Summary: Millennia ago, there lived a clan of witches – powerful beyond imagination – named the Umbra Witches. Now, the clan was extinct, the last witches soul devoured. An abused, weakened Naruko enters her mind and discovers one of the demon's whom had devoured an Umbra Witches soul. Female!Naruto, Female!Kyuubi. Crossover with Bayonetta.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto/Bayonetta or any of the characters/concepts, blah, blah, blah.

A/N: A new story, my second one, in fact. This plot bunny has been churning around inside my head for, at least, two weeks now. I decided to start penning it and soon, it came to life. So now, here it is. This is the second Naruto/Bayonetta crossover I've seen on the site. Yes, it's a Female!Naruto story. I wasn't sure how I'd fit a male Naruto into the story with this premise. Also, any butchered word in dialog is purposeful.

Anyway, on with to the story.

Umbra Witch

Prologue: The kit and a bijuu.

Six years.

Six long, tortured years. She could remember each harsh, stinging word clear as day. Demon child... they said. Monster... they jeered. It was an endless cacophony of mental torture, one her innocent, malleable mind absorbed.

Blows rained down upon her petite, malnourished form, a sickening crack echoing in her ears, followed by a delighted snigger from her assaulter. She could feel a warm liquid running down her upper lip, followed by an intense, throbbing pain dulling her senses. Her mind was growing darker and darker with each painful blow, her awareness slipping every single second underneath the constant, physical abuse.

"I... I'm s-sorry!" she wailed, her voice cracking. She wasn't sure what she was apologizing for, but, she had to try. She heard a humorless chuckle leave her assailants mouth; she suddenly was silenced, her broken nose shattering further as the man landed a precision stomp. Warm, salty tears dripped down her cheeks before her consciousness was washed away underneath the loud thunk of blows raining down upon her helpless body.

"There's nothing to apologize for, demon," she heard the voice sneer, her half-lidded cerulean eyes unable to properly see in the dim, unlighted forest. The natural, ambient sounds did nothing to soothe the abused jinchuuriki (human sacrifice), her vision dimming further as she watched the man extract a polished silver kunai, his fingers running reverently over the polished surface. She could hear a soft, almost crazed muttering.

'W... What d-did I d-d-doo...?' she thought in her final moments of consciousness before she finally succumbed to the welcoming darkness.

She opened her eyes with a sudden gasp, a shudder rolling throughout her body. A small, delicate hand gingerly probed her nose, flinching in surprise when she found the formerly broken appendage whole. She could still feel phantom pains wracking throughout her body, but, she felt... whole. Undamaged, even.

She could feel the endless haze slowly lifting from her mind, causing the malnourished girl to blink, her brain slowly starting to register the cool water lapping against her prone form; interesting enough, she was laying on the water instead of in it. She shook her head, trying to clear the cobwebs from her mind as she hesitantly stood, the bizarre water supporting her negligible weight.

'W... W-What?' she wiggled her toes experimentally before twisting her head about in every single direction, barely noticing her slightly damp blonde ponytails whipping about her face. Her damp, off-white tee-shirt clung to her figure, her fingers absently plucking at the cotton material.

Darkness.

It stretched endlessly. She wondered blearily where she happened to be, her dim eyesight unable to disconcern anything from the inky, endless black encircling her. Her ears twitched.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

She almost shrunk in on herself.

'T-This is creepy!' she thought nervously.

She swiveled on her heel, starting off in a random direction. She knew standing around like an idiot wouldn't lead her to answers. Her ears perked again. She could detect footsteps. Were they her own echoing or was there another creature present with her? She wasn't sure she wanted that particular answer, her eyes darting to and fro, trying desperately to discover the source of the ghostly noses. Her delicate fingers curled against her damp, ankle-length white skirt.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

Her mind begged her to discover the origins of the constant, phantom noises, her nervous, fearful eyes darting to each unseen corner.

'C-Calm down, Naruko. T... There's n-nothing there,' she thought timidly. She was desperately trying to convince herself. Her ears perked, detecting a dull, rumbling echo in the distance. It was barely disconcernable through the constant assault of ghostly noises. Immediately, she spun herself in the correct direction and started jogging, heading toward where she heard the rumbling, the vice grip on her slightly damp skirt increasing.

Fear started to grip her very soul.

