Crouching Tigress, Hidden Fox

Chapter 1: Enter the Drag…um, Fox!

Floating. That was what it felt like. Floating in an endless void. A 16 year old boy floated. Whisker like marks lined his cheeks. He wore an orange and black jacket. Behind his closed eyelids, his eyes moved around in frantic movements. A nightmare perhaps?

He continued to drift there. For what seemed like hours… maybe even days. As he floated, lost in thoughts and visions of his past that flew by, he was unaware of several cloaked figures that watched him. Observing him. They wore black cloaks. Dark black. Just from looking at them, one could mistake them for the clear dark night sky filled with stars.

Another hour seemed to fly by. The boy suddenly gasped and heave as he tried to get air into his lungs. One of the figures looked on in worry. Behind the hood, a pair of glistening green eyes watched the boy. A strand of red hair plopped out and flicked over her left eye. She brushed it back into place. Her eyes never leaving the boy who was still gasping and heaving. She suddenly froze when the boy's blue eyes snapped open and looked around frantically.

His heart started to beat rapidly. All around him was white. He shook his head hoping to clear the whiteness. But then, visions struck him with shocking force. Only these were different than those he had earlier. The cloaked figures also watched as the visions appeared before them like a movie screen. The white walls around them showing everything the boy ever experienced. The boy doesn't notice anything else, only those memories. Of loneliness. Despair. Hopelessness. He held his head. Tears start to drip down his whisker marked cheeks.

After a minute of this, his blue eyes slowly looked up. They could see the visions still assaulted his mind. "My name…" The boy whispered. Visions running a mile a minute. "…is… it's… Naruto. Naruto… Uzumaki…"

He closed his eyes again. He started to mumble names. Jutsu's. His friends. Enemies. Even his parents. The figures watched everything. Everything he named, also appeared before them. The three figures tried to remain stoic, but two of them could be seen trying to hold in their tears. One even failed to. A river flowed from her green eyes.

The visions continued. They saw him doing mission after mission, meeting friends and enemies alike. Betrayal. But the one thing they failed to see, was actual love. Not the love from his friends, but an actual romance. A sudden scream caused them to quickly turn back towards the floating boy. He held his chest. Tears still flowed down his cheeks.

"I'm…" The boy gasped out. His right hand gripped at his chest. He slowly opened his orange jacket. His eyes widened. There wasn't a scar, wound or blemish there.

"Dead?" A female voice whispered. One of the cloaked figures stepped, um…floated forward and stood behind the floating boy. "Kind of…" Naruto slowly turned around… or tried to as was still floating. A scream broke from his throat when he flipped upside down.

"Ahh!" He flipped again. He flapped his arms in hopes to steady himself. He even kicked his legs in a swimming motion. After a few minutes of trying to get steady, a giggle was heard. But before he could glance around, he screamed when he suddenly stopped in place. "What…?" He flipped upwards until he was technically on his feet, but still floating. Before him, three figures floated. One of which had it's hand outstretched towards him. The figure lowered its hand and pulled the hood down. Blue hair floated down and flowed, almost like she was underwater. Her gorgeous and luminous eyes watched him with warmth. His eyes widened at the beautiful woman.

"As I said… you're kind of dead." The woman spoke. Her voice was beyond angelic. He felt calmed just from the sound. But then his eyes grew wider as he remembered something important. Something before he woke to a white room.

"Kakashi!" He tried to stand, but only managed to float an inch to his left. He tried to swim, but didn't managed to move that far.

"Don't worry, Naruto…" The woman spoke, and once again, he felt himself calmed down. "You and Kakashi managed to take out his old friend."

"Sasuke…?" Naruto asked. He stopped trying to swim away. What's the point? "What happened to him?"

"No matter how much he denied it…" The woman answered. "You were his friend. Your death changed something inside him."

Naruto gave a faint smile and looked down. Figures. Only his death, did his friend see the light. After a few seconds, he turned back to the woman. "My name. How do you…?"

A smirk crossed the woman's lips. "My dear boy… I know everything…" She quickly did a pose. Her hands were in the air and her right foot was stuck out. "For I am… Kami!"

One of the cloaked figures slapped his face, while the other figure let out a sigh. "For the love of…"

"You can't be serious…" Naruto asked with a deadpanned expression. After all, he has met with many people that has called themselves Kami, and were handed a beat down by yours truly.

