Author Notes: Welcome to my third NaruKyuu fanfic. This is a continuation of CoaLW and FaW,HaD. There will be mature content, just not in this chapter. I AM SO FREAKING SORRY. MY SCHOOL IS TRYING TO KILL ME! I GOT FIVE PROJECTS AND THREE TESTS DUE ALL ON ONE DAY! My brain is fried, but I will do my best to update across all of my fanfics. Once spring break rolls around (or summer if things stay bogged down) I will be able to maybe update every day. Wait for it. I solemnly swear to never abandon my faithful readers and reviewers.

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Konoha: Tsunade sat down at her desk doing the usual paperwork. She had gotten used to the daily load, so she took a minute to look outside. It was the evening of January 8th, and not a single flake of snow had touched the ground all winter. The past five winters had been like this. "And it was five years ago that Naruto left," the Hokage spoke quietly.

"I really miss Naruto-Niichan," said a familiar brunette. Tsunade turned to see Naruto's self-proclaimed apprentice had snuck in unheard. He was really good at it now. Konohamaru was now sixteen, and he had lost a certain amount of his childish antics, but he had developed the two most potent perverted jutsu on the planet. "I know I ask this a lot, but do you think he will ever come back?"

"Naruto will do anything to protect his kid," Tsunade began. "If he comes back, it won't be for long. I still find it amazing that he and Kyuubi could have one, but it wasn't safe. The villagers…I can't even say it. Anyway, do you have your mission report?"

"Ya, it turned out to be one of Orochimaru's old hideouts, and we blew it sky high except for these specimens that you were interested in," Konohamaru replied. "Almost every prisoner was dead, but they all had curse marks." He handed the woman a folder along with two glass jars filled with Kami knows what. "I wonder how much longer this war will last," he spoke.

"The Shadow Country occupies an entire continent," Tsunade replied. "It will be years, maybe decades before we even manage to establish a base. And with their blackguard elites posing a huge threat to any attack, there is little we can do to oppose them directly. The worst part is that the country can sustain itself without foreign trade. Look, it's already late. You should get some…" Tsunade stopped midsentence as she caught Konohamaru staring out the window in shock and maybe fear. She turned to see an all too familiar light show in the sky. "No way," she said softly. "It's been five years without a word. Why have you come back?"

"Hokage-Sama," a Jounin yelled as he burst through the door to her office. "We found this child at the main gate. He says his father is in trouble." Tsunade turned to see a child barely four years old panting in the doorway.

"Please Hokage-Sama…help my daddy," he spoke before collapsing. Tsunade was stunned. The child's chakra signature wasn't human, and he had that nostalgic blond, spiky hair. An explosion resounded from the forest, and Tsunade and Konohamaru were out the door in a flash with several ANBU in tow.

"Be ready for anything," Tsunade yelled as they passed through the main gate. The aurora still shone brightly in the sky, and clouds were starting to form. The sounds of breaking bones and tearing metal could easily be heard, and screams and roars tore through the forest as well. A large silvery blur smashed into a tree, and Tsunade stopped to see that it was a mortally wounded creature with four tails. "It's a demon," she said quietly. A much louder roar sounded, and it sent shivers down everyone's spines. A bright flash went off as half the trees were frosted over. Silence hung in the air like a dense fog, but Tsunade finally worked up the courage to continue on.

They stayed to the shadows, but the group observed as a fiery scene shrank and finally disappeared in the clearing, leaving only the snowy and bloody ground and trees. Many of the old trees had been blown over, and everything was riddled with ice. There, surrounded by frozen chunks of demons on all sides was a man with short and spiky golden hair holding two swords. Konohamaru tried to gain a better viewpoint, but the crunching ice under his feet alerted the person, and he disappeared from sight only to appear next to them with his swords pointing at Tsunade. This was incredible; tears came to Tsunade's eyes, and Konohamaru stood stunned. It didn't seem possible, but this was definitely Naruto.

