Naruto lets darkness surround him, his consciousness fading away, cutting off his connection to this realm, and opening a dark, new realm before him.
Drip. Drip.
The dank sewers twist and wind in a complex maze of halls. The floor is covered in water, while sewage leaks from the pipes above. Naruto relaxes at the sight.
Slowly, he moves one foot in front of the other, and takes calm steps towards his destination.
The sound of dripping stops as he enters the room. His feet stop only inches away from a massive gate; a sealing. Naruto's eyes set themselves upon the large tag binding the gates to one another.
"Father. . ." he mumbles, looking up at the seal. "I will make you proud today. ." he gives a mighty leap, high up to the tag that binds the gates. His fingers already clutched onto the sandy material, he looks behind the bars.
Dark, red eyes gleam in the pit of darkness behind this door. The eyes watch him carefully; is this brat stupid enough to unlock this gate? He looks straight into them without fear, before giving a courageous shout.
"Dattebayo!"
As he says this, Naruto pulls the tag off and jumps from the gate. He drops the tag in mid air and lands lightly in a firm stance a few yards from the gate. There is a moment of silence as Naruto prepares himself.
Suddenly, a deafening Bang! resounds around the space. Four large tails are revealed as they slam open the doors. Naruto grits his teeth in anticipation.
A loud roar follows the destruction of the gate, and forward comes the snout of an enormous creature. His emergence from the everlasting darkness of his previous confinements presents an intimidating figure.
Two large, red eyes glare at the boy before him. His orange fur bristles in excitement at the thought of being rid of this brat for good. A ghastly snarl makes its way to his lips.
Naruto watches the great beast leave its dark space and come forward, into the dim lighting of the sewers. His tremendous form, giant claws and incisors, and bloody red eyes send a chill down his spine.
The mighty creature roars once again, its cry resembling more of a screech, as it walls closer to him. Naruto takes tentative steps back. Soon the creatures full form is revealed to him, and he can see nine large tails swimming behind the monster.
What a fearsome kitsune. Naruto begins to sweat lightly at the challenge presented to him. The monster can see his unrest as Naruto tries to shake himself out of shock.
"What's the matter? Too afraid to follow through with your massive mistake?" The creature jeers in a dark, deep voice that rumbles and resonates throughout the space.
Naruto glares at him. "I'm not afraid of nothin'! Come at me with all ya got! I won't lose, dattebayo!" The giant fox smirks at the boy's words and readies himself.
"Suit yourself, boy. Prepare to die."
Naruto forms the smallest of wind jutsu in the palm of his hand. Information of his family was not the only thing he stole from the Hokage.
Naruto leaps high towards the beast, his jutsu ready. This is all the chakra I can spare for this jutsu! I have to do it right, and I have to do it now!
Naruto and the beast clash.
- - - - -
Naruto still remembers that day, three years ago. He's very fond of the memory. Not because of the battle that ensued, but because of what he gained after.
A friend.
His first friend, to be exact. The fox may not look it, but he is Naruto's best and only friend, and they are rather close. Naruto smiles; he remembers how he lost their battle.
"Will you really kill me?" Naruto asks as he lays on his back in the sewage water. His eyes are on the black void that is where the ceiling should be.
"What if I do?"
"What if you do? Won't you disappear too?" Naruto says curiously. The massive kitsune looks rather perplexed; the brat could be eliminated in an instant, and he can be free in the afterlife.
But is there a guarantee that the afterlife exists?
Naruto sees his confusion and uncertainty, and smiles a bright, bloody smile. He chuckles painfully before sitting up from the water, his top half surprisingly not drenched.
"What about this, mister fox," Naruto puts his fist out with a radiant smirk on his face, and the Kyūbi stares in surprise, "how about you and me become friends."
Naruto can see the doubt in the beast's face. "Why would I want to be friends with you? You are weak, and you have kept me sealed away for ten years!" The kitsune roars.
Naruto's smile lessens some, and he gives a sheepish grin. "I know. I can't imagine what it must've been like. . to be trapped here with no sun. . no food, or water, if you even need that stuff. ."
Naruto chuckled dryly as he trailed off. The fox continued to watch Naruto with a building curiosity. Why wasn't the boy terrified? Why wasn't he dead already?
Naruto suddenly brings himself to his feet. He puts his fist out again. "I know what it's like having no friends and no family to begin with. I know what it's like to harbor hatred against those who did you wrong.
"But I can't say that I understand you, fox. Because no one has been through what you've been through except for you. Still, even when that is true, why don't we try to understand one another,"
Naruto gives the giant a determined and happy smile, one unlike the fox has ever seen before. "Why don't we become friends!?"
