I'm baaaaack! Hey everyone. Yeah I'm late on an update..but I just got a new computer so I've been a bit behind. Well anyway, here ya go.

Lord Admiral Belisarius: True it's unlikely a bloodthirsty demon would unlikely call anyone kit, but in this story Kyuubi is not only a girl but eventually paired with Naruto so I have to give myself some leeway.

Brim Wraith: Yes the Imperium will be making a BIG appearance.

Peter Kim: Yes Naurto is a member of the Fire Caste. As for people attacking him..his team will kick their asses. :P simple.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Warhammer 40k.

For the Greater Good

Chapter 6

Naruto stared up in horror. This was the Kyuubi. The reason his entire childhood had been a living hell. The creature of horror and nightmares for every citizen of Konoha. The cell was dead silent as the creature and boy stared at one another. Naruto found that his voice had (for once in his life) deserted him.

The Kyuubi leered down at him and growled lightly. "Well are you going to gape at me all day, boy?" it growled, making Naruto tremble slightly. It shook the sewer everytime it spoke. Naruto opened his mouth but found it hard to speak.

"W-what am I doing here? Where am I?" he managed to choke out. Naruto wouldn't so much say he was frightened, so much as trying to deal with the whirlwind of emotions that were flying around inside of him at that moment.

Seeing the Kyuubi no Kitsune was certainly terrifying, but it was also enraging. Staring at the creature that had caused his entire life to be one living nightmare. The Kyuubi inhaled deeply and…snickered?

"Are you really that stupid? Obviously we are in your mind. How else would you be able to see me?" the statement was laced with mockery, making Naruto scowl for a moment. How was he supposed to guess? Honestly! His fear was starting to fade away.

"Well how was I supposed to know that, stupid furball." He said with as much venom and rebuke…given the current situation. Kyuubi stared down at the blond-haired fire warrior with almost visible shock. This mortal was actually insulting it? The nerve! Kyuubi growled again and glared at the boy.

"Brat." It spat. "Show respect for your betters! I could crush you with but a thought." Naruto snorted.

"I doubt that. Considering you're in Mymind, and with this seal there isn't a damn thing you can do to me." He said, gaining back his confidence. Kyuubi stayed silent for a moment. Well it was true Kyuubi couldn't ACTUALLY do anything to him with that damned seal in place. "So why am here? I doubt I was called here just so could throw empty threats at me." Naruto said, glancing around. Kyuubi sighed. Time for insults later it supposed.

"Do you not remember? That bastard snake Orochimaru stabbed you when your team interfered with that fight." It explained. Naruto's eyes widened as images flashed through his mind. The barrier, Old Man Hokage….

"So I'm dead?"

"Not really. The injury is certainly life threatening, but your armor stopped it from becoming a death blow. I can easily heal you in time." Kyuubi explained. Naruto sighed in relief. He didn't want to die any time soon.

"But that doesn't exactly explain why you called me here." He pointed out with a small frown. Kyuubi grinned.

"Well I simply wanted to get a look at my container. I can watch your life but honestly it was getting a bit boring in here. I wanted to at least threaten you a bit." It said with a chuckle. Naruto sighed and shook his head. A sudden thought occurred to him.

"Wait…you can see outside of me?"

"Indeed. I must say your life has turned out quite unexpectedly. I never would have figured that you would come across those aliens."

Naruto nodded. That had certainly been an odd twist to his life. A long silence passed between the two. Kyuubi was staring at Naruto with a mixture of curiousity and confusion. The boy certainly got over his fear quick, not something people usually did when around one such as it. Usually they simply ran, or most of the time, died. In a way Naruto was much like itself. Unwanted and-

No, musn't think such things. Those are weak thoughts. Thought the boy was certainly courageous..

Kyuubi growled in annoyance at its own thoughts, making Naruto jump slightly and knocking him out of what ever reverie he had been in. Naruto began shifting uncomfortably. "So how long until I heal?" he asked finally. Kyuubi cocked its head thoughtfully.

"With my power, only another half-hour or so." It said shortly. Another silence. It was Kyuubi that began to shift impatiently this time. Being alone for thirteen years had made it desperate for ANY type of freedome.

"I'm curious." Naruto said suddenly.

"Eh?"

"You haven't asked or demanded me to release you. It would seem natural for you to do so." Naruto observed. Kyuubi sighed heavily.