"Thank Kami," he panted before collapsing into the snow. Tsunade was horrified. Naruto's back was coated in scratches, bites, and chakra wounds, and his chakra level was very low.

"Get him to a hospital room…NOW!" the Hokage ordered. Wolves howled into the night as Konohamaru picked Naruto up and carried him piggyback. "Stay on your toes," she warned. "If all of those were demons, and they managed to do this to Naruto, you'll need every ounce of awareness in you if we have to fight any." Snow fell from the sky, and the group didn't meet a single enemy on the way back to Konoha. Villagers had gathered to see what was causing the commotion, and the few that caught a glimpse of Naruto as the group came through were shocked. Tsunade and Konohamaru pushed their way through, and the ANBU agents barred the onlookers' path to the hospital. Tsunade brought Naruto to a vacant room and went to work on him. His wounds were frozen over with ice. "You were always smarter than I gave you credit for," the woman spoke as her hands glowed with chakra. Naruto's back wasn't in horrible shape, but the lacerations were deep. Tsunade even had to pick out bits of broken claw and even a fang. "Just what the Hell were you up against?" She made it up to his shoulders, and she spotted the mate's mark on his shoulder. It now had eight designs around it.

"Tsunade-Sama," Sakura gasped as she came in the door. She froze at the sight. "It…it can't be…Naruto?" Tsunade nodded.

"Tell Sasuke and the others, but don't let any of the villagers hear you," the Godaime told her. Sakura left, and twenty minutes after Tsunade had finished, she brought back the entire gang, and Kakashi escorted the random child. "You're Naruto and Kyuubi's kid aren't you?" Tsunade asked calmly with a smile. The boy was terrified of everyone, but he nodded. His hair had the same radiance as Naruto's, but his eyes were a much darker blue, like midnight with more darkness in it.

"Is my dad alright?" he asked with tears in his eyes.

"He should be perfectly fine once he wakes up," the Hokage replied. Sakura sat down with the boy and allowed him to cling to her for warmth.

"We were completely surrounded, and he told me to go through the gate and just keep running straight towards the lighted area," he began. "Dad had been cut open already by a big guy with seven tales, but he told me not to worry. I just kept running, and he told me to find the Hokage. He said that 'the woman with watermelons on her chest will protect you.'" Tsunade suddenly became furious. "He also said 'she's the only human I know besides the world's biggest perv or something like that who can protect you from a demon.'" This made Tsunade laugh inwardly. Nice save Naruto; you're off the hook…for now.

"Uuungh, oooh," Naruto moaned as he sat up. Everyone was shocked. He suddenly tensed as his eyes shot open. "Where is he? Where is my son?" he asked frantically. "Please tell me he's okay Tsunade." There were tears in his eyes as he spoke, and nothing could terrify the woman more.

"I'm right here daddy," the child called out as he jumped higher than anyone expected onto Naruto's chest. "I'm fine, and so are you." Naruto hugged the boy closely as he cried out of joy. "I thought I lost you."

"I thought I might lose you," the blond man replied. "Thank Kami you're safe my little Ryuushin." It was a complete "aaaaww" moment. Everyone stood in amazement. There were so many questions concerning Naruto's absence for five long years. They also wondered where Kyuubi was. Naruto continued comforting Ryuushin as his head rose. "I am indebted to you Tsunade-Sama," he began. "Thank you for keeping him safe. I just can't bear the thought of losing you," he said towards his son.

"Where is Kyuubi?" Tsunade asked. Naruto's hand stopped moving, and little Ryuu looked up to his dad in curiosity. A tear fell from Naruto's eye. "No," the Hokage breathed.

