the vampire as the base state that then could become the wolf had been the only attempt that held itself together for any length of time, so perhaps he needed to be considering the humanoid category. Knowing what he had to do next the fox heaved a sigh, his breath sending waves shooting across the shallow water around him, and began calling up the memories of the book his host had read.

Several hours passed as he carefully studied the detailed notes the book's author had transcribed for each of his listed creatures. Some appeared to show a certain level of promise, but it wasn't until a particular creature appeared that he truly felt any sort of inspiration.

The Succubus

I am confident in stating there are not many out there who have not heard at least one tale of these infamous creatures of lust personified. The Succubus, Incubus for the male equivalent, is a race of demons who are not commonly high on the totem pole among their brethren.

Most stories I have managed to collect list them as beings of humanoid form only marginally stronger than the average human. Common factors are that they are most often considered exceptionally attractive, their looks inspiring lustful thoughts and desires in the hearts and minds of those who see them. Considering their source of energy, I would say that is a reasonable quality.

See, while most of the demons I have studied require the blood or flesh of a living creature to absorb essence, the Succubus and Incubus are capable of draining the essence from the body without ever doing actual physical harm.

Now at first my notes were rather diverse about this creature, but surprisingly I managed to meet one of them and after managing to supply her with ample energy she was willing to provide me with some information.

In truth, while there have been Succubi and Incubi that have killed their victims it is strongly frowned upon in their own community within the realm of Makai. Stronger than an average human they may be, but other than that and an incredible skill for illusion there is not much they have when it comes to advantage over humans in open combat.

Ageha, a name I shall use to refer to my contact, explained to me that it is this lack of advantage that makes her kind reluctant to draw attention to themselves as a human with the ability to use chakra are an incredible threat. Despite this disadvantage compared to other species, however, they are not defenseless.

She demonstrated this with her fingernails, growing from simple things into claws over a foot long which sliced through a fully-grown tree wider than most carts as if it were a stick of warm butter. And she enthralled her way into the most expensive restaurant without ever having put on a reservation. She made it evident that for the overconfident, a succubus can still be a deadly foe.

But all these skills aside, one skill above all I found terrifying was their shapeshifting. Interestingly enough, they can't change beyond a humanoid shape so suddenly becoming an innocent animal when out of eyesight is not an option. But Ageha could change any feature about herself to entice a person. She never changed gender during our time traveling together but assured me it was also possible which led me to asking if their species had a true gender. Her answer was rather informative.

The article carried on from there, but Kurama had what he needed. A species capable of transforming as long as it kept a humanoid shape may be exactly what he was looking for. Two tails rose and directed his finished versions to the side where they would hover until he needed them again. A moments' concentration called up a new image of his host's original DNA strand and with forced patience he set to his new goal.

XXXX-Naruto-XXX

With a tired sigh he let his chakra's flow return to its usual state, raising a hand to catch the leaf as it suddenly dropped from its former perch against his forehead. He had long lost count of how many times he'd attempted this exercise, not to mention how many leaves that had been destroyed from the constant handling. But, as he wiped the sweat from his brow and looked down at the leaf resting in his palm, he couldn't help the smile his lips were forming.

He'd been at this all day after all and to finally have progress left him with a sense of great satisfaction. Granted, it hadn't been the only thing he'd done. The book had warned against allowing for frustration to build, stating it would only serve to hinder the training. Thus, he'd made sure to take breaks, doing some physical workouts or even trying out the pastime of his pineapple-hair-style sporting classmate and watch the clouds. He was grateful nobody had come across him during the nap that particular breather had resulted in. That would've just been embarrassing.

Shaking such thoughts off for another time, Naruto turned his eyes to the sky, finding tongues of orange and red fire burning as the sun began to set. Standing, he grimaced at the tingling in his legs. Sighing, he did a few stretches to get the feeling back into his legs, and donned his bright orange jacket, leaving it unzipped this time. Ready to depart the academy student took the trees and rooftops again, making for his favorite meal spot.

XXXXX-Mindscape-XXXXX

As his host's training was wrapping up for the day, Kurama felt his own satisfaction welling up in his chest once again as a third completed strand hovered before him. This one had been on a completely different level of difficulty in its construction considering this was an actual demon he was recreating. Vampires and Werewolves were human in origin, just boasting that little something extra thanks to the supernatural genes introduced to their system by a carrier. In fact, his success in recreating the desired strains for those two was due to him reworking the DNA coding to first resemble the virus responsible for the common cold and then building it from there.

