Hello everyone! This is my first attempt of making a fic. I've been here for a while and thought to myself, "Why not make one? Quarantine got me acting up anyways so why not?" And so it begins.

Sorry for any mistakes; English isn't my first language.

The lush green forests of Konoha always proved to be relaxing and therapeutic to wander around. Whether it be heading for the nearest river, finding new training ground, or even taking a nap, there were unlimited choices for relaxation to one Uzumaki Naruto.

This time, he couldn't think of such things.

On his back is an unconscious Uchiha Sasuke, holding him through his thighs. Of course, the Sasuke Recovery Mission was a complete success; He neutralized and defeated the defecting Sasuke at a cost.

The gruesome battle between heroes of Konoha left scars that felt like would remain on him forever. A busted spine, few broken ribs, a formerly dislocated shoulder until he fixed it by himself, fractured right Tibia, black eyes, and a piercing wound that was on his side from Sasuke's Chidori.

Their fight was not even for the sake of the mission, but for Naruto it was to show that teme Sasuke to finally acknowledge that Naruto is indeed strong, and for Sasuke to finally even the score of their previous fights. Although Sasuke's pride greatly fueled his chakra, it was also his downfall to underestimate the blond-haired shinobi.

While Naruto took a hard beating, Sasuke took a harder one from Naruto's raw strength and speed. He had a fractured right arm, fractured left Tibia, several broken ribs, semi-busted spine, alot of wounds on his face from the beatdown he recieved from Naruto and finally, a beautiful spiral of wounds evident from Naruto's rasengan. While the wounds didn't really go that deep unlike Sasuke's Chidori, the Rasengan's particles pierced through his skin and organs, causing the dark-haired Uchiha to fall unconscious.

With his injured state and the weight of Sasuke burdened on his shoulders, Naruto was hobbling towards the pathway to the gates of Konoha. It was a good fifty metres away but his injuries and an unconscious Sasuke might hold him back.

He was nearing the gates of Konoha. Knowing that Izumo and Kotetsu, the guards stationed there were usually lax, they'd be fine with a wounded Naruto carrying an unconscious Sasuke. He looked around the perimeter for any signs of his comrades. The Sasuke Recovery Team left early after defeating the rest of Sound Four, leaving Naruto to finish the job. It's only poetic for him to defeat his rival anyways.

Seeing the gate already open, the timing was perfect. Over there stood Konoha 11 except the two combatants. Neji kept close to himself, Hinata was waiting patiently with her Team 8, Kiba and Shino were sitting on one of the stacking lumbers, Team Gai's Lee and Tenten were leaning against the lumber, Choji had a bag of chips at his hand, Shikamaru had his hands on his pockets and stood there patiently, and lastly Sakura and Ino were at the centre of the rest, their hands clutched on their hearts in worry.

Naruto gave a foxy grin, knowing the team saw his idiotic smile. He was close, only a few metres away from his friends. But then he could feel his legs give up. His broken Tibia wasn't helping him and resorted to slowly hobbling over to the rest of Konoha 11.

"Oi! Naruto!" Shikamaru waved his hand in the air. Still having that stupid grin on his face, he closed in the distance and gently laid Sasuke down beside him. Taking few, deep labored breaths he felt like he lost a few gallons of blood. After he couldn't take it Naruto fell to his knees in exhaustion, still taking deep, painful labored breaths. Hinata and Neji ran over to Naruto and looked for any complications. Blood seeped out of his forehead and the Chidori wound was making his whole body a bit... paler than his bright, cheerful skin.

"Crap! Naruto's losing blood, fast!" Kiba's oversensitive nose twitched in worry. Akamaru only whined before the two jumped into action and rushed over to their dying teammate.

"Naruto-san, are you okay?" Neji let his hands act as support before turning on his Byakugan. "Crap, his chakra's slowly retracting back to his heart. Do we have any healers here?" The prodigy added.

"I-um can treat Naruto-kun's wounds, b-but I can't heal h-him yet." Came from a stuttering voice of Hinata as she kneeled down and began treating Naruto's wounds on his face.

"Good, Hinata-hime. We need every help we can get before sending him to hospital."

"I-I have to k-keep control or else N-Naruto-kun...!" Hinata thought as her face began to cover bright pink. She was furiously blushing, yet worry still overtook her. Naruto always comforted her, but this time she had to be there for Naruto.

Hinata pulled out the healing cream she made back before her days in the academy. The healing cream seemed to put Naruto at ease and healed his wounds back at the Chūnin exams. It was surprisingly effective for Naruto. As Hinata examined the piercing wound on Naruto's side as she began applying the cream where Sasuke's Chidori struck.

Applying the cream on the wound made Naruto whimper in pain. He was always stalwart, strong, and resilient, but this was the first time she's seen him this vulnerable.

"S... Sasuke... Treat him... Hinata-chan." Naruto muttered a reply that made Hinata blush again.

"Don't worry Naruto-kun. Sakura, Ino, and Shino are taking care of him right now." Choji replied and offered a single chip at Naruto. "Chip?"