She propelled herself through the darkness, echoing splashes sounding when her feet connected with the water beneath her. Her mind focused singularly on the low rumbling. She noted the noise was growing louder, the echoing, ghostly footsteps starting to blend into the ambient background noises, lowering her paranoia ever-so-slightly. However, a subtle shivering started, whether from her cold, damp clothing or her increasing paranoia, Naruko couldn't tell. Her whole being was focused upon heading toward this noise.

It was calling to her.

She tripped suddenly, her eyes immediately clenching fearfully, her ears filling with the dull, muted sound of her body connecting with the water present beneath her. Gingerly, she probed the surprisingly solid ground, her delicate fingers piercing through the watery curtain easily.

'S-Strange...' she frowned. She could feel body easily supported, but her fingers had passed through seamlessly. Absently, she noticed rumbling had increased a level. Now, it filled her ears, it traveled throughout her very soul. It triggered a sudden, primal fear etched deep within her mind, rolling shudders passing through her form without a single hitch. Naruko's breath hitched. Her breathing started to grow erratic. She surged to her feet, desperately ignoring the primal fear gripping her soul with an unrelenting vice grip, memories starting to assault her malleable, innocent mind, her body shaking as she recalled each hateful word.

She suddenly launched forward, a desperate need to purge the assaulting memories becoming the driving force surging through her legs. Unnoticed, tears started dripping down her cheeks. She tripped and stumbled, but she caught herself, pushing forward. Her thoughts were awhirl, unable to grasp a single, stationary thought for more then a moment before an all-consuming fear continued to push her forward.

She wasn't sure how long she ran before she finally fell. Her body connected with the strange water once more. Unlike last time, she couldn't summon the strength to surge to her feet. She curled in on herself and broke out into soul-wrenching sobs, her thoughts a distant jumble of dark memories, of past mental torture. She could almost feel the phantom pain assaulting her body, random, spasmodic twitches jerking her body.

Her head jerked upward suddenly, her ears catching note of a mysterious nose. Her clenched eyes flashed open, red-rimmed cerulean orbs staring upward. She finally took note of her surroundings.

Gargantuan, towering bars were the first thing she noticed. The second was a simple, ragged paper ofuda with the kanji for 'seal' etched into it. Everything beyond the gate, however, was pitch black, an endless, stretching abyss. However, seconds later, massive crimson orbs obscured her blurred vision. They stared, unflinchingly, into her timid, emerald-eyed gaze.

A deep, bellowing laugh suddenly broke the stalemate. The laugh, while carrying an undertone of mirth, triggered a primal fear to grip the timid girl, causing her eyes to slam shut.

"What a... delicious surprise," a voice purred, the tone carrying a mirthful lit. Hesitant, the small girl's eyes fluttered open once more, finding herself once again staring at the looming crimson orbs. Fear gripped her soul, but she controlled herself.

"W... W-Who...?" she wondered, nibbling nervously on her bottom lip. She could almost feel the grin directed at her.

"Who, indeed," it – the eyes – seemed amused. There was a shift, almost like the sound of rustling cloth before the massive, crimson orbs were replaced by a much more comforting visage.

She was gorgeous, Naruko noticed immediately, her emerald-eyed gaze widening. She had bright, dazzlingly so, crimson hair; it appeared to flow down to the middle of her back, much like a waterfall might cascade off a cliff. Her skin was a flawless, pale alabaster, her face an unmistakable visage of feminine beauty. Her slender body was curved and sloped in all the right places. She had three whisker marks adorning each cheek – just as she did, Naruko noted – but they were thicker, more noticeable. Her eyes were the same looming, crimson iris' she had observed not even a minute ago with slitted pupils. She wore a flawless ivory kimono, a set of crimson flames licking the bottom hem; the clothing didn't reveal much, but it accentuated each of her curves perfectly, the soft material forming against her body seamlessly, almost like a second skin. Her clothing was completed by a bright red obi stretched across her midsection, tied into a bow in the back.

Naruko suddenly felt self-conscious. This mysterious woman exluded an ethereal presence. She scrambled from her curled position, furiously wiping her reddened, puffy eyes. A soft, feminine giggle drew her eyes back to the imposing figure.

"Isn't that cute?" she seemed amused. Her voice had quieted; instead of the previous booming echo, it carried a soft, feminine alto pitched voice. Naruko noticed another interesting fact about the woman. Settled behind her, she sported nine long, flowing crimson tails, shaped like a foxes.