However difficult it may have been, the fox was a being on a mission and his determination had paid off. He wasn't even upset that it took what amounted to several decades thanks to the time distortion within the seal. Being a creature with a body comprised of pure chakra that doesn't age does have its perks after all.

Resting on his haunches, he directed his tails to bring the two virus strains back around to hover on either side of the new Incubus design. He stretched them out, eyeing the qualities of each one. The illusory powers sported by the incubus turned out to be a perfect synchronizing match for the natural allure of a vampire, which he hoped meant that his host would be able to use illusions in his more human forms and provide yet another tool for survival.

With baited breath he set about creating the first test strand…and felt just a hint of dread as it collapsed upon itself. He remained undeterred, reminding himself how long it took just to get this far, and began his next attempt. Time and again he repeated this process. A part of his attention remained on the memories being created by his host, watching his training with approval and noting he had finished gorging himself on those noodles he, Kushina and even Mito had so greatly enjoyed. What the draw could be for such a food he wasn't sure of, seeing how a mere memory of a taste was not as potent as the actual experience he wouldn't be able to have an accurate idea of what ramen really tasted like unless he were to taste it for himself. Such a thing happening was highly unlikely at the moment, so he put it out of his mind as he worked.

Even as his host returned to his domicile, reading a book for a time before heading to bed, Kurama continued with his work. Countless hours he toiled with the conjured strains, mixing and matching to try and find the right combination almost as if trying to put together an enormous jigsaw puzzle without ever looking at the picture it was supposed to form. Finally, it began to come together.

Just as he once hoped when concocting the idea of the third strain, the shapeshifting ability of the Incubus was the perfect balancer between the two forms. It created a molecular structure just unstable enough that it could be consciously reassembled, forming the body of a bipedal wolf or the vampiric hunter of the night. Though the vampire form would most likely have the incubus wings as well, honestly he wouldn't know until the virus was introduced, and his host could experiment. He had created a whole new field of science with this undertaking, which meant experimentation would be a necessary future endeavor.

Musing aside, when the completed strain hovered before his elongated snout he could not help the broad grin he sported. The culmination of what would have been several human lifetimes of work had led this thing's creation and now…it was time for the next part in his plan. Encasing the strand in a thin blanket of his chakra, Kurama directed it toward the seal's physical manifestation. More specifically, he was putting it close to where the seal was designed to siphon off a portion of his chakra and integrate it into his host's body. It seemed a delicious sort of irony to him, using the very thing that kept him imprisoned, and was designed to strengthen the creator's son, to fulfill his own desires. For that reason, he could be forgiven the deep chuckle that shook his frame as he watched the seal absorb his little gift and send it into the chakra network it was connected to. That chuckle became even more pronounced when he realized something else, tonight happened to be full moon.

Several cultures have allotted some responsibility for strange many a strange phenomenon on the phases of a moon. One of the most infamous was the transformation of a werewolf. And now, his new creation would be birthed on such a night. What a day indeed for the chakra beast. Still, his work was not finished just yet. As he felt his little creation begin to spread, he stopped fighting the seal for his own chakra. Released from an originally tight grip, the choppy flow turned into a smooth trickle and he channeled a certain thought into it. It wasn't a desire for hate or destruction, he'd tried that before only to be quite thoroughly rebuffed by the seal. Instead it was a mental picture depicting the forest.

"The transformation will burn through a lot of energy," he reinforced the picture with his words. Offering a direction in what will surely be a wild haze when the transformation took hold. "Go to the forest. Hunt and feed until you pass out."

Like a mantra Kurama repeated the phrase, infusing the thoughts into his chakra as it was carried into the body of his host. Feeling the change begin he stopped, his work done for the time being, and let his body once more drop down to lie out on the wet floor. His long tails curled around him like a living blanket and he watched through his link to the child as his new fate unfolded.

XXXXX-Naruto-XXXXX

A sudden bolt of excruciating pain tore the blonde from his restful slumber. Bolting upright in his bed he clutched at his chest, his heart beating at such an intense rate it seemed like it was going to explode out of its spot and shoot across the room. Sweat began pouring out of his skin in the body's attempt to thwart the rising the heat.

In his delirium he moved instinctually toward the place all sick humans aim for. His shoulder slammed into the bathroom's door, not even realizing the cracks spreading from the contact point as he moved in and knelt before the toilet. His hands gripped either side of the porcelain throne just in time as all the ramen he had eaten before rushed up his throat and deposited itself in the presented bowl.