"Baka, you see how he's barely keeping up?" Shikamaru pointed at the whimpering Uzumaki, painfully laughing at the antics. "How troublesome... We can't even move until Sasuke's been treated properly. Same goes to you Naruto. You've done well." He added, giving a gentle pat on the shoulder.

"Hai, the battle of heroes... The duel of fates! Very youthful indeed! The flames of youth are burning inside you Naruto-kun!" Lee gave a big thumbs up.

"Finally showed that teme who's stronger huh? From dead last to the alpha of Konoha 11!" Kiba congratulated. Naruto barely kept a smile before he winced in pain again. Beside him was Ino, Sakura, and Shino treating the wound.

Ino smiled in relief. Atleast Naruto and Sasuke were alive. "Ne, I guess Naruto finally showed Sasuke who's the boss huh Sakura?" Ino said and looked at Sakura, looking like she carried a fake smile. Her face looked like she wanted to murder someone.

Sakura's orders to Naruto were clear. Bring her Sasuke-kun back unharmed. Seeing the current state of Sasuke right now, he was at a complete opposite of being unharmed. The wounds and the broken bones of Sasuke were proof that Naruto was unable to keep promises, according to Sakura.

After what the three could only do to Sasuke, which is disinfect and treat wounds, Sakura marched over to where Naruto was and scowled at him deep in the eye. "Idiots like you don't deserve to live. You dare hurt my Sasuke-kun when I told you to bring him back unharmed?!" Sakura felt like blowing up.

Without hesitation, she kicked Naruto straight in the face. Boots to face, Naruto felt the kick and sent him back a good distance away from Sasuke. Both Neji and Hinata flinched as they saw the body fling away from them before finally lying down close to the pathway. The Konoha 11's eyes widened after what they just saw. Sakura just kicked a combatant. A wounded combatant.

"Oi Sakura! What was that for?!" Shikamaru, the first one to react growled at the pink haired girl.

"What the - Sakura you IDIOT!" Ino's eyes bulged in anger. Sure, she did like Sasuke but what she did to Naruto was something beyond comprehension.

"Why you -" Tenten was about to reach a scroll full of kunais when she felt Shino's hand grasp her forearm, telling her to disarm. Causing a much more ruckus than Naruto's body getting flicked away would catch attention to the civilians passing by.

"Sakura, that was very unyouthful of you!" Lee shouted in anger. Even Lee, someone that was an avid fan of honorifics, dropped the chan in Sakura.

"You didn't do that Sakura - WAIT YOU DID! TEME!" Kiba and Akamaru assumed battle stance, poised to strike at the Haruno. To think that one of Naruto's comrades would simply kick him to the dirt made Kiba snarl wildly.

Neji got up and went over to Naruto's body, lifting it up again to let air flow through. "Hinata-sama, check Naruto-kun's chakra points and heartbeat with your Byakugan." Neji said. "I will try to check his pulse and keep Naruto's chest upright so he could breathe." Hinata nodded and cast a sad glare at Sakura before walking towards Naruto's unconscious body.

Activating her Byakugan, Hinata saw Naruto's chakra points slowly retract over to his beating heart. "N-Naruto-kun's chakra points are slowly retracting!" Hinata exclaimed.

"His pulses are faint too." Said Neji as reached for Naruto's forearm in search of a pulse. It was then Naruto's pulses and heartbeat were slowing down and his eyes finally gave up.

"Damn it, Naruto's unconscious!" Shikamaru rushed over to Naruto's side and still felt slow heartbeats. "Troublesome, now we have two unconscious shinobi to carry." The Chūnin said before turning his head to Sakura. "Why'd you kick him in the first place, teme?!"

Sakura's tears began to flow on her face as she pointed at Sasuke's body. She sniffled before the pink-haired kunoichi retorted. "He deserved it! I told him to bring Sasuke unharmed, and he didn't! He doesn't follow orders and shows how he wants to kill MY SASUKE-KUN!" Sakura shouted on top of her lungs, and the next thing she knew a crowd circled around the scene.

Ino groaned in disappointment. Of course, she does have a crush on Sasuke but Naruto was one of her best friends as well. "If this is what leads to from obsessing Sasuke, I won't follow this path."

"How's that a legitimate reason?! You literally kicked your teammate! Your wounded teammate!" Choji exclaimed. The crowd around them began to murmur from Choji's words.

"What's this, are the shinobis taking that demon's side? This shows how stupid this generation's become. Sakura-chan's the only one who has brains there, as far as I know." One civilian said. The comment made Shikamaru groan in disappointment.

"Why are you all taking sides with that demon? He brought down Konoha!" One civilian said as well.

"Naruto is the Jinchūriki, the one that holds the Kyūbi in prison. There's a great difference between being a demon that attacked Konoha 12 years ago and being a person, or someone who's protecting us from the Kyūbi." Shino calmly stated. However, the civilians didn't stop talking.

"He deserved it! Death to the demon! He'll come back stronger and destroy Konoha!" Another civilian said. "Troublesome... To think people are this stupid." Shikamaru groaned in annoyance.