"I am very serious!" A light bulb flashed above the woman's head. "Just watch!" The woman yelled out, then slowly she started to take off into the sky. She flew around Naruto, unaware that her robe was starting to loosen and she has started to flash the group. One of the figures could be seen drooling, but was slapped upside the head by the person next to him. After a minute, she landed with a triumphant grin. "Well…?"

Large… Naruto shook the blush from his face, and stared at her. "You do realize that in this room… I can do that too?" Naruto crossed his arms and sat Indian style. He just floated before the group.

"He's got you there." A male voice laughed. Kami just huffed, but smiled, indicating she was actually just trying to cheer everyone up.

That voice! Naruto turned to the figure. He stared hard. So hard, that the figure started to shuffle from being uncomfortable. "Dad?"

The figure gave a nervous chuckle, then the hood slipped off. Blond hair stood up. Bright eyes that matched his own. And a smirk that people called 'the lady killer'.

"Um… yo!" The Yondaime greeted. He took a page out of Kakashi's book, and gave an eye smile with his hand up in the peace sign.

Naruto just looked confused. "How?" The other cloaked figure lightly punched his father in the shoulder, then slowly removed the hood. Crimson red hair went past her shoulders. Her lovely green eyes held a gentle, but mischievous nature. She turned to Naruto. A motherly smile grew on her face. "Mom…?"

Kushina floated towards her son. She brought up a shaky hand, and gently ruffled his hair. "My baby…" Her voice sounded hoarse. She caressed his face. Minato floated to his other side and bent down. "…to die so young…"

Minato frowned. It reminded him of his own student, Rin. Died at a young age, and that changed Kakashi… and Obito. He shook his head. "You saved a lot of lives…"

Naruto looked down. "The last time I saw you two…" He remembered punching his father, and yelling at his mother because he thought she was Kyuubi.

"We know…" Kushina told him. "We will have plenty of time…" She turned a loving look to Minato as well. It doesn't seem like it, but Kami brought them together just after Naruto died. "…as a fmily."

The three reunited family members start to hug. A hug that has been long overdue. But after what seemed like hours upon hours, a cough interrupted them. They turned to the culprit. Only to see the Goddess of the Shinobi world tapping her foot.

"I hate to interrupt…" Kami began. She brushed some blue hair from her face. "But there has been a change of plans…"

Minato and Kushina looked confused. When they were brought together when their son died, they were told they'd be able to live in an after life paradise. As a family. They started to get angry. Naruto just looked between the three, already missing the hug.

"What do you mean Change of plans?!" Minato started.

"You told us we will live in a paradise as a family." Kushina finished for her husband.

"It's been decided." Kami gave a smile, which they didn't understand. "That Naruto will be given a second chance at life. Without his burden. Without hatred. A completely new life."

"What?" Naruto asked after silence descended on the group. But as soon as that word left his lips, he was wrapped up in another hug.

"Before you stat to yell in joy." Kami interrupted another hug. Her hair floated around in the invisible water. "Only Naruto will be giving the second chance."

"Then…" Kushina broke from the hug and stared at the only other female.

"Don't worry…" Kami placated the irate woman. "You and your husband will be given a personal piece of heaven." Minato and Kushina gasped. "You will be able to live inside Naruto's mindscape. Help him. Comfort him. Train. Talk. Watch." She smiled. "And if you need some alone time… you can travel to your paradise. But I assume you will probably stay with Naruto…" Before she could finish, Kushina had pulled her two favorite males into another hug.

"Looks like we're staying a family." Kushina whispered into their ears. Naruto smiled, but a question came to him.

"Will we go back to Konoha?" Naruto asked. He peaked at Kami from the hug.

"I'm sorry… but you're dead there." She saw Naruto look down. Kushina and Minato separated and looked at their son in concern. Kami smirked. "You will start a new life. Burden free. No demon. You can be what you want to be there."

"A new life…" Naruto mumbled to himself.

"In your world, it has been a year since you died." Naruto quickly looked up at that. "Everyone is slowly trying to move on. Hinata has decided to live on for you. Neji told her that. Gaara has decided to name his first child after you when that time comes. Sasuke is a mercenary now, but still looks after Konoha. But Sakura…"Kami shook her head. "She never moved on. And she never even looks twice at Sasuke." Naruto looked down. "As a favor… I will appear to her in a dream. Is there anything you want me to say?"

