Six Years Too Long

Chapter 21

"I think they're staring because your dad, uh..." Kakashi paused for a moment, seeming to ruminate over his answer. Minato looked supremely unimpressed as the masked man floundered. "He was... gone for a while, and now he's back. So they're a little shocked."

"You can say dead. I'm six, not an invalid." Naruto pointed out. "I mean, I guess I get it. It's not everyday you die fighting the nine tailed fox and then come back six years la--"

Naruto stopped suddenly, squinting. Wait a fucking second. 

His dad was the Fourth Hokage, which yeah, Naruto obviously knew that. The Fourth Hokage had died defeating the Nine Tailed Fox. They'd learned all about it in history class, several times in fact, and far before his dad was ever back. The Kyuubi was the last of nine chakra beasts. Most hidden villages had one of these chakra beings to inspire 'balance' or whatever weird hippie crap Iruka-Sensei liked to blabber on about.

Tailed beasts couldn't be killed, so they were sealed. If they couldn't be killed... then what had happened to the Nine Tails? Because Naruto is pretty sure he'd remember seeing it like, hanging around. He'd probably have heard rumors about it at the very least. About it eating people, or destroying villages, or setting things on fire.

So if the Kyuubi wasn't free, it obviously had to be sealed up somewhere. But where could his dad have sealed it in the heat of battle? The fight had happened on Naruto's birthday. As in, the day he was born. He knew because there was always a festival to celebrate the defeat of the Nine Tails on the day. Surely his dad couldn't have just sealed it into any old object.

Abruptly, Naruto flashes back to the dozens of times Kurama has insisted that he is, in fact, the Nine Tailed Fox. Feral chakra beast and demon, feared by The Land of Fire and all the nations beyond it. Thinks about how Kurama insists destroying things is his favorite hobby. Thinks about how he hates the Uchiha Clan and humans, and about how they locked him away for being a monster.

Naruto thinks of the piece of paper that holds Kurama's cage shut, so flimsy looking at first glance, but apparently enough to hold the doors shut. He thinks of the swirl on it. Damn. Maybe Naruto is an invalid. 

Pursing his lips, he slowly turned to look down at his own stomach, suddenly suspicious. This is either a very large coincidence or Naruto is very, very wrong. He has a gut feeling it may be the latter, which is... awkward. Maybe he should just pretend not to know to save himself the embarrassment? 

He'll investigate his options later. Ayumu has been telling him to take things a step at a time and to not stress out. It's not like Kurama is suddenly a chakra beast or something. If he is one, then he's obviously been one this whole time, so nothing has changed. Thus: he can totally agonize over it later, when he's not taking in all the new sights and sounds and smells of Suna.

"You okay, Naruto?" Kakashi asked when he noticed the little boy squinting, his expression twisted. Naruto gave noncommittal hum. Kakashi and Minato exchanged mildly concerned looks.

"Having an existential crisis, but it's okay! I can continue it later." Naruto looked up after taking a breath, grin bright. He gave his father's hand an insistent tug. "Now lets go! I wanna heavily compare this kage dude to you and then judge him when he doesn't measure up, believe it!" 

~~~

Suna's dry air has a perpetually gritty quality to it, hot and stagnant. It's a vast difference from the thick, sticky humidity Naruto had grown to expect from Konoha's hotter days. It's not so bad once you get used to it, but Naruto's always been pretty adaptable in regards to the surrounding environment. It's a good thing, too-- who knows how long they'll be staying here.