He didn't know how long he bent over the toilet, but it took some time before the heaving would subside. Groaning he forced himself to stand, unsure steps carrying him to the sink to run some water. Hands reached out to cup the water but froze when he actually paid attention to them. Before his own eyes the slightly tanned skin he was used to seeing was being overtaken by splotches of deep red. Worried eyes turned upward to stare at the reflection in the cracked mirror and found the same red coloring spreading across his face. But the most concerning was the red bleeding into his eyes from the black pupil. Purest of sapphire was slowly drowning in bloody crimson as he watched.

And as panic began to set in, the pain erupted. Like someone had dipped his nerves into lava his entire body burned, such intensity forcing him to seize up and choke on the scream he was about to let out. An urge pressed into his mind. He needed to leave, to get away from here. Find solitude. Safety.

Stumbling out of the bathroom his eyes locked onto the closed balcony doors and he aimed for them. Not stopping to think about shoes or clothes he simply wrenched them open and stepped outside in naught but his boxers. The cool evening air against his skin was a temporary balm to the heat inflicted upon him by his own body and the deep breath he took soothed his throat. It lasted only so long before the suffering returned anew and the urge to leave increased tenfold.

Muscle memory born from countless late days at the academy sent Naruto leaping toward the rooftop across the street but the snapping of bone upon landing sent him rolling in a painful landing. Glancing at his feet his face would have gone pale if it weren't unnaturally red. Before his eyes his feet seemed to be constricting, bones snapping, rearranging and healing into bigger, wider ones.

Tears spilled out and down his cheeks and the pure terror had him crawling along the rooftop as the desire to escape the village became an all-encompassing need. Forcing himself to his knees he tried to walk, stumbling as bones in his legs, torso and arms followed the lead of his feet. He even felt his teeth and jaw shifting but unseen by him was the red fur sprouting out of his bare back. Starting from the nape of his neck and down his spine it spread outward.

Slowly, conscious thought began to fade. Instinct rose from the shadows of the 'civilized' mind and a new creature was left in the boy's place. Two points began to rise from the shoulder blades, the skin stretching as it tried to contain this unexpected change. With a horrible ripping sound the growths burst through their restrictive prison and there was a moment where all that would have been visible if seen were two long stretches of what appeared to be bone topped with a thumb-like appendage. Then they shuddered, and they began to spread. A joint just below the 'thumb' rotated outward, pulling a webbing of skin along with it to reveal two enormous wings slick with the fluids of the body they had just burst from.

From the lower part of the back something began to sprout just above his rear. Much slower than the wings this single appendage slipped out of the skin. A long, sinuous tail that must have been at least four feet in length and began to sprout its own coat of red fur as soon as it reached its apparent full growth.

A process that appeared to stretch on for an eternity for the one experiencing it, but had only transpired over a matter of a few minutes in reality, ended with a new creature panting on its fur-covered knees. Each breath became less labored, newly shaped lungs growing into their changed form and thus becoming able to pull more air in to fuel the life of the beast they were kept inside. A powerful heart beat within the wide chest, an increasingly steady beat that seemed to soothe the creature.

It shifted, the wings instinctively folding back to remain out of the way as the hybrid creature pushed itself up onto its rear legs, stretching and rolling its shoulders to ease any lingering ache from the change it had suffered. The head of a wolf leaned back, snout in the air and it breathed deep tasting the wind as it drifted past stirring its fur. After a prolonged moment it let the air leave its body…and it opened its eyes. Orbs of burning crimson looked upon the world for the first time, watching with detail its original self never experienced before.

The urge to flee, to find food and sanctuary, was temporarily overwhelmed by the sheer wonder of seeing the world. A newborn trapped in the body of a monster the world held so many mysteries…and then it heard the scream.

An ear twitched and its snout snapped toward the direction it had come from. A flash of intelligence bolted through its eyes, the subconscious where its original mind was currently buried recognizing the sound and a flood of curiosity and concern washed over any other conscious thought. It needed to know what caused such a sound.

Powerful muscles rippled as the legs crouched, and the rooftop cracked as it kicked out into a leap that carried it high and far. The wings appeared ready to snap out, but some instinct told the beast such an act would end badly. That it did not know how to fly and attempting it now would only end in delay and even possible injury. Legs bent as they met a new rooftop and its clenched fists slammed down to keep it upright upon landing.