Naruto looked up, while his parents look on in silence. "Tell her… she will always be like a sister to me. And I will always love her."

"I'll give her hints that you're well." Kami smiled. …but I think it's best if you appeared in her dreams. And I have a way for that to happen…

"So… what is this new world like?" Naruto asked. His parents also perked up at that.

Behind Kami, a picture started to form. A lush and beautiful planet appeared. "The Kami of this planet allowed you to live a second life." The blue haired beauty told him. "But as for what the planet will actually look like… I'll leave that as a surprise." The three family members face faulted at that.

"Troublesome…" Naruto mumbled as he floated upwards. His parents just chuckled at the Nara catchphrase. Looks like it will continue to live on.

"I want you to find someone named Master Panther…" Kami brought up her left hand, and using her gold painted nails, she tapped her chin. "He will likely find you first. He's a lively old panther… I visited him in a dream not long ago…"

Naruto blinked. He was confused at the 'Panther' thing. "How…? You were here with us."

"Because…" She brought her golden nails up to his face and tapped Naruto's nose. Naruto felt a surge of something, but shook it off. "I'm the almighty…"

"Stop it!" The three family members shouted when they saw her getting into the famous Might Guy pose.

"Hehe… fine then…" Kami hid a chuckle as her shoulders slumped. After a few seconds of fake pouting, she turned a smile to the three former Shinobis. "I have to warn you… this word is drastically different than your former world. And… you new body will take some time to get used to."

Naruto smiled, and gave her a thumbs up. His teeth sparkled and glinted. "Nothing I can't handle!" He stayed in that pose, until a hand smacked the back of his head. "Itai!"

Naruto rubbed the bump that slowly started to grow on his head. "Never do that again! It took a while to get your father out of that phase." A twitch was in Kushina's eyes. She remembered a young kid that always wore green and kept shouting about youth. Plus, she saw a little mini-me of that kid in her sons memories. Did he actually have a child? She shivered.

Minato floated over to Naruto, all the while rubbing an imaginary bump on his head. "She overreacts. A lot."

"Tell me about it… reminds me of Sakura…" Naruto grunted out, still rubbing his head.

"It's time…" Kami glided around them. And just as she snapped her fingers, both Kushina and Minato vanished in a flash of light. Before they could even blink.

Naruto looked around. His parents were gone. And he felt a surge in his body. "What…?"

Kami stepped before Naruto. She bent down, and Naruto blushed again as he got a look at her cleavage. He even leaned forward to get a better look. Kami brought up a hand and reached for Naruto's hair, and plucked a piece of fuzz from it. She flicked it to the side.

"Don't worry. I just sent them to your mindscape." She pressed her index finger to his forehead. And slowly, particles exploded from his feet.

"Will I be able to use Jutsu's again?" Naruto's legs completely vanished, with his pelvic region disappearing as well as his stomach and arms.

"Afraid not. But… you may be able to relearn the Rasengan by using the new energy in this world." Naruto's torso is only a few seconds from vanishing. "Live… and remember that this is a new start." Before his head vanishes, Kami gave a light smile… or was it a smirk? "And don't forget to find love."

And so, Naruto had vanished from the void. No trace he was even there. Kami stretched and stared at where the Uzumaki family were just at. But a few seconds later, she turned to the large wall as a picture began to form. A box of popcorn appeared before her. And a sofa appeared behind her.

"That's more like it…" She sat on the Sofa. But on the screen, was a landscape. Greenery everywhere. "You'll be happier here. I can't wait to see how well this one plays out." She flicked a piece of popcorn in the air. "If my breasts can affect you that bad… how well can you handle your future friends?" She opened her mouth and the popcorn flew in. She snapped down and smiled.

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The Land of the Living…

"Ugh… my head…" Naruto groaned. He sat up, or tried to. He flopped back onto his back. From his grounded position, he looked around and saw that he was on a grassy hill. How long has it been since he felt the soft grass between his toes, or the cool breeze that hit his face, one that didn't have a stench of decay in it? He inhaled the air, and noticed it was fresher than it was in his world. No stench of blood or decay. The grass was pure green. Not faded or trampled.

He shook his head and tried to stand again. His knees popped as he stood up. His legs wobbled. "…where…" He grew confused, and wondered why he felt grass on his legs. He glanced down and his eyes widened. Where there used to be skin, and pants, were fur. Yellow fur. His pants were in tatters. His orange jacket was barely hanging on. His undershirt was all but gone. He reached up to scratch his head, only to pause when he felt something. His ears weren't there, but a pair of pointed things were now on his head.