The fox only stared at his fist as Naruto's words swam in his head. Eventually, the hateful creature realized this might be better than depending on an afterlife that might never come.
He touched Naruto's fist with his own, as lightly as he could, and the blondes smile grew bigger if possible. "That's what I'm talkin' about, dattebayo!"
After they brought their hands back to themselves, Naruto gave a look of curiosity. "Say, mister fox."
"What is it, kit?"
"What's your name?"
For the first time in a long time, the fox smiled.
"Kurama."
"Oi, kit." His thoughts are interrupted by Kurama. Naruto is taken from his memories in slight surprise. "What is it, Kurama?" He hops down onto the wet floor from atop Kurama's head.
"When do you plan to reveal your true potential?"
"I'll do what needs to be done when I see fit. Just be a little patient." Naruto says, his hands in his pants pockets. Kurama gives him a skeptical look.
"That's what you always say. I want to walk around one of these days." He grumbles. Naruto shrugs it off; its just Kurama's bad temper.
A sudden wave of light nfausea washes over him and his vision starts to blur. Naruto brings a hand to his head. "Sorry, Kurama. Iruka is trying to wake me." Naruto kneels on the wet floor before fading away.
"-ruto! Naruto!" Naruto groggily raises his eyelids. The first thing his sight sees is Iruka's face much too close for his liking. "Yes, Iruka-sensei?" He says almost apathetically.
"Naruto, please explain to me why you are sleeping in my class."
Naruto rubs his eye in an attempt to kook tired. "I uh," he sheepishly smiles and rubs the back of his neck, "I was tryin' to perfect my clone jutsu last night. Sorry."
The pain of having to act below average in intellect and behavior is awfully excruciating. Every time, Naruto has to remind himself hat this is for a great reason.
He has to make his father proud, and in order to do that, no one can know how powerful he is; they'll see him as a threat and then he'll never become Hokage.
Naruto waits for Iruka to go back to the front of the class and resume his lecture before adopting a blank countenance. He pays little attention to the material; he's going to fail the test anyway.
- - - - -
Minato watches his son with a flurry of emotions; regret, guilt, nostalgia, pride, anger, and sadness. His little baby boy has grown into a rather fine young man.
His thirteen year-old son is a genius at heart, but a failure to everyone else. Minato understands his son's ambitions and he respects them, as well as his way of achieving them.
It's just so frustrating! Why does his son, a hero, a hero who didn't even ask or try to be a hero, have to endure this discrimination and heart ache?
Minato knows things would be different had he and Kushina survived. No one would dare to insult or harm their child if they knew who he belonged to.
Alas, this was not the case. All he can do is continue watch over his son from here, and make sure that he lives a good life. His son, he's learned, has the brightest of hearts; being able to bounce back smile after every bad day.
That's one of the things he's most proud of. Minato is sure Naruto will find what he's looking for. As long as his son is happy, he is happy.
"Come now, Minato; do not lie." The other half of Kurama had stayed with him and followed him to the afterlife. He speaks to Minato with knowing words. "You want to be with your boy, don't you?"
Minato sighs. "You have no idea." The Yondaime looks down at his hands in defeat. "But I am dead. And even if I were to be revived, would you not return to your other half?" He asks solemnly.
The Kyūbi nods. "This is true; you are dead. Even so, I believe there is hope for you yet. And when I return to my other half, your son shall be fine. He is strong for a kit."
Minato smiles lightly at the beasts kind words. Still, they mean nothing if he can't make it to his son somehow.
Suddenly, a blinding light shines from behind him. Minato whirls around, his white cloak fluttering behind him as he does so. The light presents no form or presence of any kind, and Minato is left perplexed.
"Minato Namikaze," a mighty voice speaks, "a noble being you are. Tell me, what is it your heart wishes most?" Minato listens to the voice that seems to come from the Heavens themselves.
He doesn't spend much time at all thinking about his answer. "To see my son; to let him know that I and his mother care about him, and that we love him. That is my wish."
There is a moment of silence and the blinding light shining from above does not falter. The mighty voice speaks again. "Very well. Your wish shall be granted."
Minato's eyebrows raise. "What do you-"
"Be sure to use this gift I give to you wisely; you will only have one chance." Speechless, Minato can only nod dumbly before feeling the darkness consume his consciousness.
- - - - -
Hello everyone. I just wanted to let you know that this story was NOT my idea, but I will be finishing it. I adopted this story from FairytailHwajae so this is their idea. Most of the plot will be mine, but the first one or two chapters belong to FTH.
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy reading this as Much as I enjoy writing it!