"U-Uwaa...?" she blinked, confused, her head tipping to the side. She shook her head, whipping her slightly damp ponytails about. "W... Who are you, m-miss?" she questioned, her voice polite and fearful. Her past experiences with adults – other then Sandaime-ojiisan – happened to be quite negative.

Her question drew an amused smile from the beautiful woman. "I'm the Kyuubi no Kitsune," she responded. Naruko bobbed her head in understanding, her wide-eyed gaze traveling up and down the woman's figure. Her astonished gaze settled on her head; two fluffy, triangular-shaped fox ears settled on her head, the color of the furred appendages matching her crimson locks perfectly.

"I... It's nice to meet you, K-Kyuubi-san," she said politely, lowering her gaze to the enchanting beauty's face. She turned her head to and fro once before returning her gaze to Kyuubi. "D... Do you know where we might be, Kyuubi-san...?" she asked hesitantly. She could still sense (and see) the encroaching darkness spread for miles upon miles and it was starting to unnerve the timid six-year old. Naruko's companion paused, her nine enchanting tails flickering behind her.

"We're inside your mind, kit," Kyuubi answered, drawing a blank stare from the young girl. She shook her head, amused, drawing her right arm out in a wide, sweeping gesture. "This entire expanse is your mind space, kit. When you sustained enough damage from your beating -" here, she received a flinch from Naruko, "- you lost consciousness and landed here," she finished, pointing a slender finger forward, behind where the young jinchuuriki had run from. Instinctively, Naruko craned her head backward, gazing into the inky blackness, turning her head back toward the Kyuubi after a few moments of silent staring.

Nervous, Naruko gulped. "K-Kyuubi-san, umm..." she hesitated, flinching when the demoness' eyes suddenly snapped toward her, the crimson iris' pouring fear into her very soul. Bravely, she pushed onward, "Why are y-you here then?" she wondered, her fingers curling into her skirt, trying to ignore the unflinching, red-eyed gaze.

Kyuubi didn't respond immediately. 'Hmm? She doesn't realize I've been sealed inside her,' she pondered, her eyes snapping suddenly to the left, almost causing the young jinchuuriki to jump. Her eyes landed on the innocent ofuda, the stark black kanji for 'seal' conflicting with the tattered white paper. Her lips curled upward into a smile. If her jailer was ignorant, she could manipulate this to her advantage. Finally, she started to speak, but her eyes remained locked upon the slip of paper. 'Six years ago," she started, immediately catching her containers attention once more, "there was a man, Uchiha Madara, a depraved, immortal man. He had mastered the final secrets of the Mangekyou Sharingan, granting him immortality. However, this wasn't all he was granted.

Due to... circumstances, the Mangekyou also allowed a Uchiha to control a bijuu," she trailed her gaze downward, to her container. She could see the gears shifting; moments later, Naruko's eyes widened in surprise.

"Y-You mean..." she stammered out. Kyuubi simply nodded, answering the stuttering girl's question.

"Yes. When Madara controlled me, he decided to carry out his petty revenge against Konoha. The Yondaime, however, stopped my crazed ramage, using a technique he called the Shiki Fuujin to seal me within an innocent child," said Kyuubi, her burning gaze locked onto Naruko's quivering, cerulean orbs.

"Y-You're the reason the village hates me," she murmured in disbelief. Memories assaulted her. Demon! Monster! Fox Child! However, before her thoughts could continue, the Kyuubi interrupted.

"Yes. I'm sorry you had to suffer, kit," she said sincerely, a genial smile spreading across her lips. Naruko nibbled on her bottom lip, both her conscious and heart struggling with each other. One side argued the Kyuubi was the cause for all her suffering; the other side declared the nine-tailed bijuu had informed the abused child of the one question that plagued her thoughts since she was old enough to remember.

"I... I understand, Kyuubi-san," she said finally, her heart winning over her mind. She was rewarded with a beautiful grin from Kyuubi, a self-conscious flush jumping to her cheeks.

"Good, good. Now, if you wouldn't mind..." said Kyuubi, making a wide, sweeping gesture toward the towering, several hundred foot bars separating them. Naruko simply stared blankly. She sighed, reminding herself the young girl was only six, bordering on seven in a few weeks. "As the host, you can control all aspects of your mindscape, kit. You simply need to will the bars to disappear and they'll vanish without a trace," she commented. She saw her jailers blank stare turn nervous. Hastily, she correct herself, lest she lose the trust she might've gained, "I won't be unleashed nor will I be allowed to leave. It'll simply give me more freedom to wander," said the demoness, hoping to reassure the six year-old. Here, Naruko's nervous gaze turned once more, this time, a look of concentration washing over her face.