He brought his down and scratched his chin. That was when he saw something on his face. He crossed his eyes, and he saw something furry where his nose should be. Or used to be. A muzzle. A cross between light brown and yellow. He brought his hands, only to freeze. Two paws now sat where his hands should be.

"Of course…" Naruto nodded to himself, then suddenly waved the appendages back and forth as he tried to shake the things off. And cue him running in a circle on wobbly legs. He screamed in hysteria. And if one would listen closely, you could hear a heavenly voice laughing at his expense. After several minutes of him running around, a familiar voice was heard.

"Naruto!" A female voice echoed. He froze mid-wobble. "Stop acting like a moron!"

"In his defense…I would also be running around like headless chicken…" A male voice spoke up, only for a smack to interrupt his next words. "Itai!"

"Mom? Dad?" Naruto asked as he took note of his new body. He now had yellow fur. His muzzle was a light brown and he had a very light reddish brown spot on his stomach. He had reddish brown splotches on his paws, but to him, they looked orange. His blue eyes were darker and resembled the ocean. His yellow ears stuck straight up, and at the tip, it was reddish brown. He glanced behind him and saw a yellow tail that had a reddish brown tip.

"It's us, sweetheart." Kushina said from the recess of his mind. She could feel the heavy and fast rhythm of his heart. "You must calm down…

"Calm down?" He plopped down on the grassy hill. "Look at me! I'm a fox! Nothing short of a monster!" He slammed his paw onto the ground, and his parents were surprised to see a crater in its wake. "Find love? What a joke…"

"Don't say things like that, Naruto!" Kushina told him. "We will always be with you… and nothing will ever change that."

Naruto just sat in silence as he absorbed what his mother said. The sun was still up high, and he could feel the warmth soaking his fur. He took a deep breath. The flowery aroma from nearby made him smile. Smelled exactly like the Yamanaka Flower Shop he always stopped at.

"Son…" Minato piped up. He saw his son had calmed down, but he also noticed something that would help the situation. "Look to your left."

Naruto tilted his head, and obeyed his father. He turned his head, and his eyes widened at the sight of a village further down below. Using his fox-like eye sight, he saw the occupants of said village. "They're…" He saw the villages interacting, just like the did in Konoha.

"Animals…" Kushina finished for him. She finally noticed them as well. She turned a light glare to her husband for not saying anything before.

Naruto continued to stare at the lively place. A warm feeling flowed through his chest. From inside, his parents were startled by that.

"I think…" Naruto spoke. The warm feeling continued. His parents shared a smile. "I may like it here… like I belong, for once. I'm not different…"

From inside the mindscape, Minato and Kushina shared a glance. They remembered from the memories, their son was an outcast. No one gave him any recognition until he was saved the village, not one, but many times. But here, acceptance. The could feel the warmth spread throughout their sons body. It also embraced them as if it was a hug.

After a few minutes of silence, a growl startled the family. Naruto rubbed his head with a nervous chuckle. A blush adorned his fur. His parents chuckled, completely unaware of a presence creeping up behind them like a snake.

Naruto rubbed his stomach. It gave one last, desperate growl. "Ah… wonder what kind of food they have here…" He scratched his ear and it twitched. "Do they even eat meat? Hmm… hope they have ramen…" He glanced back over to the village. The sun was starting to descend. He stared at the orange majestic glow that appeared over the village. "It's…"

"Beautiful…" A voice spoke for him from his right. Naruto's hair stood up and he nearly leapt from his fur. He knew it wasn't his parents. His ears twitched. He didn't even pick up on any footsteps. He quickly turned to his right, only to see nothing. He scratched his head, then looked down. A short, old anthro panther stood there. He had his paws behind him as he stared at the descending sun. The newcomer had purple fur. Large brown eyes. An emerald cane was gripped in his right hand. The handle was curved and it had a dragon engraved on it.

"How did he…" The former Hokage stated. He noticed the village not long after Naruto went crazy. But this panther… how long had he been there?

The panther turned an eye to the young fox. Said eye looked him up and down. The panther opened his slightly fanged mouth, and licked his chops. A few 'Hmms' came from him as well. "You must be Naruto."