Suddenly, two figures shunshined in front of Konoha 12. Two figures that were familiar by the rest of Shinobi World. One was a man with long, spiky white hair and a horned forehead protector labeled "oil" in Kanji. He wore slightly green short shirt kimono and a red sleeveless haori. For his footwear he wore red traditional Japanese sandals. Behind him was a large scroll latched onto his back.

The other one was a blonde, 'young' woman wearing a green haori and a sleeveless kimono underneath. The pants were dark blue, followed with her belt, which consisted of wide dark blue cloth and sandals. On top of it all, she wore the Hokage's hat, signifying her role as the Hokage.

It took moments to finally realize that two of the Legendary Sannin were at their presence. Jiraiya of the Toads and Tsunade of the Slugs, also the Godaime Hokage.

"Now now, what's going on here that needs the Gallant Jiraiya's attention?" Jiraiya's face solidified and scanned the area. In front of him was an unconscious Naruto lying flat on the ground, covered in wounds. Beside him was Sasuke, deeply covered in wounds as well. Jiraiya's eyes bulged on what may have happened.

"Naruto against Sasuke... Sasuke with Naruto's Rasengan... Naruto with Sasuke's Chidori... I should've kept close with Naruto!" Thought the Toad Sage as he stammered pointless words. He could only stutter and within the blink of an eye, he was clutching his Godson close to his arms.

"What have you done to my Naruto, eh?!" Jiraiya exclaimed in anger as he searched for any signs of heartbeat. Thankfully his nerves and his breathing was consistent, but his heartbeat was on an unusually slow tempo. Jiraiya's face contorted in anger and cast a mean glare at the civilians, who held up their hands and pointed at Sakura. Jiraiya's cold stare at Sakura made the pinkette shiver in fear.

Looking at Naruto and Jiraiya made Tsunade a bit heartbroken. The two reminded her of two people that she lost due to her indecisiveness. Her poor sibling Nawaki, as Naruto and her only lover, Dan. Shaking her head and hoping for a speedy recovery, she glanced at the unconscious Uchiha and diverted Shikamaru's attention to her.

"Shikamaru, I take the mission was a success?" Tsunade, arms crossed, asked the Chūnin for a debrief.

"Yes Hokage-sama. Naruto was successful in bringing back Sasuke into Konoha, as promised." Shikamaru replied, scratching the back of his head. "However," He added while scowling at Sakura, who was desperately attemtping to heal Sasuke. "Sakura committed friendly fire by kicking Naruto right in the face, which knocked him unconscious in the process. Her reason was because of her orders to bring back Sasuke unharmed, which didn't happen."

"Well that demon brat deserved it anyways. Why are the Sannin even siding the demon? Shouldn't they be with us?" One civilian asked.

"No good demon brat. Can't even follow orders. Shouldn't have messed with Sasuke-kun in the first place." Another one grumbled.

By this point Tsunade felt Jiraiya's chakra levels rising. Her teammate was seething in anger, something that was considered rare for the Toad Sage. His carefree attitude was the one she'd see often. Seriousness only washed over Jiraiya whenever one of his family members was in danger. Kushina, Naruto, and Minato for instance during the Kyūbi's siege of Konoha.

Jiraiya technically raised the boy while they went off to training. Instead of being his sensei and his student, he thought of him as his own, his child. No way would he let such words trifle with Naruto.

Tsunade raised her hand, blocking Jiraiya's further advances. As much as she wanted to wipe off the smug faces of the people crowding, she couldn't afford to ruin her reputations as a Hokage and one of the Legendary Sannin.

"ENOUGH!" Tsunade roared on top of her lungs. Sooner or later the voices and the remarks about Naruto dissipated. Turning her attention to the two unconscious shinobi, she looked at Shizune.

"Shizune, I want you to escort the two to the hospital. After they're done recovering, send both to the same prison hospital where they'll be further recovering." Tsunade focused on the Konoha 11. "The rest of you, report to me after you've cleaned yourself with this mess." The apprentice nodded in response and snapped her fingers. A few seconds later, ANBU Shinobi shunshined from nowhere and began picking up Naruto and Sasuke's body before shunshinning away.

"But Tsunade-hime, you can't expect to put Naruto and Sasuke on the same room." Jiraiya objected. He wasn't pleading, instead he stood there stoically, his face hardened and his arms crossed with each other. "They'll end up berating each other."

"Sasuke's chakra will be blocked while recovering." Replied the Godaime, as the crowd began to complain and disapprove Sasuke's 'mistreatment'.

"When the Hokage says enough you ungrateful bastards," Jiraiya warned, giving a cold stare on the civilians around them. "It's ENOUGH. Now, Naruto here is my Godson. His own parents entrusted me along with the rest of his clan. If I hear gossip about my Godson or his clan, don't expect your husband or your wife to come back, hear?" Jiraiya threatened and looked at the civilians, who's eyes were bulging in fear. However, Konoha 11 was surprised from the information.