A bright, white flash illuminated the mindscape, allowing the young jinchuuriki to finally see past the encroaching darkness. She glimpsed what appeared to be walls – similar to those you'd find in sewer – before she shielded her eyes, unwilling to blind herself merely to sate her curiosity. When the light died, she returned her sight to the Kyubbi, immediately noticing a new addition to the demoness' attire. Her neck, once bare, now had a non-descript obsidian collar stretched across her throat. There, a single, pure white kanji was etched, the symbol for 'seal' display clearly.

"Well, that wasn't exactly unexpected," sneered the fox demoness, her delicate fingers fiddling with the newest addition to her person. She shrugged, stepping forward before crouching, her crimson iris' boring into Naruko's own wide-eyed gaze. "Thank you, kit," she said, her lips curling into a smile, her right hand ruffling the six year-olds slightly damp hair, her tails flickering behind her.

"You're welcome, Kyuubi-san," said Naruko politely. Kyuubi stood, clasping her hands behind her back, her long, slender legs starting to carry the other-worldly woman in a random direction. Hastily, Naruko rose, afraid to be left alone, even if she knew she now controlled the sewer-like mindscape; her mind suddenly clicked on an idea, her face scrunching as she concentrated. Slowly, a low, buzzing hum started to fill her ears, lights clicking on, stretched at random intervals. However, the sewer was illuminated, allowing the girl to spot tubes running down the length of her mindscape. Curiosity filled her.

"Ano, Kyuubi-san..." she trailed off, flinching instinctively when the silent demoness stopped, swiveled on her heel and stared at the blonde-haired girl.

"Yes?" she questioned, raising an elegant eyebrow. Naruko fidgeted.

"W-Well, what are those pipes?" she asked, gesturing toward the several thick pipes intertwining and disappearing into the now-illuminated mindscape. Kyuubi blinked and turned toward them, her eyes narrowing. She nodded to herself after a moment of inspection.

"Those, kit, are the pipes that control your chakra network. When in use, the pipes –" here, the demoness gestured toward the several pipes, "– will be illuminated by chakra. However, you, my little container, have two different sources. Due to the sealing, you gained a few bonuses: godly stamina, a second chakra source, slightly heighten senses and more potent chakra. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the Shiki Fuujin, it causes miniscule amounts of my chakra to constantly mix with your own, royally screwing with your chakra control," she finished. She sighed when she saw the lost, confused stare of her jailer. "Basically, you won't be able to due techniques requiring low amounts of chakra without extensive practice," she said, a look of understanding crossing Naruko's whiskered face.

"Oh! I understand," she nodded firmly. She hadn't started the academy, yet, but she was schedule to start next semester. She had been surprised when Sarutobi had informed her, since, most adults and chuunin disliked or outright hated the young girl. She hadn't realized the benevolent leader had forced the administrators to allow her entrance. After all, when the Sandaime Hokage, the fabled 'Professor', ordered you, one simply obeyed, whether they disagreed with his opinion or not. "I... I haven't started the academy yet, though, Kyuubi-san. Sandaime-ojiisan said I could start next se... sem... semester, though," she said proudly, puffing out her chest.

Kyuubi shook her head, leaning down and ruffling the young girls damp hair once again. "That's wonderful news, kit. I'm sure you'll be a splendid kunoichi," she said, causing Naruko's face to split into an endearing, fox-like grin. However, Kyuubi's enhanced vision noticed the affection-starved girl leaning slightly into her palm. She pondered this face, absently stroking the young girls scalp. 'Hmm...' she thought. Her iris' darkened, shifting through the jinchuuriki's memories; unlike Naruko, she was several millennia old and thus, she could control all aspects of the mindscape easily. She hadn't informed her container of a simple fact: dispelling the towering cage allowed the demoness' full access to influence her mind. Subtly, with Naruko unaware, she was adding miniscule amounts of her chakra to further influence the young girl without her consent.