Please don't eat me! Naruto mumbled, but only his parents heard him. He gulped, but then shook his head when he noticed the panther used his named. "How… how do you know my name?"

The small panther, which only came up to Naruto's stomach, gave a fanged smile. "That… very, very pretty lady. A goddess, or something, she said. She told me to train you…" The panther scratched his bearded chin. He walked around the fox, all the while eyeing him like a hawk. Naruto gulped at feeling like an 'all you can eat buffet'. "I don't see why…" The panther stopped before him and once more, scratched his beard. Which was about four inches in length. "Said you were also a ninja." He looked at Naruto with a deadpanned expression. "You look nothing like one."

Naruto growled, which actually surprised him. It was animalistic, and felt very natural. "I'll have you know… I can take on anyone you can throw at me!" Naruto declared. He threw a few punches into the air, and was also surprised by his new agility. The panther watched the fists fly over his head.

Minato slapped his forehead as he watched the events. Kushina just chuckled. The stubbornness reminded her of her own youth.

"Really?" The panther asked. He wasn't shocked by the declaration. He gave a slight tilt of the head. "Hit me."

Naruto froze mid-punch. He glanced down at the old panther. A serious look was in those brown eyes. "Say what…?" A question mark hovered over Naruto's head. Is he senile? I'll break something in him… as long as those teeth stay off my fur… But in the mindscape, his parents knew where this was headed. They saw it numerous times.

"I said… 'hit me'." The panther repeated. A fanged smirk on his dark purple muzzle. "Hard of hearing, are ya?"

"I am not going to hit you." Naruto looked down at the small panther. He struggled to remain his stoic face, but a slight rumbling sound caused his face to become red. Panther smiled at that. He rememberd something that Naruto mentioned before.

"Hit me… and you will get some of that 'ramen'…" At first, it didn't seem like the bribe worked, but then it happened. A growl erupted from Naruto's stomach again.

"Ramen…?" Naruto mumbled. Minato just shook his head. It's the bell test all over again. Naruto's was beginning to drool.. He shook his head, and stared down at the panther. "Fine! …your funeral…"

Naruto flexed his right arm. He took a fighting stance that Guy-sensei once taught him. He placed his right fist forward. While his left fist was near his chest. It felt weird, in his new body. Sloppy. But that didn't stop him. He just shook it off and popped his neck with a grin. He saw the panther take a few steps back. His grin got wider. He got ready to charge.

But before he could even move, the old panther had moved faster than even Rock Lee. He was only a purple blur. His eyes barely caught sight of the purple panther. He sucked in a breath when the panther appeared to his left. He swung his arm backwards, only for the panther to vanish. He leapt back, or tried to, as something wrapped around Naruto's foot. And with a sudden pull, gravity did it's job. Naruto slammed hard onto his back. Stars swirled around his head. But to his parents, they saw little chibi foxes running around their son's head.

"Tsk…tsk…tsk…" The panther looked down at the dizzy fox. He placed the end of his cane onto Naruto's stomach. "You're too slow…"

From the mindscape, Minato looked on in amazement. It was beyond astonishment.

"Whoa… Sarutobi needed to take out a page from the old panthers book…" Minato whistled.

Kushina nodded. "I believe our son will learn a lot from him…"

"The speed of Guy. The casualness of Kakashi…" Minato listed. "… the smarts and wisdom of Sarutobi…"

"… let's hope he isn't perverted as them either…" Kushina flipped her red hair back. "… or else…"

Back outside, the panther had started to poke the growling stomach with his cane. "Training begins tomorrow at dawn." He started walking away, but paused and looked over his shoulder. "Come. I will see if Su can make us some food."

At the mention of food. Naruto shook off his dizziness and ran after the old panther. Once he caught up, they walked side by side. "So…um…what do I call you?"

Hmm? Everyone around here calls me…" He glanced to Naruto, then back down the trail they were now following. "…Master Panther!"

Naruto suddenly tripped over his own feet. That was… disappointing… The three family members had thought as one. Kushina slapped her face, she finally noticed that they all forgot that Kami had mentioned an old panther and he would find them.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto had thought they were going to the village he saw. But down the trail, there was a sign with arrows on it. And he found he could actually read the languages here. And instead of taking the trail to the village, they took the trail that the arrow indicated was a temple.

They came upon a large area. It was one of the mountain ranges that was near the village. Panther pointed down, and he could see the village more clearly.