"Honestly, I planned on forcing you to. But to show any kind of bravery when in my presence means that it obviously wouldn't happen. Your are far too stubborn for that." It said with a snort. A sudden thought occurred to it. It was a faint hope but…"But..maybe you could tear the seal? Not fully, just enough to grant me freedome of feeling again. It has been sooo long since I have felt anything in this blasted cell."

Naruto frowned. "Why? You're a demon. You could be manipulating me for all I know. If I touch that seal you could try and kill me." Kyuubi winced, something that shocked Naruto. The demon didn't exactly seem the type to get emotional.

"I am no daemon, kid." It said, it'svoice more subdued. Demon..that word cut Kyuubi like no other. Brought up too much past. Naruto looked plainly confused.

"But you are the Kyuubi. The beast that attacked this village. A demon."

Kyuubi snorted in bitter amusement. "Humans label anything they hate or fear a demon. I am not any true daemon and glad to say such." Naruto was desperatly confused now.

"But..then..what are you?" He asked. Kyuubi sighed. This wasn't exactly something that it wanted to ever reveal, but this boy ..there was something about him.

"I am..well the best term would be an elemental. A creature born of this world as a guardian. A caretaker."

Naruto stared. Hard. "Caretaker? But…who made you? Obviously you came about somehow."

Kyuubi was silent, searching its memories. A vision popped into it's mind. A double-headed eagle. Kyuubi frowned. "I do not know. Only the original guardians would know." It saw Naruto open his mouth and decided to answer the obvious question. "Yes, I am not the original Kyuubi no Kitsune. It is passed down each generation." Naruto closed his mouth again. This was turning out to be more than Naruto expected. Another question suddenly came to mind.

"But if you're supposed to be a guardian, then why did you attack Konoha? Why did you kill so many?" He asked. Why had this elemental made his life turn out this way. An expression of sadness flashed across the kitsune's face for a moment, so fast that Naruto was unsure if he had even seen it.

"Well…that is quite personal. I feel no obligation to share it with you." Kyuubi said shortly. Naruto stared at the fox with a disbelieving expression.

"No obligation?" he could feel rage building. "NO OBLIGATION?" he yelled. "My life was turned into hell because of you! I suffered every day of my life because of you! Don't you dare tell what's personal!" he ended, panting heavily now. Kyuubi looked away. It was true, Kyuubi knew, that it was partly the reason for Naruto's life. Okay so it was mostly Kyuubi's fault. The fox sighed and then stopped. Why was it feeling guilt? It hadn't done so when it had attacked or after. Not until meeting this boy.

Because he suffered so much? Just like…

"You think only you know suffering?" Kyuubi said softly, making Naruto stop his angry panting and stare up at the fox. What? "You think it is only you who has ever been hated for being something you are not? Well then kit, think again."

"W-what are you talking about?"

"Fine. I WILL tell you why I attacked your village. I did it out of anger. I was assigned to guard Fire Country just as those before me. And I did. But do you know, never once was it appreciated? Of course you do, you experience the same type of hate. All I ever was to them was a demon." Kyuubi growled out, but there was obvious pain in its voice. Naruto looked on in confusion.

"But…why? I can understand what it is like to be hated..but why attack Konoha?"

"As I said, my rage at these pathetic humans grew until I snapped and attacked this village. I spent over a three hundred years watching over this land. But it is always the same. Viewed as a monster more than a savior. I got no thanks from the likes of them." Kyuubi was shouting now. Naruto took it all in silence. After a long moment Kyuubi sighed once again and in a more subdued voice said, "It is done. You should be healed by now. Get the hell out of here."

Naruto wordlessly turned and began walking away, but the stopped suddenly. "You know," he said softly. "Defending and watching over others, even if it is unreciprocated, is what it means to be a guardian. To be a hero. To help others with no thought of yourself is true strength."

Naruto turned and caught once last glimpse of the giant kitsune, expression sullen and unreadable, before his vision was consumed by light.

"-sui! Shas'ui, wake up!" Naruto could hear a panicked voice over him. He blinked and opened his eyes, greeted by the red flashing lights of his HUD. So his helmet was still in place. He blinked once at a symbol in the corner of the display and the warning lights blinked off, allowing him to view the world around him. Neir'ah was sitting over him, on the verge of tears from the sounds of it.