"Naruto has a clan?" Asked Shikamaru out of nowhere. "That guy has way too many secrets like how many pockets he has in that orange jumpsuit."

"Yes. The Uzumaki Clan. They aren't native to Konoha. Coincidentally, Naruto's the heir of the clan." Tsunade replied and got a few shocked looks from the kids. After Jiraiya finished scaring the citizens from the scene, the Toad Sage turned back to Tsunade for Naruto and Sasuke's fate.

A few civilians who didn't speak up about the issue still watched the whole accident wrap up.

"Naruto and Sasuke will be put to questioning later." Tsunade replied. "Once they're done Jiraiya, make sure to take a look at Sasuke's cursed seal. If you can, try to remove it."

"On it, Tsunade-hime." Jiraiya nodded in agreement and then shunshined away from the scene.

"The rest of you, leave. NOW!" Tsunade barked angrily at the crowd, now going back to their normal lives. Konoha 11 stood there, motionless of the scenario they went through. The ruckus they caused was enough to pull the Hokage and one of the Sannin to investigate.

"Wow, Jiraiya-sama is so cool! I want to be like him." Said Kiba. Akamaru woofed in agreement. "I wonder if he's ever related to the Uzumaki Clan! He does look like Naruto's relative though..." Said the Inuzuka heir, grinning deviously.

Shikamaru saw the plan from Kiba's gleaming eyes and smiled smugly. "He said he's Naruto's Godson. Did you also forget how he knows who Naruto's parents are? We might be a bit closer to find out the Uzumakis." Shikamaru added. "Anyways, Hokage-sama's orders. We should move before those troublesome civilians pile up." The Chūnin glanced back at Sakura, who frowned in return.

Ino caught to the plan and smiled evilly inwards. "Yeah, always hated the lot of them. Stupid civilians with their limited understanding between a demon and a friend." Ino glared daggers at Sakura before walking away.

"Oi Ino, there are some civilians right here, ya know?" Tenten playfully pouted.

"Tenten-sama's right Ino-sama! There are some youthful civilians..." Lee chided. "Some are an exception!"

Sakura trailed from a distance. She was still part of Konoha 11, so Tsunade's orders still applied to her. "Talk all you want Ino-pig, but atleast I have Sasuke-kun with me."

Silence. Tranquil silence. Something Naruto never had for awhile. Their duel was nothing quiet. It was too loud for his sensitive ears. The crackling of Chidori, the breezing air of the Rasengan clashing each other. The result was a loud shockwave that sent them on each end.

Though he won, it wasn't a decisive victory as he expected. Sasuke put up a big resistance against him. Still, it was a hard-won victory for Naruto. Believe it or not, most of his sloppiness in combat was from the Ninja Academy.

Being the demon as people called him, he was taught the wrong things in school, poorly instructed by the teachers, hence his sloppy form. His grades were incredibly low due to Mizuki-teme sabotaging his exams and homework. In all fairness, Naruto would've performed slightly higher than average were it not for Mizuki's infiltration on his grades.

He hated it. Being called dead last. Being called 'dobe', even though Sasuke uses it for jokes. But at the same time he was grateful being dead last. He was able to meet someone who shared the same pain, the same feelings, and the same sadness.

Naruto never thought about being friends with the teme, but as missions passed and feelings grew, their relationship from being bitter rivals and enemies blossomed into the best of friends. Hell, even brothers in all but blood. They both know their weaknesses and have each other to guard it. Naruto's unmatched strength and speed paralleled Sasuke's elegance and skill. Naruto was more of a brawler, preferring unexpected hits and powerful strikes using his own hybrid form. Sasuke preferred skill, using his expertise in combat forms to the best of his abilities. Where one lacked, one prospered and vice versa.

While Sakura and Kakashi were gone, Naruto and Sasuke would often compete for their supposed rivalry. Sometimes it was sparring, but most times it was either rock-paper-scissors, an eating contest, kunai throwing, or a race to the Hokage tower. They'd end the day with Ichiraku ramen or sitting on top of the Hokage Tower's roof, watching the sunset while eating the sliced tomatoes Sasuke often packed.

The companionship and teamwork both show proved to be exceptional. It was, until Orochimaru's curse mark latched onto Sasuke and haunted him with his dreams of power. Believing in power through sacrifice, Sasuke could only name one that impacted his whole life to the core; Naruto.

The same thought of Orochimaru made Naruto wake up with a terrible headache. The last thing he remembered was Sakura staring at him with a murdering intent. Afterwards it was all black as he was knocked out unconscious. He wasn't sure what happened, but guessing from the last scene before his world went black, his wound from Sasuke's Chidori might've been the finishing blow.

"Took you awhile to get here, kit." The familiar voice of a specific fox rumbled. Of course, he was at 'the place'. The mindscape where there were broken pipes above him with droplets, an ankle-deep flood of water, and most importantly, an elegant exterior trim with bars and a spiral lock in the middle. Inside the cage was none other than the Kyūbi himself.