"Welcome… to the village of Yang." Master Panther announced, then he continued to walk. Naruto gave one last look at the village, making a promise to explore and maybe, prank, the place when he has the chance.

After five minutes of walking, they came upon a temple near the top of the mountain. It almost looked like the fire temple he saw back in his world. Trees surrounded the place. His ears picked up the sound of rushing water and a splash. He looked up and saw an area above the temple. Fog and smoke were coming from it. Using his new sense of smell, he picked up the scent of water and fish.

"Wow…" Naruto breathed out. His parents mirrored him. He glanced upwards and saw the sun going down, and the moon showing it's face.

"This is where I train my students. But only those I deem worthy." Master panther entered the templed. Naruto shook from his thoughts and quickly followed. "It's not as great as my colleagues… but it's home." As they walk down the hall, Naruto caught sight of several pictures. His eyes paused on one picture. It had Master Panther standing near another person. A red panda if he remembered right. "That's Master Shifu… we have… something like a rivalry going on." Naruto nodded. He could relate to that. "We made a bet to see who can train the best student…" He pointed to the pictures that lined the wall. They all had Panther with a different person. "…but I never found a worthy student."

"You never finished training a student?" Naruto scratched his left ear. He looked at the pictures. Some of the students were large, while some were athletic. He saw a picture of a cute girl next to Panther. He shook his head when Panther started walking again.

"Some failed the first test. But most, they failed the final one." Panther glanced to the pictures one last time.

"What's the test?" Curiosity had taken over both Naruto and Kushina. They just had to know.

"That would be spoiling… now wouldn't it? You'll find out as your training progresses." They stopped at a sliding door. "This will be your room." Naruto slid the door open and glanced around. It was a good sized room. Some paintings lined the wooden walls. In the corner, he saw a pile of blankets.

"Spacious…" Naruto replied. But to his parents, they saw his memories and knew that this room was a lot bigger than the place he had when he was a human.

"You can use the waterfall in the back to clean up." Panther turned around and headed down the hall.

Waterfall…? Naruto thought. His thoughts flashed back to an even when he was thirteen. He was on a mission with Team 8, and he stopped by a water fall. Kushina grew a tick as she saw her sons thoughts, she turned to Minato, only for her tick to grow bigger. Can't believe that was Hinata… I wonder if…

"Son!" Kushina yelled out. Her voice startled both her son and husband who were in their own little world. "Clean your nose and follow your teacher!"

Oh! Right… Naruto shook his head and followed after his new master. His nose caught a certain strange scene, but he shook it off. As he disappeared from the hall, a figured walked out of one of the others room. She slid the door closed and looked to where Naruto had left to. The shadows and darkness covered most of her features, but she had long ears. Very long. And so were her legs. If she would've jumped, she could've leaped over the temple without a problem. She tilted her head in confusion when the sounds of Naruto's talking reached her ears.

"Hmm…?" A small smile grew on her face. She giggled and started walking in the other direction.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto raised an eyebrow, um…fur, when Master Panther stopped before him. He glanced upwards, and stared at the cascading water. The water fell into a small lake, he had to stop himself from jumping in. He sniffed, and could taste the freshness of it. The moonlight that shone on the surface of the lake made it look heavenly. The falling water caused ripples in the lake that ripped through the moons reflection. In the middle of the lake sat several stone. Water cascaded onto them. He smiled when a cool splash struck him in the muzzle.

"I'll bring you some clothes. I hope you don't mind, but I think it's best if you trained shirtless." He saw Naruto nod at that. He preferred being shirtless and feeling the open air on him. Naruto walked closer to the lake and looked down. "While you clean, I'll see if Su will make us something. Perhaps some ramen?" He decided to walk away with a smile, since Naruto appeared to be distracted. The goddess that appeared in his dream, also told him what ramen is. So, he passed the knowledge onto his other temple-mate.

Naruto gripped his muzzle and lifted up the lips. Fangs and a long tongue greeted him. He touched his reflection, and it rippled at the touch. He reached up and flicked his ears with his clawed hands. Kushina and Minato watched in quiet anticipation.

After a few moments, he nodded to himself. "I don't look that bad." He took off his shirt and slid off his pants and underwear. He stepped into the lake, which came to his stomach, and the coolness of the water made his paws shiver. He made his way through the water, when a vision hits him. He saw a shadowy figure dancing on top of the clear lake. He remembered Hinata again. Kushina slapped her face. He walked over to the rocks, the water kept splashing him. He raised a paw and let the falling water hit him. "Hope I don't smell like a wet dog after this… definitely don't want to be like Kiba."