"He isn't dead," Naruto told them. "The mark would disappear if he died. He's been captured, and they're torturing him now as we speak." Tsunade sat down next to him. "Zant Du Vestilgraden, king of the demon realm has been plotting to destroy the human race and claim this plane for demons. He intends to start with Konoha for rather…serious reasons that…concern my childhood and my exile." Everyone took on looks of shame and concern. It was true. Naruto's life had been Hell for the most part, and many of the villagers had been disgusted with him when he returned with Kyuubi and found they were going to have a child, have Ryuushin. "Neither of us noticed his motives for four and a half years, and it was too late by the time we did. When Zant declared his plan, we realized that Ryuushin would not be safe if we openly opposed him. So Kyuubi and I decided to come back here, but as you saw…there were complications. I am the greatest threat to Zant, so he tried to eliminate Kyuubi and me, but we evaded his detection until three days ago. Kyuubi told me to make sure our son made it to safety, so he stalled for time and fought against Zant's Zutchen Di and sent me away. I can't begin to tell you how painful it was to know and feel that Kyuubi was sacrificing himself, but here we are…safe and sound while he's in a dungeon." The last part was said a bit bitterly.

"Naruto," Sakura said quietly as she hugged the man. Tears flowed from her eyes, and Naruto tried to feel comfort, but it wouldn't come.

"I've bought us time and killed most of their gate keepers," Naruto began again. "I'm calling the other Bijuu to assembly, and they will be here by tomorrow's end, but Zant has most of demon society against me. If I can just kill him and his son, the rest will give up. His mate, Irda Vi Losgran…is already a stain on my swords." Naruto paused as he began rubbing Ryuushin's head again. "I can't ask for your help in this matter of dealing with the other demons, but I have no choice but to ask for you to protect my son. If he dies, I don't think I could go on anymore. Konoha is my home, and I know that the villagers still view me as an abomination and betrayal to the human race, but there is no other way. With the Shadow ninja waiting to strike, I could not leave him in the Hidden Sand Village and leave with a steady conscience."

"We will protect your son Naruto," Tsunade told him. "You just focus on getting Kyuubi back before Zant decides he has no reason to keep him alive. Kushina," she began. "Take them back to the mansion and let them rest. They've had a rough day."

"Are those real clothes?" Sasuke asked.

"I made them myself, so yes," his blond friend replied. Naruto wore heavy-duty leather ninja boots with a golden threaded fox on the end of each. He also had on a strong set of fighting garments made of a rather resistant thread. "Completely fireproof except for perhaps Amaterasu or a volcano," Naruto told them. "This top of mine also has superior tear resistance, but a battle-ready demon of four tails or higher can still do a number on it. This whole outfit is streamlined too, so it makes detecting my movements far more difficult." Kiba punched it out of curiosity, and Naruto didn't react at all, but Ryuushin got angry and clawed his hand, drawing blood.

"Wash that out Kiba," Naruto told him calmly. "Ryuu is like me in a lot of ways and having poison in his claws is one of those ways. His name suggests his nature, feisty like a dragon." Tsunade's face paled. "It isn't strong yet, but that will basically destroy the ability to feel your fingers for a while." Kiba looked at his hand carefully and smelled it. Naruto was right; there was poison in his rather protective son's claws.

"It feels like there's iron plating in that vest of yours, but that might just be your body underneath," Kiba commented as he began scrubbing the four lines in his hand. "Ouch, this stuff kind of burns."

"It's a neurotoxin, so it will do that," Naruto told him. "Remember Ryuushin," he began. "Humans can't resist your poison like your dads do, so be careful. Only use it in a true emergency, because your powers won't really develop for another two and a half years or so. You can probably punch Kiba's lights out already, but don't use that on friends. If anyone seriously tries to hurt you, then you can use it."

"Hey, I'm no wimp," Kiba protested.

"I fought you myself didn't I?" Naruto asked. "I never said you were a wimp, but you're up against a nine-tailed dingo here. Even at the age of three he could bust a boulder the size of a small cottage with a single kick, so don't go underestimating him."

"You never told us what demon he had turned out to be," Sakura commented. "A dingo, that's pretty amazing."

"Canine demons make canine demons, but that encompasses various large and powerful dogs, not Poodles or Chihuahuas mind you, foxes, wolves, dingoes, and so on," the blond man replied. "He's got my hair, but Kyuu's strong build. He gets his eyes from me, but Ryuushin really is more than just the sum of his parents."