Although Minato wanted to split the Kyūbi in half in order for Naruto to control the power of the Kyūbi, the Kyūbi himself requested his full essence to be sealed inside Naruto, granting him unreal chakra reserves, in addition to his Uzumaki blood. With both Kurama's Chakra and soul sealed inside Naruto's mindscape, the Fox promised the Yondaime to teach Naruto to harness his power one day.

Laughing nervously, Naruto turned around and sheepishly smiled at the growling Kurama. One thing that people didn't seem to know was how the Kyūbi was overprotective.

Having filled the void as Naruto's parent and older brother, Kurama's strict orders of eating vegetable miso ramen instead of Naruto's usual miso ramen with extra meat often made Naruto weirded out for not having that much meat. Atleast it was compromise instead of eating full-on vegetables.

Kurama's strict daily regimen of a 10 kilometer run each day, fourty push ups, 20 sit ups, 20 curls, 40 squats, and 30 seconds worth of side planks and planks made Naruto worn out to the core.

Of course, every pain has its own benefits. Working out since 2 years ago enhanced Naruto's physical strength, endurance, and stamina. The vegetable ramen Kurama forced Naruto to eat improved made him calm and composed instead of eating his usual ramen, which made Naruto jittery and excited due to high caloric intake. Of course, he's still 'The Show-Off, Number One, Unpredictable, Noisy Ninja' he is, but in battle or getting lectured by Kurama, his thinking drastically improved.

"Eheheh... Hi Kurama-nii!" Naruto grinned.

"How many times have I told you to evade every single thing that's aimed at your face?" Kurama groaned in disappointment. "Also I'm not that old, gaki. Twenty thousand years isn't that bad.

"Yeah sure, and I'm the Yondaime Hok-eh? No one tried to hit me, ya dumb furball." Naruto retorted back.

"Would it help if I replayed a memory back to you?" Kurama snorted as he looked at the blonde shinobi who simply nodded in response. Naruto closed his eyes and felt Kurama's genjutsu play on his head.

There he was, kneeling and taking deep, labored breaths with Hinata trying her best to heal him and Neji supporting his back. In front of him was Sakura, looking down at him like some sort of pathetic man. Naruto smiled weakly in return but Sakura grunted in response. Within the next few seconds, Sakura's leg was in front of his face, then everything went black. After that, a bunch of memories appeared since he was a kid. Sakura amongst the crowd of the annual Fox Hunt, Sakura's parents hiring bounty hunters, the same parents that encouraged propaganda amongst the civilians, all played within Kurama's genjutsu.

Naruto couldn't believe it. After all these years of trying to impress her, his numerous attempt to go out with her on Ichiraku's, and literally impress her, this is what he got instead. A boot on the face. Inwards himself, Naruto wanted to punch something. No, not something. Someone. He wanted to punch Sakura instead. The mistreatment he faced, the near-death assassinations he had to fend off by himself, and the Fox Hunt that everyone did every tenth of October, Sakura and her family were a part of it all. Hell, maybe even orchestrated some of it.

"So? Did you see what your crush literally did to you?" Kurama's eyelids opened up as he saw the dumbstruck Naruto rubbing his face and looked at the grime of dirt that was on his hands.

"Damn! How did I not react to that?! Am I this slow?" Naruto kneeled and tried to wash off Sakura's dirt marks on his face using the water on the floor. It was unsanitary but he'd do anything to shame Sakura right now.

"Kit, that pink banshee literally kicked you! How are you not aware of the situation?!" Kurama exclaimed, his tails now wavering behind him. Ever since he saw that banshee, Kurama felt nothing but pure hatred. No one would treat his kit like that.

"Trust me Kurama-niisan, I'd rather wash my face with sewage water than discuss about Sakura right now." Naruto grinned and replied smugly. A few moments later, Kurama erupted in laughter and didn't stop for a few minutes. Naruto joined the fun and laughed with him too. A few minutes have passed and Kurama's loud laugh died down, now focused of the situation.

"I didn't know you have that in you, brat." Kurama chortled. "I can't wait for you to say that on her stupid face. Maybe I'll record the whole thing. Think of the things we could do with a single scene." Kurama snickered evilly, followed by Naruto.

"Eh, I'm thinking about replaying the whole thing when Sakura gets the boot." Naruto replied followed by Kurama nodding in agreement.

"Anyways, I know you have a reason for not seeing that banshee's foot. That Chidori must've hurt you, kit. How are you feeling right now?"

"Feeling much better. Thanks to your healing and Hinata-chan's healing cream, I'll come back in no time!" Said Naruto energetically. "Back on my track to be Hokage!" Kurama smiled at his enthusiasm. However, Kurama's smile faded eventually. Naruto looked at Kurama's face in confusion. Something was wrong.

"Kit, do you know who your parents were?" Kurama asked. Naruto simply shook his head. His parents were an enigma to him.

"You see, before I was sealed on you, your mother, my former host wanted me to take you back to a certain place." Naruto cocked his head in confusion.

"What place Kurama-san?"