'She is young. Malleable. She could be easily molded; but, I need to be careful. One mistake and I could lose her trust. She's starved for attention. As far as I know, three people –'unbidden, three names jumped to the forefront of her mind: Sarutobi, Teuchi and Ayame. '– have shown Naruko anything less then absolute disgust, not counting several ANBU whom had stopped several more rambunctious villages from assaulting her. However, today was different,' she frowned, her nose wrinkling. Today was the first time Naruko had been physically assaulted. She knew the Sandaime was benevolent, but his genial personality only went so far before he reached a breaking point. 'But, I can use this to my advantage,' she thought, grinning. It wasn't a pleasant grin, either. 'Now, the question is, how do I solidify my trust in this kit?' she pondered. She couldn't offer human jutsu; kitsune techniques were also a no-go. While her jailer was a container, she wasn't a demon, unless...

"Naruko!" she barked suddenly. Naruko jumped, shocked from her own thoughts, which had been churning uncertainly. "You start the academy in a few weeks. However, how would you like to have an... advantage?" she questioned, snapping her gaze downward to the petite child, who suddenly looked similar to a 'deer caught in the headlights'.

'S-She's being nice to... me?' she thought, shocked. However, once the initial shock passed, her eyes narrowed. She was growing suspicious, but she didn't want to seem disrespectful. 'S... Should I trust h-her?' she wondered, her suspicion turning into hesitance. So far, the demoness had been nothing but truthful to her. She had explained the villagers reasons for the constant, hateful words, even if she didn't agree. She didn't think she was a demon or a monster. In fact, the nine-tailed bijuu was acting more humane then the so-called 'humans' she interacted with on a daily basis with the notable exception of three. Still, she hesitated before discarding her worries.

"A-Ano... If you don't mind me asking, what a-advantage would I get, Kyuubi-san?" she wondered.

"Hmm, I'm not sure actually, kit. I'm several millennia old, but, almost all my arts require the pupil to be, at least, partially demon," said Kyuubi, folding her legs underneath her, hovering inches from the carpet of water underneath them. Naruko's eyes widened in surprise. Unbidden, a mirthful chuckle escaped from the demoness' mouth, "Yes, I can hover. It's a simple manipulation of the mindscape," she waved her hand dismissively. "You can do it too, if you concentrate, try it. Simply imagine yourself hovering," she said. Naruko looked skeptical. "Trust me, kit," she smiled, curling her tails about her waist, forming an impromptu belt.

Naruko still appeared hesitant, but she nodded her assent. Her nose scrunched in concentration, trying to imagine herself hovering, just as the kitsune in front of her was. A small, almost unnoticeable ripple appeared beneath her before she was lifted off her feet. A surprised squeak escaped from her mouth, drawing another chuckle from Kyuubi.

"See? Easy," she grinned, watching the young girl scramble into a proper sitting position. "Now..." she started, drawing Naruko's rapt attention. "Unfortunately for you, I have minimal knowledge of human jutsu –" here, her container started to pout, "– but, I do have a series of techniques I can offer. However, there's a small drawback..." she trailed off, immediately catching the inquisitive young girls attention.

"A... drawback?" questioned Naruko, her fingers curling into her skirt. She was unsure if she wanted to know this drawback, especially with how the Kyuubi had simply trailed off, unsure. In the few minutes she had spent with the demoness, she was sure and confident. Bravely, she pressed on, "W... What's the problem with the... te... tec... tecknique?" she stumbled over the last word.

"Technique, kit," corrected Kyuubi automatically. She continued after Naruko nodded her understanding, "Thousands of years ago, before the Rikudou Sennin's time, there was a clan of witches whom referred to themselves as Umbra Witches. Now, there's nothing particularly impressive about the name, but there is something interesting about their methods," she waved her hand to stall any forthcoming questions, causing the young jinchuuriki's mouth to snap closed. "These witches used no jutsu or chakra to fuel their techniques," she ignored Naruko's shocked gasp. "Instead, they used reiki, or soul energy. It's had several different names, but the most common in these times happened to be magic, thus giving these women the title of 'witches'. Reiki is essentially the spiritual portion of your chakra with ki being the physical half.

They had several, powerful techniques at their dispostal. The kicker, however, is the fact if they wanted to use these powers, they needed to sacrifice their soul to a demon," she finished. She was surprised she hadn't heard an exclamation from her jailer. When she turned her gaze downward, she found the girl was simply staring blankly. She palmed her face. "Your soul is... Well, precious, for lack of a better word. A human – or any creatures soul – is what makes that person or creature them. Without a soul, you'd simply be a body," she explained. Now, she saw Naruko's eyes widen and her mouth drop open in surprise.