Again, it rose to stand at its full height, stepping forward tentatively. Then again. And again, the stride lengthening until it was moving at a fast lope. It reached the edge in seconds and it leapt without thought, clearing the wide street without issue and resuming the same pace flawlessly after its second landing.

It heard the scream again, but the animalistic nature prevented it from recognizing the words. Yet it sensed the urgency and its stride increased until it was a blur in the night. Ears and nose were testing the air, sensing any observers which it moved to avoid until it finally reached the rooftop next to the screams' origin. This time its wings did snap out, the skin between the long 'fingers' catching the air like a parachute and arresting the forward momentum it had built up. This allowed it to land with barely any sound, dropping its torso forward to walk on its hands and feet.

Thick skin on the contact points muffled sound and it lowered itself further, pulling its wings close against its back to further hide itself. Moving toward the edge it slowly peeked over, finding a sight that stirred something deep within.

A person, their white hair reflecting the moonlight in such a way that it was difficult for the beast to tear its burning gaze from. Nostrils flexed, and it detected a scent it did not know yet recognized immediately…a female. She smelled of crisp air, not the heavy wood of the forest but open air with an almost perpetual chill. A hint of mint laced the air each time she breathed in those quick gasps. But beneath all of that there was a smell that called out to it in a way none of the others did. The smell spoke of fear, and it awoke within the observer and protective instinct that urged it to act.

Her assaulters, however, smelled of nothing. There was no emotion, no smell to give any indication of where they might have come from. An unnatural void that sent the hackles of the predator rising. The three must die, it decided. It glanced back toward the female and noticed the darkness of the alleyway further behind her. Eyes hundreds of times stronger than a human saw through the darkness to see yet another figure crouched seemingly out of sight behind her. Suspicion urged it to breathe deeply in through the nose and immediately it was able to sense two more voids. One was the figure hidden from regular sight as it had expected, but the other was on the rooftop with it. The only thing keeping them from seeing each other was the small building that had been put on top of the one they were on. A roof shed of some sort perhaps, but it did not matter.

Decision made, the beast drew back from the edge and under the cover of shadow made its way around the shed. Peeking around the far corner it was able to see a human shape stretched out on the floor, its face close to the edge in order to look over as well as observe the area around them in case of any intruders. Unfortunately, its vigilance did not save it. Quiet as the shadows it used to conceal its movement the newborn monster bolted forward, one arm lashing out to wrap its giant fingers around the mask covering the prey's face. The arm snapped back before the human could make even a startled sound and its jaw opened to dig its fangs into its target's throat.

The beast's mind exploded into ecstasy as warm liquid burst from the torn skin and bathed its tongue in unseen crimson. For a moment, all other thoughts were drowned in the onrush of sensation as it held its ever weakening victim, chewing with the strength to rip flesh and splinter bone…until the struggling just stopped. Relaxing its jaws, it gently lowered the new corpse to the ground as its long tongue brushed along bloody jaws searching for just a little more of that glorious taste. Only the sound of stumbled steps brought it crashing back into reality and with a shake of its large head it managed to regain focus on the task at hand.

It sniffed again, finding no other scents or voids on the same level as itself, and crept back to the edge. It was now perched just above the fourth void, its body hidden from the others by shadows. The female was getting closer, still oblivious to the danger behind due to the obvious one in front of her. It knew immediately she would be too close if it hesitated so it stood, paused just long enough to reaffirm its target…and stepped off the edge.

It experienced the odd joy of freefall for a moment or two, and then with a thundering crash it landed directly onto the hidden human. Bone crunched beneath its considerable weight, the human's head crushed like a fruit beneath one of its feet. Death was instantaneous, as was the shriek from the girl when she heard the landing.

All four humans froze, the dim light of a streetlamp at the alley's mouth not quite reaching far enough to illuminate this stranger as it crouched in the shadows. Slowly, the mass began to shift. Towering above them, wings spread out to add a further intimidating sight and from the darkness that must have been its head two orbs of burning red stared into the holes of the masks covering the three scent voids. A rumbling growl drifted out from the darkness, shooting past all the training in the scent voids and touching on an instinct buried deep within their subconscious. It was the voice of the hunter, calling them prey. They stood before a beast of power and were found to be weak.