"Well, before we get to that let's talk about your whole past. Your parents, ancestors, their lives, and all. Sit tight, and make sure to not wake up to their calls back in the real world." Kurama said and laid down in his cage. Naruto sat down eagerly in lotus position, ready to learn whatever Kurama had in store.

"First of all, you have a clan." Kurama began. Soon after saying that, Naruto's mind was filled with questions.

"Eh?! I have a clan? Where are they right now? What happened? I need to save them!" Naruto panicked but was shushed by a growling Kurama.

"I'll tell you later what happened kit. For now, listen to me." Said the Nine-Tailed Fox. "Where was I... Oh right. Your clan was called the Uzumaki Clan. They're not natives to Konoha. Instead they lived and ran an independent country."

"What country? Did they rule the whole thing?"

Kurama chuckled at the kit's arrogance. "Let me rephrase that. The Uzumakis had a small village also known as Hidden Whirlpool Village. The village was neighbours with the Land of Fire, Woods, and the Mist. The place was abundant with foxes that allowed them to settle in, as I agreed to their allegiance."

"Eventually, the Uzumakis rapidly industrialized, developed the village, expanded, captured cities through conquest and officially created the Uzumaki Dynasty, also known as the Land of Whirlpools."

"The Uzumakis came to dominance after their domestication and close relationships with the Kitsunes. Under my supervision, I saw the Kitsunes agree to create bloodline jutsus, create summoning contracts, and in turn the Uzumakis worshipped the Kitsunes. Some adopted lost foxes, others decided to practice summoning jutsu through seals. In fact, Uzumaki Shinobi were often called Sages because they summoned their own foxes out of nowhere." Naruto's jaw dropped. To think there would be ten thousand or so Kibas running around the Uzumaki Dynasty.

"Ne Kurama-nii," Naruto said as he got closer to the fox. "Back then you said foxes were antisocial of humans. How did my clan get along with them?"

"Simple. The Uzumakis were known for their familial ties and fiercely loyal towards their friends. The Kitsunes saw genuine compassion and formalized a relationship between the two. Usually, the clan heir and the next in line would get the summoning contract, but we're not in Uzushio right now, are we?"

"If the fox contract is given to the heir, who's the heir right now?"

"That would be you, Naruto. Back from the beginning, Ashura created two clans; Senju and Uzumaki. Both were related and intermarried often on each other. Your great-grandaunt Mito Uzumaki was the clan heir. However by marrying Hashirama, the title of heir was passed onto her younger brother, Song Uzumaki. Your great-grandfather had Jin Uzumaki which paved the way for Kushina Uzumaki, your mother." Kurama said as he pulled out a picture of Kushina out of nowhere. It was a large picture of Naruto's mother; her red hair flowing graciously, curved face, light blue eyes staring eagerly at the blonde ninja. She wore a Jōnin's uniform with her forehead protector under her hair."So that's Kaa-chan." Naruto looked at her in amazement.

"Yes. Your father, however is someone unexpected. I hated how the Sandaime kept avoiding your question on who your parents were." Kurama sighed. He saw the kit's eyes gleam in hope. To finally know your parents... must be tough. "It had to fall to me. Oh well. It's better for me to tell it to you. Your father was none other than Namikaze Minato, Yondaime Hokage and the one who sealed me into you."

His eyes bulged in surprise. "Sorry, did I hear that right? Minato Namikaze, my dad? The Yondaime Hokage?" The blonde shinobi stuttered.

"The one and only kit."

"No way. No way Minato-sama is my dad. The Yondaime, of all people?! What an honour!" Naruto screamed inwardly. His inner fanboy roared for a bit until he remembered memories.

"You're not special!"

"Kami-damed Demon brat! You're not unique!" Right, those words that were often sprayed on his apartment doors.

"Come on Kurama-nii... You're kidding right? How is the Yondaime my dad? I'm... not even that special." Naruto whimpered and felt tears form on his eyes. His parents were someone respectable. "All the more reason for me to train harder." He thought. "I'll show them... I'll show them that I'll be better than them, Dattebayo!"

"You think I'd be playing around if this is about your parents?" Scoffed the Nine-Tailed Fox. "I'd never keep a lie on them."

For some reason the simple response reassured the young shinobi.

"Okay, now that's out of the way let me finish my story. The two brats were a couple while I was sealed in Kushina's. When she gave birth to you, I was controlled by powerful genjutsu under that Madara Uchiha idiot. That manipulation led me to tearing down the village which happened at your birthday."

"After Minato defeated Madara I didn't feel the mind control and immediately asked Minato to seal me to you instead of back to your mother. Just as I was about to be sealed, Madara came back and forced me to kill your parents. That damned bastard tried to control me, but the moment he reapplied the genjutsu I was already sealed within you." Kurama said solemnly. He still heard the voices of Kushina and Minato, begging the fox to take care of the kit which he accepted dutifully. After all, he was Naruto's other Godfather, the Kyūbi itself.

"Ooh! I get it now." Naruto smiled. "Thanks Kurama-nii."

"You're not mad at me kit? For ruining your whole life? No signs of anger or anything? Come on, I'd be really mad." Kurama's ears twitched in confusion.

