Seeing The Unseen

When Naruto and Shikamaru turn 16, they gain the ability to see their soulmate's Daemon.

Tags: Daemon AU, Soulmate AU, protective Daemon's

Naruto was jolted out of his sleep by something heavy landing on his chest. Naruto was a second away from jumping up onto his feet, hand curled his Kunai ready for the attack but something stopped him. It wasn't exactly a concrete feeling, but whatever had just landed on him was safe to every part of him and even the Kyuubi stayed silent, which was rare nowadays as he and Jiraiya were working on accessing his powers.

Naruto opened his eyes and was greeted by the most adorable small jet-black kitten that was curled up on his chest. The kitten was already fast asleep and was gently purring as it rose and fell with the rise and fall of Naruto's chest.

"Oh," Naruto whispered as he carefully, slowly cupped his hand around the small kitten and an amazed smile crossed his lips as he gently stroked the soft fur.

"What's going on brat?" Jiraiya rumbled as he rolled onto his side, eyes blinking slowly to look at his student.

"I…My soulmate's Daemon." Naruto was in shock and awe as the kitten slept on unaware of the storm of emotions that it just unlocked inside of the 16-year old.

"Yeah? Congrats kid, what does it look like?" Jiraiya asked curiously as he pushed himself up into a sitting position.

Only the two souls that were meant for each other could see their Daemon's, well up until the two souls connect and then the Daemon's would become visible.

Naruto knew that for sure as had been present when Iruka-Sensei had met Kakashi-Sensei and a large silver furred dog with one eye covered and a small brown-furred dog with a scar over its nose came into view, tackling the other happily and both of his Sensei's had turned a bright red colour as they stared at the other in shock and happiness. Naruto and his team had to a lot of threatening that day, after all, Kakashi-Sensei was a pervert and Iruka-Sensei was amazing, but it seems it turned out okay for them after everything.

"A black kitten, it's so cute and small," Naruto said in a shaky voice, as his vision got blurry before he used his free hand to swipe at his eyes.

"Cute and small… What's wrong kid?" Jiraiya didn't remember crying when his appeared on his 16th birthday.

"I just… I didn't think I was going to have a soulmate." Naruto admitted as he stayed lying down, unwilling to move lest it woke his soulmate's Daemon up and this all disappeared like a dream.

"What? Why?" Jiraiya was awake now and had a bad feeling in his gut as he watched Naruto stare at his chest with wide, glassy eyes.

"I'm me, a Jinchūriki. I just… I just didn't think I had one." Naruto admitted, forcing back the horrid memories of his childhood and all the cruel villagers hurting him, mocking him, telling him that no one would want a monster as a soulmate. Some things he had managed to move past but that one thing, that he wouldn't have a soulmate, that no one would want him stuck with him.

"Jinchūriki or not, everyone has one. You deserve the happiness that your soulmate can give you, don't doubt that Naruto." Jiraiya set his hand on Naruto's hair, messing it up playfully earning a familiar yelp and pout. Naruto couldn't help but smile as the kitten on his chest peeled one brown eye and stared at him offended that Naruto had disturbed his sleep.

Naruto cradled the Daemon to his chest as he stood up and giggled as the kitten yawned cutely before scaling his shoulders and plopped down onto his head, making itself comfortable in Naruto's spiky hair.

"It's sleeping on my head," Naruto informed his amused Sensei who was looking at him with fondness that Naruto wasn't sure was directed at him.

"That makes things easier," Jiraiya mused before he set about gathering their things up so they could leave.

Naruto lifted his hand and gently scratched the Daemon who purred happily in return and Naruto felt happier and lighter than he had in a very long time.

For days this feeling stayed burning in his chest and his fondness for his soulmate's lazy Daemon. The kitten barely walked if it could manage to get Naruto to carry him somehow and Naruto would rarely say no, in fact, he fully enjoyed having his soulmate's Daemon cradled in his arms or draped over his head.

However, when it came time for another session of trying to get the Kyuubi under control, the Daemon was pacing and hissing impatiently from across the clearing as the violent red Chakra whipped around Naruto and the blond fought to control it.

Naruto was only half aware of what was happening as he wrestled for control over the Kyuubi's angry Chakra and could only dig his newly formed claws into the dirt below him. Jiraiya staggered up from where he hit a tree when one of the tails had lashed out against him.

Naruto, however, became very aware when his soulmate's Daemon lunged across the clearing towards him and panic bubbled up in his throat at the mere thought of hurting it, hurting his soulmate and getting rejected just as he feared he would be.

His soulmate's Daemon stood its ground, hair raised on end as it stared down Naruto and the Kyuubi with intense brown eyes. The kitten was suddenly covered in darkness as it shifted and morphed until it was the size of a panther, but the roar it let out was one that rivaled the Kyuubi.

Naruto felt the Kyuubi's hold on him slip and that was all he needed to yank control back to his side and slam the gates shut between them. Naruto gasped and panted as he collapsed onto the ground, steam rising off of him as the Kyuubi's Chakra faded away.

Naruto huffed when a familiar tongue touched his cheek and he managed to turn his head to the side to look up at the panther.

"Kage," Naruto whispered finally deciding on a name and something he had been missing about the kitten, or rather panther cub clicked into place and Naruto passed out with Kage curling around him protectively.

~~/~~

Shikamaru never really made a big deal of his birthday, but he could honestly say that he would have preferred not to be leaping from tree to tree to avoid some hunter-nin on his heels. Shikamaru had once again become a decoy to lead the hunter-nin away from the rest of his team. Shikamaru wasn't sure why he had agreed to that if he was being honest, but he didn't have much time left to think about it.