He placed his head under the falls and the feeling of it soaking into his fur was a feeling he couldn't describe. He leaned back and using his tongue, he slurped up the cool water. Refreshing… The water dripped from his muzzle, and he saw it splashed down near his stomach. And that was when a new question entered his mind. Did… every part of me… change? Minato and Kushina froze. Naruto reached down into the water, and his eyes widened.

Kushina had to force her eyes closed. Minato just slapped his face. Naruto shook himself from his thoughts as he found himself… pleasuring himself. He took a deep breath and settled himself onto a rock. He slid back and just let the water run over his body. He just relaxed, and the feeling of the water just made him forget all of his past troubles. He glanced to his paws, then with a new idea, he unsheathed then and started to massage his scalp. He glanced to the stone near him, only to do a double take with wide eyes. It was a bottle of shampoo and a bar of soap. The same ones that were in his apartment when he died. He glanced upwards, and could've sworn he saw a face in the moon. It resembled Sakura.

He shook his head, and sent water flying. He grabbed the shampoo and saw that it was full. He popped the lid and poured the liquid over his fur. He hoped his new master won't be upset that his gorgeous lake will soon be covered by bubbles.

Spreading the shampoo through his fur, he relished at the new feeling. He scratched around his ears, and moaned. Now I know why Akamaru love to be scratched behin the ears. Naruto brought his other paw to his head, and scratch both ears with his eyes rolled back. Minato just sweat dropped while Kushina was busy taping her eyes shut.

XXXXXXXXXXX

In the dining area of the temple, Naruto's new Master sat there. Waiting for the food to be cooked. The smell waft through his nose. He glanced over to the source of the delicious smell. A female rabbit stood there. She hummed a song as she stirred noodles that were boiling in a large pot. Her yellowish brown fur glowed from the light of the fire. Her long ears were tied together and hung down her back. Her light green eyes shone brightly.

"Master…" She lifted up a wooden spoon and gently took a sip of the broth. She smile, then turned back to the small panther. "Who was that other voice I heard earlier?"

Panther stared at the wooden table before him. His ears picked up footsteps. "That would be my newest student. I mentioned him earlier…" He glanced to the wall, but had to do a double take. A picture of Master Shifu stared back with a raised brow. When did…

The rabbit paused in her cooking, then turned her eyes to the old master. "I still can't believe you took another student." She knew not to ask why. He always had an answer. And each was the same. 'I see something in special in them'. But she didn't expect his newest answer.

"This one is different." The ancient master managed to say after a few moments. He tore his eyes from Shifu's picture. "He has more potential than the others."He heard the footsteps pause at the door. "A potential that his other life took from him. Only time will tell for sure…" He saw the girl look down at that. He nodded his head. "What's done is done. You have another talent. One that was right before your eyes."

"Master…" The rabbit looked into the masters eyes. They were gentle and kind. As she turned back to her cooking, she thought about what that 'other life' meant. She looked confused, until the boy they were talking about entered. His fur was soaked, and water dripped onto the floor. His tail was very poofy, the sole female in the temple had to suppress a chuckle at that. His tower was draped over his shoulders. He was shirtless, and wore brown pants with an orange string as a belt. A light blush was seen under her fur.

In his mindscape, Kushina opened an eye and saw the blush on the rabbit. She brought up her finger and tapped her chin as she began to ponder things.

"Naruto… this is Su. She's the top cook in the village. She also stays here." Panther introduced. Su gave a small bow, which Naruto returned. She giggled when the towel slipped off his shoulder and plopped onto the floor. "And Su… my newest student, Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto grabbed the towel and stood back up. He laughed sheepishly, and quickly took his seat at the table. "It's nice to…" He faded off when a smell drifted through his snout. A smell that could only come from the gods. "Is that…"

Su shook off her blush. She grabbed a large spoon and scooped up some of the soup. She placed them into two bowls. Naruto watched the steam pour from the bowls.

"Oh… um…" She placed the bowls in front of Master and Student. She closed her eyes and gave a wide smile. "Hope it's to your satisfaction!"