"No... Because I know you didn't do it. You were controlled by that Uchiha-teme and I couldn't go against that. Your free will was taken away. You sounded like you liked being sealed inside Kaa-chan anyways."

"Mhm, because she can change the damn environment instead of seeing this stupid sewer all the time." The Nine-Tailed Fox snickered.

"Hey! If you tell me how to change it, I'd gladly do it. I never liked this sewer for you anyways. Really unfitting."

"You just have to focus on your surroundings, then think of a place on the real world. Kushina always picked that boring yellow room that was sparkling everywhere. Too bright for me."

"Any suggestions Kurama?"

"Anything with nature would do fine. The woods, snow, anything would suit well. Also, make the room a bit big. I might need to stretch around." The Kyūbi sneered.

"Alright, here goes..." Naruto rearranged himself in lotus position again, drowning everyone's thoughts inside his mindscape. It was weird, to disconnect yourself on your own mind, while being unconscious on the real world, which is the same for ignoring the calls of anyone. There in his mind was a forest he saw often.

The forests Hashirama personally made. Where trees sprouted everywhere, nature blossomed, flowers grew, animals living freely, and most importantly, no Konoha obstructing the whole place. Instead of the stone faces, it was all a plateau. "No, too basic. I need a different one. Come on, brain!"

The forests were gone and then came a new place. From the fallen leaves on the ground, one could tell it was Autumn. The trees had some leaves attached but most of them were on the ground. There were mounds of leaves lying around the ground, and there was a big mountain by the distance to finish it off.

"Still no! I wouldn't be able to see Kurama! Damn Autumn with orange leaves!"

Then a thought appeared. He remembered the forests of Kirigakure without the mist. The first time he saw it... boy did he want to live there forever. A river sat on the plains, connected to a nearby waterfall. The river branched off to multiple multiple rivlets and formed lakes. Rocks were situated with the tides and there was a large ecosystem of animals and insects around the corner.

"Perfect! I just need to open my eyes and it should show up!" Thought Naruto as his eyes slowly opened up, seeing the beautiful place with butterflies floating around. Flowers bloomed, trees shaked gently, and the waterfall flowed graciously which calmed the hyperactive ninja.

"The mist huh? This... I like it. Perfect for hunting in your mind." Said a voice behind him. Naruto turned around to see the cage was still there, except he saw the whole thing. A large square with decorated exteriors and bars enclosed the Nine-Tailed fox.

"Eh? The cage is still there?"

"Of course. Though at this point releasing me would make sense."

"Don't worry Kurama, I'll release you from this stupid cage!" Naruto pointed at the metallic whirlpool lock that was at the middle of the cage.

The vigorous Naruto jumped up to the lock, stroking his chin like he has a beard, looking at the whirlpool lock and then to his stomach. It was seal that just needed a key. "I'm the key this time... I guess."

"You'd think you can help me escape this cage? Back off and go back to the real world; you have a mission to do." Scoffed the Kyūbi.

"I didn't learn sealing from you for nothing Kurama-nii!" Naruto exclaimed then sat back from a distance to surprisingly, sit down and meditate. Naruto thought of the lock's patterns and searched within for a click.

Just what he needed.

The moment he took on his meditative stance, the lock clicked and slowly began opening. Kurama's eyes grew shocked. Who knew the kit had it in him to break down Minato's seal?

As Naruto progressed with his meditation, the locks kept clicking. With sheer determination and his memories of Kurama powering through the process, it was inevitable for Kurama to be unsealed.

The last lock clicked, and eventually the cage broke and fell down. Surprisingly, the cage went through the ground, phasing through instead of creating a large impact.

Kurama took in a deep inhale and mightily exhaled out. It caused a small breeze around the area which made Naruto tilt behind him.

Behind him was Kurama in his full glory, standing on all fours. His humungous size rendered him to look like a small tailed beast due to Naruto's seal, but looking at Kurama, his size could rival small mountains and huge hills. Measuring the whole Kyūbi, Naruto gaped at the results.

836 feet. Roughly 255 metres big.

"Kurama-nii!"

"Hm?" Grunted Kurama loudly as he stretched around the new place.

"Were you really that big?" Kurama nodded and kept stretching. Catching his attention would take a long time. Being imprisoned in a small cage, forced to shrink yourself for 13 years would be a real pain.

"Kurama-nii! You said you wanted to go hunting right?"

"I know what you're getting at Naruto. Let me stretch around, and then I'll shrink myself." Kurama replied, finally satisfied with his stretches. He bent down to look at the slightly intimidated shinobi and snickered before shrinking himself at Naruto's height.

"Wow, you're almost as tall as me! Isn't that a surprise." Naruto pouted. Kurama sneered in reply and grinned at the flustered Naruto complaining about his height.

"Heheh... It's really easy to make fun of your height because of that damned miso ramen diet."

"Anyways, now that I'm free thanks to you, I can now give you my form." Kurama smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Naruto Uzumaki."