"Ya, so don't go calling me shrimp or wimpy, humans" Ryuu said almost insultingly. Naruto busted him for it too and slapped him, shocking everyone beyond belief. "Owiiie," the small boy cried as he held his right cheek. "Why did you do that Dad?" There were tears in his eyes, but Naruto didn't just melt. He was stronger than that.

"Don't ever think of yourself as higher than others whether they're human or demon," Naruto scolded. "I think I need to remind you that I was born a human. You're a bit young for this, but I can't let you pick up Zant's teachings. There was once a man named Madara who was I dare say the mightiest of all humans. He was strong enough to crush the Bijuu under his foot too. You can thank me and Kyuubi and my dad for killing him, but he was terribly cruel. Madara was going to take over the world using Kyuubi's powers along with the other Bijuu, and he nearly succeeded. I only managed to beat him because I had help. Humans may not be born with anywhere near as much chakra, and they may have to train extremely hard to become as strong as us physically, but they are powerful. When teams put their heads together, they can accomplish many things. The only reason I'm still here is because demons don't fight in that fashion. It's whoever gets the target wins, not a collective goal. And we can be thankful that Zant is having a hard time switching the main tactics."

"I'm sorry Dad," Ryuushin told him as he hugged Naruto and nuzzled against his chest. Naruto rubbed his back reassuringly, signaling that his punishment was over.

"It will become obvious who my friends are and who aren't, but you'll get used to living here. Konoha is just filled with fun places if you know how to look for them, and your…" Naruto paused and snuffed in humor, "Grandma's house is very beautiful. Kushina sent a deadly look at Naruto, and he started laughing. "Your daddy's in trouble with his mom, but don't worry. I'm twenty-three now, but your grandmother isn't old yet."

"I think she's in her forties," Raiya spoke out. "The amount of silver hairs suggests forty-four maybe forty-five." Naruto paled. This was not a good situation.

"Ryuu, human life lesson number three: never try to guess a woman's true age," Naruto spoke as he kept his eyes on his enraged mom. The boy turned, and he was petrified with fear. "Daddy," he began. "She scares me."

"That is one of my mother's many talents, but the others are much more pleasant," Naruto told him. Everyone in the room backed away, and Naruto received a punch in place of Ryuushin's rather freely speaking mouth. "She can also hit pretty hard," the man spoke as he fixed his nose with a crack. Tsunade cringed at the sound and blood, but Naruto quickly healed himself up. "Your dad is tired from a long night Ryuushin. I need some sleep, and so do you my little dragon dingo." Ryuushin enjoyed himself like normal little kids as Naruto picked him up and put him on his shoulders. They exited the hospital happily and found the streets to be empty. Naruto's ears caught something, and he placed his son down on the ground. A yellowish blur raced toward the child, but Naruto easily caught it in his hands and pounded it into the ground.

"Kahack," the ferret-demon got out as his body made a crater. He had two tails, so he couldn't hope to overpower Naruto who had him by the neck. The blond man had nothing but rage in his eyes.

"How dare you attack an innocent child?" he roared. Villagers watched from their windows in fear. "Your life was forfeit from the moment you chose your target. Be honest and I'll end it painlessly. Was it for trying to live up to Zant's word and maybe getting promoted?" The demon could barely manage it, but he nodded. Naruto's eyes flashed, and he fell still, dead. Naruto then lit him on fire with his chakra, and the ash flew away into the night. "It's a rather precise medical way of killing, but it only works on demons if they are of low enough power level or are willing to accept death. The method doesn't use much chakra at all, and it literally tells the person's brain to shut down, but the clincher is that it seals the actions of the brain once it follows the command, so there is no way to bring them back in time." Sakura was amazed by this. It truly was a marvel of a technique.

