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All I can say about this chapter is, huh huh. I really had to try and keep my head together while writing this, and remembering everything that has happened so far and why. I am also sorry that it took a little more time than I originally thought it would. Thank you once again Awesomenaruto for being my awesome Beta reader!

I hope you enjoy!

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I am the Hokage

Chapter 13:

The hidden truth

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What did the fox just say? There was a demon inside his father? His ears were deceiving him, they had to be, his mind had to still be half asleep and he misunderstood. It couldn't be…

"Demon host? You mean he is a jinchuuriki?" It was interesting how Kurama was able to hear the most silent whispers that left his lips and even the ones that he could not say out loud.

"No."

Naruto, who had averted his gaze from the demon's eyes, now looked back at him to let the fox read him once again like an open book and answer those hidden questions. Unknown to Naruto, his eyes had started to shine, but if it was from the pain and sorrow that he still carried with him or from the hope and happiness he longed for, not even Kurama was able to say.

"The demon that is sealed within Minato has nothing to do with the Ten Tails. Have you thought all this time that there are no more demons in the world, Naruto? If that is so, then you are just as blind as you are naive you brat, you can't even imagine the things that I have seen and what I know that exist. There is a reason why parents tell stories to scare their children, reasons why some legends have been kept alive for generations." Kurama growled, flicking his tails slowly all around himself as he stared at the wide eyes before him.

"He is still fighting it though, he has not accepted the demon that sleeps inside of him and that demon is the only reason why his body is still functioning."

"That means… It is truly him? My dad's alive?"Naruto couldn't believe his ears, he could not believe what the fox was telling him but at the same time he wanted nothing more than to hope that it was the truth.

"Yes, at least half of him is."

"Half of him?"

"Don't you remember that he sealed half of his soul inside of you at the same time he sealed Kushina's soul and the rest of me?"

"Yeah, I remember. How could I forget? When the seal was about to break it was the first time I saw them." Naruto said after a short moment of thinking. It was a memory that he cherished greatly, a short moment in his life where he had been able to talk to his parents and feel their love for him for the first time. He still thought about it often, enjoying the warmth that it brought and trying his best to ignore the bitterness that followed.

"That's right. That was the link that I was talking about. You are the link."

Naruto quickly let the memories fade as he heard Kurama's words, but he had to admit that after a moment of thinking, it actually made sense somehow, in a twisted way. His father and mother had been highly skilled and powerful, they could have actually managed to create something like this in order to ensure that they indeed could watch over their son.

A small smile appeared on the corners of Naruto's lips, but that smile was short lived when Kurama sneered. After living with the fox demon so long, and especially when they had started to get along, Naruto had gotten used to Kurama's way of saying nasty things or acting superior because of his strength, but now something made the hair on the back of his neck rise up.

The hard look in those bright red eyes made him wary of what was about to come when he sensed a flash of anger in the air coming from his constant companion. Naruto could not deny that he could understand partly why Kurama hated his father, Minato had imprisoned him together with Kushina after all, but somehow Naruto had always felt like there was more to it.

"You just don't get it, do you boy. You still have that look on your face, like a dream of yours is about to come true. Fool, what is waiting ahead is nothing like that. It will be a nightmare, a battle of will to reclaim both one's sanity and also control of power that equals mine."

For all that Kurama had already told him, for a short moment Naruto had thought that there wouldn't be any more shocking discoveries. That, indeed, had been foolish of him. It seemed that Kurama had been right, there was a lot that he didn't understand.

"What do you mean?" Naruto felt that no matter what, he needed to know, he needed to hear everything even if at the same time he felt cold sweat on his skin. It seemed that every single thing that he learned about his father, about his condition, made the stinging feeling inside of him grow.

"A long time ago, before I came here, I met that creature that sleeps in your father now. I know what it's capable of doing. It will devour your father, one piece at a time, changing him and tormenting him. It has many names but none of them tell of its true nature. Your father was a strong man and you better hope that he still is because from now on it will be a never ending battle of willpower for him to try to stay in control."

For a moment Naruto just stared at Kurama, letting the words sink in, hoping that they would actually soon start to make sense. It sounded so foreign to him, like he was still dreaming. No, if this was a dream, it was closer to being a nightmare. He hardly registered the tiny sound that left him.

"No…"

While his parents had not been there while he was growing up, the knowledge of the Fourth Hokage's strength had always been something that he had admired and the pride he had felt when he learned that Yondaime was actually his father had almost overwhelmed him. The famous leader of their village who gave his life to save everyone was his father, and that same man had not just sacrificed his own life, but in a way also his only son's life. It was only much later when Naruto had actually gotten to talk with the man himself that he had learned that the Youndaime had not thought of it that way, he had actually believed in his newborn son more than in anyone or anything else. Yes it had been a sacrifice but it held a deeper meaning to it, it held the wish and faith that Naruto could take care of himself and that Naruto would be taken care of by the villagers that their Hokage had saved. It made Naruto wonder, what exactly would happen if and when his father learned the truth about what had happened after his death.

"Your father is your father and yet he is not. He is not in control right now, just like you were not in control when you rushed into the Hokage's building back then. You weren't thinking straight and that put us both in great danger. You didn't understand what you were up against and I had no time to explain. Just be glad that I have enough chakra for the both of us and could protect you by offering myself to be that demon's "lunch". Be grateful that I even bothered! It hurt like hell! That damn bastard ate my chakra like it was candy."