The sudden thanks given by Naruto completely caught him off guard. to think a tailed beast would finally reach compromise with a Jinchūriki. And his words were formal too.

"E-eheheh, just doing the job... Dattebayo?" Naruto smiled awkwardly. Kurama nodded in agreement. "Anywho, what forms did you say earlier?"

"First and foremost, you can use my chakra to transform yourself into my own chakra. All you have to do is focus your own chakra, then try to pull mine into the mix. You should be able to feel my chakra mix when you feel a slight tug from my chakra." Said Kurama.

"Focus chakra... Add your chakra to the mix." Naruto muttered, collapsing into meditation and harnessing as many chakra he could. Then he did what he was told by Kurama, add his chakra to the mix. Feeling the slight pull Kurama mentioned, Naruto focused more and finally pulled Kurama's chakra into the mix, causing him to feel a bit warm on the outside.

"You did it kit. Open your eyes now." Kurama instructed. Naruto gently opened his eyes and saw red flames acting as an outline. His body was covered in yellow alongside tomoes around his upper torso. The Uzumaki whirlpool was marked on his shoulders accompanied with lines that stretch down to his stomach. In the middle was the Uzumaki whirlpool making an appearance in the center.

"Sugoi! This feels awesome!" Naruto exclaimed and checked his overall appearance."I'm calling it Chakra Mode!"

"Alright. Since you just transformed into 'Chakra Mode', you have strength, speed, defence, and skills turned up drastically. One feature that would do you well instead of ypur shadow clones are the Ashura arms."

"Ashu-what arms?" Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"Ashura Arms are arms you can sprout from your back. They operate like clones, but instead of creating full fledged clones, they are strapped on your back and can help you when making ninjutsu."

"As you progress on this skill, not only will you make an extra arm, but make a total of six arms, which fully allow you to create ninjutsu at your own disposal."

"And how do I do that?"

"All you have to do is think about you know... Have six arms."

Naruto dumbly scratched his head. This time Kurama wasn't making any sense at all. Think of having six arms?

"...What kind of instruction was that Kurama-nii!" Naruto exclaimed wildly. He looked around to see that Kurama left. Instead he saw him by a corner, eating his prey; two chipmunks. He saw Kurama's tail waggle happily as he munched on his food.

"TEME-NII! WHAT KIND OF INSTRUCTION IS THINK OF HAVING SIX ARMS?!" Naruto exclaimed comically. He saw Kurama look up from his food and glanced at Naruto before eating again.

"Alright! Ya stupid gaki." Kurama began. "Channel your chakra on your arms and try to replicate the chakra on said arms. When you feel that same pull that you felt when turning in 'Chakra Mode', push it outwards this time."

Naruto nodded happily and stood there instead of sitting in lotus position and meditating. Albeit meditation worked perfectly for him, learning to transform while in combat would overall increase his proficiency.

Naruto copied the instruction just as Kurama mentioned. "Channel your chakra on your arms." Naruto muttered as he brought his hands together, palms faced each other. "Replicate chakra on arms." Naruto muttered again as he added chakra on his nerves, feeling the general presence of his arms. "Feel the pull." Naruto said inwards this time. He searched for a slight pull and finally found it. Just what he needed. "Push hard instead of pull." Naruto thought. He felt the chakra try to pull him in, and then greatly pushed the chakra away.

Kurama exhaled happily as he finished his last chipmunk. Though it wasn't hunting in real life, his life in Naruto's mindscape feels real. The thrill in hunting, the feeling of eating, the feeling of getting full flooded back in Kurama's mind.

Though he didn't eat chipmunks twenty thousand years ago, his smaller size before his rapid growth made him eat apes, tuna, and fruits.

"Oh right, Naruto is focusing on Ashura's arms." Thought Kurama after taking a small leak somewhere. When he finally came back, he didn't expect Naruto to grow let alone one arm, but four.

There Naruto stood gracefully. His two original arms were linked together. Behind him was a sight to see. Two of Naruto's Ashura arms were raised up, with its palms facing upwards. The middle arms were completely straightened out, it's hands formed into fists.

"Well... What do you know?" Kurama thought. "He almost looks like the spitting image of Ashura."

"Impressive, Naruto. It was expected from me for you to almost finish it. You got four arms down, but to fully master it you need six created arms in total. Your original arms don't count, by the way." Kurama said.

Naruto looked at his six arms. They looked purely majestic. His middle arms stretched out and curved into fists and his top arms were arched a bit with his palms facing up. Gently, he tried to move the arms.

His arms moved in what Naruto was thinking. snatch a butterfly, check. His top left arm caught one for him. Reach the ground, check. His right middle arm's height increased and caressed the grass.

"This is so cool! It feels like I have the exact same thing Chiriku has, but I can control it's arms!" Naruto exclaimed happily. "I can't wait to show this to everyone!"

"Just in time Naruto. Someone's coming." Kurama detected. "Must be your baa-chan."

"Right, I have to get back to the real world! I'll see you later Kurama-nii!" Naruto waved one of his arms.

"And you Naruto. And you."