Naruto opened his eyes to the sight of Kurama growling at him from behind the gigantic bars of the cage that held him, his nostrils emitting steam as he bared his teeth at the blonde. Naruto looked up at one of his oldest friends in this world and smiled.
"Hey, Kurama, long time no see!" He said cheerfully. "It's been so-"
"How do you know that name?!" Kurama shouted as Naruto flew back, gliding across the sewer water as he landed on all fours.
"Well, you told me your name!"
"Lies!" Kurama roared again, the water vibrating under the intensity of his voice. "I have never spoken to you in your miserable small life! Let alone tell you my name!"
"You wouldn't understand completely, but I'm from the future, or if you can even call it that," Naruto said with a small frown before brightening up again. "But that's beside the point! I've been trying to get in contact with you for a while, I don't know how to access this place without meditation and I'm not very good at that."
"The future? I didn't know that stupid raccoon hit you on the head that badly." Kurama commented, reigning in on his killing intent seeing as how it had no effect on the blonde that stood so fearlessly before him. "But then again, you withstanding my killing intent as well as not even showing an ounce of fear proves you know something that I don't."
"Wow, you're actually being hospitable!" Naruto exclaimed, earning a growl from the beast. "I think it took Hagoromo to actually get you to accept me truly, but even before then we were friends!"
"Hagoromo, the Sage of Six Paths," Kurama drawled out, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You truly are from the future, Naruto Uzumaki. I take it that's why you are able to draw on portions of my chakra at times like when you slaughter those bandits in Wave or killed that spy in the Forest of Death."
Naruto grinned. "I knew you listened in on my life you big old softie!" Another growl. "Oh shut up I'm not scared of you. Like I said you're my friend!"
"Friends don't keep each other in cages," Kurama said with a bit of a sarcastic twinge. Naruto frowned.
"You're right, they don't." He crossed his arms. "Lucky for you I met the guy who can take this stupid seal off." Kurama's eyes widened. "I would do it right now, but he has to summon a toad that gives the Key to the Eight-Trigrams Seal. I'll work on it tomorrow."
"Y-You're not lying," Kurama stated rather than asking it like a question. "You'd truly undo the seal?" Naruto laughed as if he had been asked if pigs could fly.
"Of course I would! In my timeline, we didn't get off on a good foot but we eventually trusted each other. I released the seal and we became partners and friends, protectors of the Hidden Leaf! You may not trust me now, but I hope that one day you'll trust me as much as I trust you!"
Kurama almost took a step back. This boy was not like Hashirama Senju, Mito Uzumaki, nor his mother, Kushina Uzumaki. He looked at him not like a pest or a weapon, not as a monster, but as an equal.
He even knew his father. His father predicted that this would happen one day. Though by the boy's appearance it was a bit too soon. He inwardly laughed.
"Better early than late, I suppose," Kurama said as he smirked. "Alright Naruto Uzumaki, I'll put my faith into you for now." Naruto grinned.
"You betcha, Kurama! We'll save the world!"
Naruto opened his eyes and found himself lying in an empty field, the starry night and shining full moon above him giving him enough light to see clearly. He let out a deep sigh as he sat up, his head aching ever so slightly as he looked to the left and saw a bunch of destroyed trees.
'Oh yeah,' Naruto thought. He had been training earlier that day. 'I must've passed out due to exhaustion. I guess Obito was right about not pushing myself.'
Then again, he needed to get stronger.
It had been a single week since the events of the combined attack from the Hidden Sound and the Hidden Sand was launched on the Hidden Leaf. Casualties were kept to the bare minimum with the help of Naruto's warnings, with the two casualties being an unwatchful Chunin who died as soon as the invasion started, and Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage who died sealing away an already terribly injured Orochimaru.
He bristled at the thought. He had accepted Hiruzen's death, but he had thought that he had killed Orochimaru. He had gotten arrogant and led the man to his death by making him believe that he had killed Orochimaru.
A statement he wished were true.
He let out an aggravated sigh and stood up, his legs wobbling slightly before he felt a presence arrive on the training grounds. He looked to his left and his eyes widened slightly to see Sayuri Uchiha in all her glory.
She wore her usual blue shirt and white shorts but left alone her arm braces that she usually wore. She wasn't wearing any shoes, confusing Naruto but he left it alone. He looked at her face and saw her usual hairstyle with it being in a ponytail with the two bangs framing her face.
His face suddenly turned red as he realized he had been looking at her for too long without saying anything. "H-Hey Sayuri," He stuttered out. WHY DID HE SOUND LIKE HINATA?! "What brings you down here?"
"It's one in the morning," Sayuri said in a small deadpan. "I can ask you the same thing." Naruto laughed.
"I was training earlier," She noticed the scratches and scuffs his face and hands had and nodded.