Panther lifted his chopstick and stared at the noodles. "It's just noodles…" He mumbled, then turned an eye to Naruto… who was currently slurping up the last drop of his soup. Fast…

Naruto held out his bowl. "More please!"

Su looked with wide eyes. She had barely made it to the pot before he called out. She grabbed his bowl and placed another serving into it. Panther took a sip of his soup, but in his mind, he was picturing the best training methods for his new pupil. A smile grew on his face.

Naruto paused in his 'slaughter' of the noodle kind. He shuddered for some reason, but just passed it off as the wind, and dug back in, unaware of the smile on Panther's face, or Su staring with wide eyes.

XXXXXXXXXXX

The next day, Naruto found himself on top of a hill. A very large grassy hill… with sharp, pointed and steep edges on each side. He stood on a wobbly boulder, in the middle of the hill. Failure to balance, would result in a bandaged young fox.

"Why am I…" The rock slid a little from the vibration. Naruto flapped his arms in order to regain balance. "… on this stupid hill!"

"First lesson…" Panther yelled over. He sat safely on a grassy plain that overlooked Naruto. The only thing separating them was the very steep hill. "…patience."

"Pantience!" Naruto started to yell, but slipped a little. "I thought the first lesson was discipline!" He frowned. He already learned all of this when he trained with the toads.

"Remember, Naruto… you're in a new world." His father told him. "A new body, and no chakra. You have to start all over…" Naruto grew a deep frown.

"Really…?" Panther scratched his head. A hidden smirk was on his face. "You will learn both from this."

Naruto froze when he finally got the rock steady. "How will this teach me… patience…?" Naruto asked, but his eyes grew wider when he saw a Butterfly had landed on the rock. It started to lean.

Panther lifted up his cane. "You will learn patience…" Panther admired his cane. "Once you learn how to avoid distractions!" And with that, he threw his cane with all of his might.

"Naruto!" His parents yelled.

"What…?" Naruto turned away from the butterfly, only to have the cane slam into his face. The rock slipped from under him, and he lost his balance. Panther watched as Naruto rolled down the hill. The rock was right behind him. "Son of a b-!"

A crack was heard when the rock crashed down the hill. Panther flinched. "You were distracted by the butterfly while you were trying to steady the rock." Panther explained. Su walked over to him with a steamy mug. She grew large eyes when she tried to look for Naruto, only to hear a grown from down the chasm-like hill. Su looked down the hill in concern. "Fine… five more minutes, then we try again…" Another groan erupted from down the hill.

"Are you sure about this?" Su asked. She handed Panther the mug. "I don't remember the other students doing this…"

Panther took a sip from the mug. "I needed a regime that would fit him. Something like he had in his old life. Something he needs."

"But…" She heard another moan. "…how will this teach him patience?"

"It won't." Panther replied.

"Wha…"

"He will never learn patience." Panther interrupted her. "This is a test. To see if he has, what I think he has." He turned back to the hill. Naruto was there. He was rolling the boulder back up the hill. A look of determination on his face. "I refuse to change who he is or alter his personality. But, this will also… hopefully… teach him to pay attention…"

Su looked on in awe as Naruto was about to reach the top. The boulder was twice his size. Her look of awe quickly turned to worry when Naruto slipped on a wet patch of grass.

Panther raised a brow. Yeah, his newest student needed to learn how to avoid distractions and pay attention to his surroundings.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto stared at the room before him. His eyes wide with fear. Spikes littered the walls. A flaming fire pike was on the floor. Spiked rollers were spinning every which way. A grassy platform was right before him, and at the start of everything. Panther stood beside him. He was looking around the room with pride. Su had already left to go prepare lunch, and prepare the first aid items.

"A test of agility…" Panther explained. He just smiled when Naruto gulped. "You start from this grassy area, and must reach the end of the room." He nodded in a sagely manner.

"Um… not a problem…" Naruto gulped. He slowly trudged forward. But everything froze when he saw his worst enemy before him. A butterfly had flown in through the open doors and had landed on the platform. But his eyes nearly flown out of there sockets when the platform rose up and slammed into the ceiling. Once the platform lowered, he saw the butterfly flap around in a drunken manner. It lives to fight another day. Naruto gulped as the insect flew past him. No wonder his students didn't past the final test! They never got that far! His parents just nod in agreement. They were secretly amazed by Panther's training style.

This is the rewritten and revised first chapter. Currently rewriting chapter 2, and also working on chapter 3 and 4.