Shikamaru swore as the branch he was about to land on broke in half thanks to one of the hunter-nin's blowing it to pieces with a fire Jutsu. Shikamaru twisted in the air and managed to land on his feet on the ground below. Shikamaru took off in a different direction, eyes darting side to side as blurry shapes of the hunter-nin overtook him.

Shikamaru skidded to a stop just as Kunai's dug into the dirt inches away from his feet.

"It was brave if not suicidal of you to act as a decoy," one of the hunter-nin called out, respect in his tone even as he and the rest of his team unsheathed their Kanata's from their backs. Shikamaru winced at the sharp blades and weighed his options. Not many of them were left as he heaved a sigh, tipping his head back to look at the night sky.

Shikamaru was coming to terms with his death on the same day he was born when someplace a clock struck the same time he had been born and the world around Shikamaru shifted.

Shikamaru was shaken off balance and landed harshly on his back as a large cloud of smoke engulfed the area. Shikamaru knew that some Daemon's liked to make dramatic entrances; it depended on whose soul they were representing. Shikamaru had to assume that his soulmate was extra dramatic as he coughed some smoke out of his lungs.

"Oh my God," Shikamaru whispered in shock as the smoke was flung away by nine large golden foxtails. The golden furred fox was the size of a mountain at the least and roared angrily at the hunter-nin who took one look at the massive distortion and echo of a roar that Shikamaru's soulmate's Daemon and took off into the forest. They knew better than to take on a massive and pissed off Daemon, they may be invisible but they could still touch and hurt those who are a threat.

The giant nine tails grunted in approval before its head turned and easily found Shikamaru. The fox's tails flared out as if it was preening as Shikamaru stared up at it slack-jawed. Shikamaru's limbs felt like jello and he refused to try to stand as the Daemon preened and showed off for Shikamaru.

The fox let out an earth-shaking roar before it glowed as bright as the sun and Shikamaru soon had his arms full of a smaller version of the golden nine tails. It purred as it nuzzled against Shikamaru's cheek, tails swaying happily as Shikamaru held it closer on reflex.

"What?" Shikamaru stared at the now content mini nine tail fox curled up against his chest.

"The Kyuubi, a golden Kyuubi is my soulmate's Daemon… That means…Naruto?" Shikamaru whispered as the pieces fell into place for him and the fox gave a pleased yip before licking his cheek playfully.

"This is going to be so troublesome, I suppose I should at least give you a name?" Shikamaru felt something warm spread in his chest at the thought that Naruto was his soulmate. Shikamaru gently pet the soft gold fur and felt a smile appear when the fox wiggled happily and blinked up at him with familiar blue eyes, hell even the whisker marks where present.

"Taiyō, the Sun." Shikamaru decided and Taiyō yipped in approval before it clambered up to settle on Shikamaru's shoulder, it's small nine tails curling around his neck like a scarf.

"Let's go find my team and go home, does that sound good Taiyō?" Shikamaru rose to his feet, glad his limbs had returned to normal and he wasn't being hunted any longer.

Taiyō chirped and nuzzled his cheek again before turning its blue eyes towards the sky almost forlornly. Shikamaru understood almost at once what Taiyō was feeling as he felt it more often than not, which looking back should have been a major clue to who his soulmate was.

"He'll be home soon," Shikamaru patted Taiyō's head, unsure if his words were truthful or not but he hoped he was right as he took to the tree's again to meet his team at their pre-set meeting point.

~~/~~

Shikamaru had kept what form his soulmate's Daemon had taken to himself. He knew most weren't aware of Naruto housing the Kyuubi and it wasn't Shikamaru's place to reveal that. Shikamaru had grown accustomed to Taiyō wrapped around his shoulders and neck like an oversized, affectionate scarf or bouncing around at his side like a hyperactive pup. What Shikamaru hadn't expected for Taiyō to leap off his shoulder while he was talking with Temari and bite at his pant leg, pulling him intently towards a certain street.

"Whoa, calm down!" Shikamaru muttered as he stumbled after the suddenly excited fox, waving awkwardly at Temari who was watching amused as Shikamaru was dragged away by his soulmate's Daemon.

"Taiyō, seriously!" Shikamaru warned after he almost fell flat on his face as he was dragged around a corner.

"Kage, come back here! You're usually so lazy, why are you now running?" A familiar if not deep voice rang out and Shikamaru froze as Naruto came into view. Naruto froze when his eyes landed on Shikamaru at the end of the small street that both of them had been dragged too.

Shikamaru could only blink as Taiyō lunged forward and the air shifted to reveal a small black cub of some sort collided with Taiyō. The two small animals yipping and nuzzling each other happily as they reunited.

"Shikamaru?" Naruto's voice was quiet and unsure.

"…Welcome home Naruto," Shikamaru followed Taiyō's example and went to greet his soulmate.

"You're… You're really my soulmate?" Naruto's voice was shaky as he stared at Shikamaru wide-eyed as Shikamaru stopped in front of him.

"I've been waiting for you to come back home for a while," Shikamaru placed his hand on a whiskered cheek and smiled when Naruto shuddered even as he nuzzled the other's palm much like Taiyō does.

"I…Yeah, I'm home." Naruto sounded choked up, but Shikamaru couldn't blame him, his throat was closing up a bit as well. Having Naruto here was like coming home in every possible way.

Naruto leaned forward and a smile crossed his lips as Shikamaru's forehead pressed against his and their hands somehow found each other, twining together as their Daemons' mirrored them and curled around each other finally content and complete.