"I don't sense any others Tsunade-Sama," he began calmly. "But keep all ANBU on high alert. Demons can change their size, and they can even mask themselves as humans, but they only have one human form. This is the hard part of the task I requested of you. Zant is no fool. He will probably send six-tailed demons after us, but he'll keep the two eight-tailed demons and most of the seven-tailed demons with him for protection. Ryuushin is to always remain under the watchful eyes of my mom, you, Ero-Sennin, Kakashi-Sensei, Sasuke, or an ANBU agent I have examined myself. If he is alone with anyone else and I see it, that person better be ready for a scare fest and an interrogation. He is not to leave this village for any purpose whatsoever. And also," he began towards the boy himself. "If you disobey me on this particular issue, the consequences will be severe. I have messenger frogs that I can leave with you, so communication is not a viable reason. I have a lot to deal with tomorrow, so let's just all get some rest."

His son nodded as Naruto put him back on his shoulders, and each of them broke off to go home until it was just Naruto, Kushina, and little Ryuushin who was asleep. "He's beautiful Naruto," the woman spoke softly.

"I'm sorry that I left you alone five years ago Mom," Naruto interjected. "I love you; don't think I don't. It just wasn't safe to give birth to him here. Someone would have killed him or at least attempted, and I couldn't raise him here like that. No matter what I do, someone is left in pain because of it." Kushina hugged him lovingly, and Naruto broke down crying.

"I love you Naruto," she said reassuringly. "You're my son, and nothing can change that." She kissed his cheek, a new gesture for Naruto. He just went with it though. Kushina had missed out on raising him, so every moment counted. "I'm curious though," the woman started out. "How did you erm, give birth to him?" It was an embarrassing question. After all, guys didn't give birth in human society, and he was born a human.

"They cut him out," he replied. Kushina paled. She had been asked if she wanted a C-section by Tsunade when she had Naruto, but she refused. "I was afraid at first, but Kyuubi knew how to calm me down, and I was given an anesthetic, so I didn't really feel the pain from being cut. They had to stop my chakra though, because it heals me really quickly. When he first came out, Ryuushin was so small, and he was covered in my blood, so I was scared that the doctor had hurt him, but she cleaned him off and snipped the birth cord with a pair of scissors. She wrapped him in a blanket and let my chakra start flowing again, and I held him in my arms like a plate of hair-thin glass. He was so beautiful, and I cried along with Kyuubi as he wailed in my arms. How bad of a crier was I when I was a baby?" Naruto asked.

"When you did cry," his mother began. "It was quiet, but you stopped the instant Minato or I got close to you. Was he bad?"

"My ears won't ever stop ringing," her son replied humorously. "I didn't get sleep for the first five nights, but I never yelled at him or Kyuubi like some sleep-deprived mothers I knew did. His eyes would always shine when he smiled, and they are kind of like the sky right now. It's so dark, but there are specs of light all over it. His eyes shine the same way if he ever smiles for you. Don't get your hopes up though; he's in pain because of what happened to Kyuubi. I don't know if he blames me or is just sad, but he hasn't smiled at all since three days ago; I can't blame him though. This is almost like what happened with you, Dad, and me," Naruto spoke more softly. Kushina teared up, but she couldn't comfort him like this. She unlocked the door to the house, and Naruto frowned. "I'm gonna have to put up some really tough seals and barriers," he said. "I won't let anything happen to Ryuushin or you guys, but that will mean taking a lot of precautions."

He carried his son up to his father's old room. "You can put him in your old room if you want Naruto. I got it fixed up," Kushina told him with a concerned look on her face.

"He'll have nightmares and wake up terrified if I'm not there," her son replied. "We've been running for two months now, so the security is something he needs right now. Thank you though Mom." With that, Naruto closed the door and set up a detection barrier around the house. He pulled back the sheets and got his son curled up before getting under the warm covers and thinking about Kyuubi as he dosed off.

Author Notes: So, what did you think? Don't worry. Naruto and Kyuubi will be reunited soon…probably in the eventually field actually. Review please.