All the other tau stood close by, forming a protective circle around their shas'ui. They were still on the rooftop, thought the ANBU and Hokage were nowhere in sight. From his position layed out on the roof Naruto could see smoke rising from the village. They must have gone off to help elsewhere, he surmised. Naruto shifted, making Neir'ah gasp in surprise.

"Give him room." Shan'tei stepped toward the two, pulling Neir'ah back with a soft tug. Naruto shakily stood up and nodded to his Second. Shan'tei snapped to attention, showing no outward signs of emotion, though Naruto could tell he was infinitely relieved.

"Report." Naruto said, over the team's helmet comm., his voice hoarse. Shan'tei nodded.

"Sir. All invaders are in full retreat."

"And the Old Ma- The Hokage?" Naruto stopped himself.

"Alive and well. That long-haired gue'la fled after he stabbed you." At this the tau hesitated. "Shas'ui, er, well your wound is…completely gone." He said uncertainly. Naruto winced. He had not told anyone save Zan'kais and the Ethereal about the Kyuubi and given his most recent encounter, wasn't too keen on explaining the beast. Instead he simply raised a hand and cut the other fire warrior off.

"Another time, 'La'Shan'tei." He switched to the helmet's speaker, letting thethe other tau hear. They remained silent, but obviously worried for their leader. Even the normally stoic and cold Shar'kahn. " For now we must take stock of the damages. Now, we need to find out how we are going to explain ourselves to the Hokage."

"Yes I am quite curious as to that as well." An all too familiar voice from behind Naruto made the warrior freeze. The tau tensed up and stared over Naruto's shoulder. Naruto turned slowly and mentally swore. The Hokage was back, and with him was a rather large contingent of shinobi, Gennin all the way through ANBU. Naruto spotted his old friends and Team 7 among them. This day was just getting better nad better.

Sarutobi stared at the seven fire warriors with an unreadable and yet completely cold expression. "So do tell me." He said calmly. "My jonnin tell me you call yourselves some sort of empire. I have certainly never seen you in Fire Country before nor have I heard of any empire." He said. Many of the shinobi around him tensed. Naruto frowned behind his helmet. This could get bad quickly. He stepped away from his team and bowed slightly.

"Lord Hokage." He began. "I am the shas'ui, the leader of this team."

"You are the one that broke into my office." The statement made Naruto stumble a bit.

"Er, well yes." He said uncertainly. A couple of ANBU made to move but the Hokage stopped them with a wave of his hand.

"So, while on the one hand you have helped fight off those who would harm us, you seek to steal from us?" The Hokage's voice got a hard edge to it. Naruto's mind began to race. This was definitely turning out less than ideal.

"Lord Hokage, we never meant any offense or harm to this village." He said quickly. "We are…a recon team from the Tau Empire. We simply did not want to make any premature contact. We wanted to learn more about your people." He explained.

Sarutobi regarded the black-armored man thoughtfully. He was certainly dressed strange. More so in the day time where the man could see properly. Their weapons, armor, everything was..well alien. "And why would I believe you. I have never heard of this empire. Why should I believe you have no ill intent toward this village."

Naruto gritted his teeth. There was no other way. As much as he hated it, Naruto could see no other way that would not lead to violence or capture. And there was no way he could let that happen to his team.

'They would have found out anyway.'

"Hokage-sama." He began, making all present blink in surprise at his sudden switch of language. "I would never harm this place." He reached up and clasped his helmet. Behind him he heard Shan'tei hiss in anxiousness. He could practically feel the other fire warriors tense up. "I would never harm my home." He finished, lifting the mask from his face, exposing it to the world.

It went dead silent.

The expression on every shinobi present was shock, no more evident than on the face of the Hokage. The old man stared at a familiar set of sky blue eyes and whisker-marked face. "N-Naruto?"

AN:) And thus Naruto is exposed! And Kyuubi finally comes into the picture. And as for the whole Fire Country guardian thing…it isn't at all important to the story nothing more than a plot device. Didn't want to use the whole 'grr Orochimaru killed my family and I sensed him in Konoha' thing. Besides..I couldn't really make Kyuubi a daemon..somehow I don't think that would work for the pairing….

Well anyway hope you enjoyed it! My next update will be one of the following;

Way of the Blade, Advent of Destiny or Cold as Death.

Remember to review! Do it in the name of the Greater Good!

-TheHiddenAssassin