It lasted only a moment and then training reasserted itself. Quick as humanely possible hands moved, gleaming metal sent cutting through the air aimed at assumed vital areas. An arm lashed out, catching the female around her waist and pulling her close to the beast as it spun, wrapping leathery wings around her body to further shield her. Metal struck against dense muscle and packed fur, barely earning a grunt as they sunk less than an inch into the target and fell to the asphalt below with a clatter.

The girl seemed too stunned by the speed everything had occurred with to realize her position as the hybrid let her go, turning to face the assailants while crouching protectively. Unable to see their target, the attackers made the only logical decision when faced with such an extreme unknown. The two closest each drew a weapon, something the creature's original persona would have recognized as a tanto but with a flat end in place of the sharp tip they were normally created with. These two moved forward without hesitation, drawing the attention of the strange creature while the third threw a small round object at the ground which erupted into a cloud of smoke upon impact. The beast's sensitive ears picked up the sound of displaced air from a body moving away at high speeds, but it was forced to ignore the fleeing prey by the duo left behind to attack.

The first to close with the new target lashed out with its blade only for it to be blocked by a muscular forearm. The opposite hand lashed out with claws bared, the human managing to step back and thus avoiding being eviscerated but not escaping unscathed. The reinforced vest gave like butter before a hot knife and the claws' tips left gouges in the man's skin.

The second tried to attack the beast from behind while it was seemingly distracted, only to feel something wrapping around his wrist locking it in place. Apparently, the creature's tail was prehensile, as it had snaked around the offending appendage and jerked downward. The sudden motion through the masked man off balance and left him open for a backhand swing that crashed into the hardened material covering his face. It cracked like it was made of thin ice and the sound of bones in the neck snapping as the momentum jerked his head to the side. He fell into a boneless heap seconds later leaving his wounded partner to deal with their slayer alone.

Knowing he was most likely going to die, the remaining attacker brought his hands together and formed a quick series of signs. This sudden act confused the instinct-driven predator and caused it to hesitate just long enough for him to finish and the result was his body becoming enshrouded in an unnatural blue flame. As if this were some sort of trigger, the corpses of his former companions were set alight and red eyes watched as they were burned to ash in a matter of moments. Even the man who activated this chain of events never uttered a sound, seemingly just accepting his fate as the cobalt fire consumed him.

Sensing there was no fight left, the creature sniffed once to search for any further threat. Finding none, it turned back to the female it had saved and found her sitting on the ground looking up to meet its gaze. It leaned forward as if searching for something, noticing the slight glaze in her eyes as if she were struggling to focus. Unknown to the hybrid, the girl saw the crimson of its eyes fade for just a moment and she was able to see eyes of the purest blue she had ever seen. The moment passed, the crimson returned, and the creature threw its head back, letting out a howl that echoed in the close confines of the alley and out over the village. Far out into the forest there was a roar of a great beast as if answering a challenge and even howls like the one it let out sang as if in a song only they knew. The world around them seemed to pause, the echoes and answers the only sounds beyond her own breathing that seemed to reach her ears…and then the wolf-like head lowered to allow burning eyes of ruby to meet with emerald. It gave a brief nod before spinning around and bounding toward the alley's mouth where it leaped to the roof across the street and vanished from her sight.

Moments later four figures appeared, each dressed in similar combat gear and sporting their own masks. Unlike the mostly blank masks worn by those who attacked her, however, these were marked to resemble various animals. She had enough mental strength left to realize her savior must have used that howl to draw them here before feeling her body and mind succumb to the combination of stress and the drug she had been slipped. Just before she fell into the sweet embrace of unconsciousness she could have sworn she heard the howl one last time.

And CUT!

There you have it folks, the new chapter. Those returning will notice there isn't a huge difference between the original and this, more detail a little fleshed out in parts. Also, in the original I covered the morning after but since I hit fourteen pages I decided to flesh that out more in the next chapter.

I'm going to leave the original up, just so others can compare because if there's one thing I actually like it is constructive criticism. After all, how do I expect to get better if I don't see what's wrong in the first place.

Please note that I said "constructive criticism." This means if there is something you do not like, please state what it is and give a reason for it. Someone going 'Your story sucks' but not saying what is the issue will not allow me to fix what I am doing wrong. Thus you do not get a better product and I don't get to improve at all which I would greatly like to do.

This does not mean I expect to please everyone, that is just not possible. Still, I hope a majority of readers enjoy the experience.

Anyway, I'll quit jaw-jacking (or whatever you call the typing equivalent) and let y'all continue on your way. Hope to see you on the next chapter but until then: Yurei King signing out!