"W-What!? These..." she struggled with her turmoilous thoughts, "... witches sackreficed –" she ignored the Kyuubi's muttered correction, plowing onward, "– their souls for power?" she finished, distraught. Kyuubi nodded. 'I... I can't believe anyone would do that!' she thought, unable to comprehend how they'd live with themselves. Blearily, she noticed Kyuubi was speaking once again, refocusing her attention upon the crimson-eyed vixen.

"...es, it's surprising, but the Umbra Witches had done these for millenia. They didn't think it strange. The sacrifice wasn't for nothing, however. These witches gained unbelievable power. They could summon demon constructs made from hair; they could construct clothing from it, as well," she listed, Naruko's attention firmly refocused upon the demon. Her curiosity, however, wouldn't stop bugging her.

"A-Ano, Kyuubi-san...?" she started, surprising the demon.

"Yes, kit?" Kyuubi frowned, annoying she had been interrupted. Bravely, Naruko pushed onward.

"H... How do you know all this...?" she asked hesitantly. A shudder passed through her body when she saw a grin split across the vixen's whiskered cheeks.

"Why, I devoured one of the witches souls, of course," she informed the girl, ignoring the disturbed shudder that passed through Naruko's form. "Sure, it might seem disturbing, but, she willingly sacrificed her soul for power. Who was I to say 'no' to?" she licked her lips. "And, don't worry, it was delicious," she purred, further disturbing the impressionable young human. "Anyway, after they offered their soul, the demon and witch would enter a contract. During the duration of this contract, however, the witch would be allow to mold the demon's power, giving them unbelievable strength. Even with the contract, the witch needed to forcefully mold and control the power. Some spent years simply training their control because of how violate and aggressive the power was. Once they managed control, they were allowed an almost unlimited source of power, only limited by how much of the demon's energy they could control," she finished, turning her eyes toward her container who appeared suitably impressed, but also hesitant.

"K-Kyuubi-san, I don't mean to be rude, b–" she was interrupted by the bijuu.

"Kit, I know what you're about to ask. 'Why would I sacrifice my soul?' I could see how that'd be daunting. There's a method around this, actually, but..." Kyuubi stopped, appearing hesitant. 'Now, the question is, will Naruko accept?' she wondered. Luckily, it seemed, Naruko's hesitant had dimmed, instead, replaced by a burning curiosity.

"H-How would that work?" she questioned, her fingers absently fiddling with the material of her skirt. Kyuubi gave herself a mental grin.

'Perfect.' she thought before answering her containers question,"Since I'm one of the most powerful demons, I can transfer and fuse our chakra together. This will allow you much easier control of my youki and subsequently, your own chakra. With enough exposure, you'll start to produce demonic chakra instead of human. Unfortunately, I've never been sealed before. I wouldn't know what'd happen. Most likely, you'd gain more distinguising features, such as, a darker hair color, perhaps deeper whisker marks. You might even gain a foxy appendage or two," she finished, twitching both her furred ears and tails, suddenly drawing Naruko's attention toward them.

"B-But, I'd be a demon then!" she cried in distress, causing the several millennia old demoness to roll her eyes.

"Kit, even if you'd gain more... distinguishing features of my containment, you're the furthest thing I've seen from a demon. Trust me, I've seen hundreds of thousands of demons in my lifetime. You might grow a touch more aggressive, which," her gaze trailed over Naruko's timid posture and petite figure, "you could do with. You're one of the most timid little humans I've ever seen," she said, leaning back on her pocket of air. Her nose wrinkled; she could smell the apprehension and fear rolling off the young container in waves. She was very tempted to sneak a peak inside her mind, but she decided against it. Instead, she simply waited, ignorant to Naruko's inner turmoil.

On one hand, the girl was absolutely delighted. Kyuubi had offered her techniques. Powerful techniques. She wasn't quite sure how powerful, but she didn't think the demoness would exaggerate... at least, she hoped not. Her explanation had intrigued the girl, especially after she mentioned there was a method to bypass the whole 'sacrifice your soul to a powerful demon' aspect. That, however, is where her turmoil began. The bijuu was unsure what would happen if she forced more youki into her coils. That didn't give her much comfort, especially after the possible outcomes. She didn't want to become the demon the villagers referred to her as; she knew the truth now. She was determined to not succumb to their jeers any longer. If she was being completely honest to herself, she wasn't worried about the bigoted villagers.