"Seems about right. I was about to do some training myself since I can't sleep. Would you mind a spar?" Naruto shrugged, ignoring his burning muscles with the small action.
"Sure, I don't mind. Let's go, any conditions?" Sayuri shrugged as well.
"Anything goes, just no huge jutsu or power-ups. So no Sharingan for me and none of that power-up stuff from you." Naruto nodded, though he looked a little bored. Sayuri frowned. "If you want, we can spice things up?"
Naruto's eyes widened. "What did you have in mind?" Sayuri smirked.
"Loser has to do whatever the winner tells them. No exceptions, no bars. Whatever the other wants. Deal?" Naruto narrowed his eyes.
"Let's say I win," He began, raising his voice with a teasing tone. "If I told you to kiss Sakura, Ino, and Hinata on the lips, would you do it?" Sayuri took a step back as a blush appeared on her cheeks, the redness spreading across her entire face.
"W-What? Why would you ask me to do something so perverted? That's so gross!" Naruto began laughing.
"That's not a no exception reactions, Sa-yu-ri-chan!" Her blush only darkened as he teased her further.
"I-If you win, and that's what y-you want me to do, then I have to accept your terms." She eventually got out, her face hotter than boiling water at that very moment. Naruto stopped laughing and looked at her with wide eyes.
"T-That's not what I would actually get you to do, actually. Though since you're willing to do it I'd love to see you kiss those three! It'd be kinda-" He stopped talking after he was forced to duck as a kunai whirled over his head.
"S-Shut up!" Sayuri shouted as she rushed him. "It doesn't matter what you think cause I'm going to win!" She threw a quick kick towards the blonde who tried evading it, but his exhaustion and fatigue from earlier that day caught up with him and it hit him right in the shoulder, causing him to smack face down into the ground.
"Dobe?" Sayuri asked carefully as he didn't move. She let out a sigh of relief as he rolled over on his back, breathing slightly heavily as he could barely move his body. "You know, you shouldn't have said yes to a spar if you're too tired to fight."
"I'm not!" He protested. "I just need to sit here for a second." Sayuri sighed.
"If you're not eating or with us, you're training, aren't you?" Naruto froze, confirming her answer. She let out a sigh and got down on her knees.
"I'm probably not physically strong enough to carry you to your house or mine, so I guess I'll make you comfortable while you regain your strength." She said as she positioned his head to lay on her lap, his eyes wide. She blushed. "And this is a one-time thing! Don't let this get to your head!"
He nodded wordlessly. She glared at him for a second. "And don't you dare tell anyone about this! I'll kill you in your sleep if you do!" He let a small smile appear on his face.
"I won't, I promise." Sayuri's glare disappeared and she looked away from the blonde's face.
"G-Good." She stammered. Damn her stupid speech.
After several minutes of silence, Sayuri looked back at Naruto's face and saw his eyes staring up at the stars. Suddenly, a question popped into her head.
"Why do you fight?" She asked him carefully. He closed his eyes, his smile disappearing into a thin line.
"To save the world." He said bluntly.
"From what?" She asked. Naruto shook his head.
"I can't tell you."
"Why not?"
"I just can't." Sayuri frowned at that and her fingers began playing with the blonde hair on the boy's head.
"That's fine, you don't have to tell me." She began stroking his hair. "Why do you training every day then? To get stronger so you fight whatever threatens the world?" He nodded. "You should take breaks."
"I'm fine," He got out, laughing a little.
"When was the last time you got a proper days rest?" Naruto remained silent. "Do you mean that ever since we were Genin you haven't taken a day off from training?" More silence. Her frown changed into one of disappointment and worry.
"You need to take care of yourself, physically and mentally."
"I know," He croaked out. "It's just that," His voice choked up, not allowing him to speak any further.
"You've lost a lot, haven't you?" Sayuri whispered. Naruto nodded and he used his forearms to cover his eyes. "Have you talked to anyone about it?" Naruto shook his head.
"Only the old man," He whispered. The pain in his throat becoming unbearable. Sayuri let her delicate pale fingers graze his forehead gently.
"You don't have to talk, but here's my request for beating you, Naruto-kun." He stiffened. "Please, let it out. All the pent up anger and sadness, let it all out until you can't let anymore out. It's okay, I won't let another soul know."
Naruto began shaking, his entire body trembling as he turned, his face burying into her lap. She let a sad smile cross her face as she felt her thighs begin getting wet by his tears. He hiccuped and began crying freely, shaking as she sat there for him, stroking his hair as his crying turned into wails of sorrow and sadness.
He cried and cried.
At that moment there was nothing else except for Sayuri and Naruto.
How was it? Good? Bad? Tell me!
Late ik but oh well
Til next time my lil demons!