'Sandaime-ojiisan... Teuchi-jiisan... Ayame-oneechan,' she thought. She was worried about her three precious people. How would they view her, if, she appeared more like the bijuu the entire population of Konoha feared? She wasn't sure if she wanted the answer. Somehow, she knew the villagers wouldn't treat her different, no matter how she looked or acted. She could be the perfect little angel and the villagers would still believe her to be the spawn of the Kyuubi no Kitsune. Still, she hesitated.

"Kyuubi-san..." she started, waiting until the relaxing demoness refocused her attention upon the young girl. "I... If I grew ears and a tail like you, would I be able to hide them?" she finished. Her unease was palpable.

"I'm sorry, kit, but they're not," she answered, throwing the young girls thoughts into even more turmoil. 'At least, not with human illusions,' she thought, withholding the information from the nervous human. She leaned back once more, relaxing, patiently awaiting the young kit's decision. It was obvious where her own thoughts lay.

'I... I can't hide them...' she moaned, burying her face in her palms. Her depression was keenly obvious. Was it worth the risk? Unnaturally powerful techniques sounded wonderful. Kyuubi explained clearly she was unsure what would happen if she fused too much youki with her. It might be a smal, superficial change; it could also leave her with unnatural attachments, which would fuel the citizens dark theories.

"K-Kyuubi-san," her stuttering returned, alerting Kyuubi to her increasing nervousness. "W-What would happen if I decided not to accept?" she bit her bottom lip. She didn't want to anger the seemingly benevolent demoness. She saw a frown mar the bijuu's whiskered cheeks.

"If you decided not to accept, nothing would happen. If you decided not to accept and train regardless, well, when you perished, your soul would be devoured," she said firmly. She didn't inform the human that she'd be the one devouring her soul nor that the Shiki Fuujin would immediately destroy both her and subsequently, her container.

Naruko nodded. She had figured it'd be something similar to what Kyuubi had confirmed. Would it be worth the risk? Would Sandaime-ojiisan be proud? Would Teuchi and Ayame still enjoy her company? Or, would they betray her trust and start to scorn her like the other villagers? Her thoughts continued to churn, her fidgeting growing as she tried to decide. She had a feeling her decision would be life-changing.

"I... I..." she stammered, steadying herself with a single, deep breath. "I accept, Kyuubi-san," she finished. She watched the voluptuous demoness straighten herself out, a wide grin starting to spread across her cheeks.

"Peeerfect."

A/N: Whew. That was a long prologue. I've taken some liberties with the history and I will continue to do so. There's not really that much information available, especially about how the techniques are done. If you haven't guessed

Now, onto a few facts.

1. Anyone that has played Bayonetta, don't dispair. She won't be near as powerful as the heroine. She probably won't even be a hundredth as powerful as her. She won't start tossing around sixty-ton, two-headed dragons like a toy, nor will she have inexhaustible power, either. Trust me, while I do enjoy a good godly!Naruto story (Naruto, the Black Mage comes to mind) as much as the next person, I'm not sure I could keep it entertaining. She'll be powerful, sure, but she won't be able to demolish jounin with ease when she graduates. Trust me.

2. Currently, there are no pairings decided. I'm not good with romance. If there is a romance, it'll be yuri. Even if it does turn into yuri eventually, there will be no lemons, limes, grapefruit, melons or whatever the hell people decided to name such actions. Personally, I find them tasteless, especially when the story draws me in and then suddenly, SEX!

3. I have no plans for the Bayonetta accessories/weapons (at least, weapons like Pillow Talk, the Bazillions or Rodin) to make an appearance nor overpowered techniques, such as 'Witch Time'. Frankly, those would be overpowered and I wouldn't enjoy writing scenes. If I can decide how to include the weapons/accessories without fundamentally changing them or causing them to be too powerful, then sure, I'll include them. Techniques like 'The Crow Within' or 'The Beast Within' could make an appearance, but, as of now, there's no plans. Wicked Weaves will make an appearance, of course, but she won't throw them around like candies. Hopefully, I can incorporate the technique in a balanced way. We'll see.

4. I'm trying to decide between giving Naruko demon aspects – namely ears, a tail, perhaps sharper finger. If I do give them, they won't be hidden. I mean, so many fics allow Naruto/Naruko to become half-demons, but then they can easily hide the proof. It just feels like a cop out, to me.

I do hope you enjoyed the story, though. I have a forum up where you can discuss the story thus far, or, simply post a review (or, do both, *coughs*). I also have a topic where I'll be posting chapter progress updates, if I remember.

See you next time.