"You… You did that? Why? I mean… I have a lot of chakra on my own." To actually hear Kurama admitting that he had been indeed protecting Naruto, made the blond almost speechless. He had seen the look on Kurama's face back then, felt the pain of those flames, even if only partially, and he could now feel a new kind of admiration for the fox rise up. It didn't matter if Kurama understood it himself or wanted it, their bond had just deepened.

It also concluded his intuitions about the fox demon's inner feelings for their village. It had to be embarrassing for Kurama, to even admit that he had protected Naruto, but Kurama could do that because he could insist that he had wanted to protect also himself by giving Naruto more time to reach for his father. What the fox would never admit, but what Naruto had come to notice and feel in the demon, was also a worry for Konohakagure. No matter how tough and lethal the fox demon tried to look, Kurama had secretly come to care for their village and at least some of its citizens, even if just a little. It was their home after all.

"I know that you idiot." Kurama snapped angrily and his face hardened for a moment with frustration before he sighed, clearly getting tired of their conversation and the amount of explanations he had to give. For a moment Naruto wondered if Kurama was still tired after their encounter with the Fourth Hokage.

"It is true that you have a lot of chakra on your own but have you thought that the quantity of chakra isn't the problem but the quality?"

That question actually surprised Naruto, and it must have been visible on his face, since Kurama snorted.

"For someone that is starving there is usually no difference what the source of energy is and that fact also applies here. That demon is hungry enough to attack anything near it, even the ones with low amounts of chakra and the ones that have "bad" chakra. For now it has had no choice, it has simply eaten everything that it could in order to both satisfy its hunger and to also gain its strength back. Give it a variation of energy sources and things change. Then it can actually measure which target has the kind of chakra from which it can benefit and profit the most."

Naruto had to admit, he had not thought of such athing until now, but when he did, it made perfect sense. Different people have a different chakra; someone who is good at genjutsu is bound to have a different kind of chakra than those who are healers, for example. While he and Kurama were, in a way, a single being, in that same sense they were also two different souls. They just shared the same container.

Now Naruto also understood what his father had meant when he had said that he would not truly hurt him or let anything bad happen to him. Yes, Naruto had felt pain, but that pain had gone away rather quickly. That pain had been a side effect of the demon trying to reach for Kurama. Yes, it had also taken almost half of Naruto's own chakra in the process, but the damage could not have been avoided. One can't jump in the water without disturbing the surface after all.

Slowly a smile made its way to Naruto's lips.

"Thank you, Kurama. And… I am sorry." And Naruto really mean it.

"You better be. Without me you would probably be dead but that's nothing new. Now when you are finally listening, we need to…"

"We need to help him." The words left his mouth before Naruto even had time to realize what he said, not that it would change his mind if it would depend on that. He already knew deep inside of him that he was not going to back down, he was not going to just watch and wait for things to happen, especially after all that Kurama had just told him. His father needed help, maybe even more than he would be able to give, but for now he could not give the thought any room in his mind. The mighty roar that Kurama let out only made him straighten his back.

"WHAT?!" There was an utter disbelief in the demon's voice, alerting Naruto even more to what was about to come. If he wavered even a second it would all be over and he would lose the most important source of information and source of strength he had and knew he needed, in order to do anything for his father. He would need to get Kurama on his side to do this with him.

"We need to help dad. There has to be something we can do."

"Are you retarded? Haven't you listened to anything I just said?! He is dangerous! That thing inside of him is dangerous! Minato is too weak to fight it, even if he is trying. The moment he gives in to it, the demon will devour everything around it! That's why he tried to escape!"

"Tried?" Naruto had been informed shortly after he had woken up that the Yondaime had disappeared after their brief encounter. It had worried him and he had even volunteered to go and look for the man but Tsunade had told him rather harshly to stay inside the village.

"Yes, Kakashi found him. How he was able to get him back, that I am not sure of."

"How do you know that, Kurama?" Now Naruto understood why Tsunade had almost hit him unconscious in order to prevent him from leaving after his dad.

Over the years, as Naruto and Sakura had spent time with Hatake Kakashi, they had learned something about their sensei and that was the pain that the silver haired man still carried inside of him. It was unmistakable that Kakashi still blamed himself of everything that had happened. The death of his friends and the loss of his beloved sensei had broken him beyond repair.

What Naruto and Sakura had hoped after the war and the fight with Obito, was that Kakashi could have managed to get some kind of closure, an ending for the memories that still haunted him. Maybe in some way he had, but it was hard to say since after the war so many things had changed, so many people had changed, and Naruto knew that he was one of them. Maybe Tsunade wished that Minato's return would be what Kakashi needed.

"Because I can feel both Minato's and that demons presence, even from here. That warm pulse of chakra can't be anything else and now when I know what to exactly look for, I can tell where they are even if there are miles between us. It's hungry Naruto." Kurama said as he studied Naruto closely. He could tell that the boy had once again fallen into his own thoughts, forgetting everything else. It was a habit that the blond picked up after the war, making Kurama always wonder what memories would come to the surface this time. It was helpful that he could tell even the smallest change in Naruto and his mood, letting the fox demon know when it was time for him to help snap the boy out of it. It was just that, lately, that was all he seemed to do.

"What if we give it enough to eat?" Naruto knew how stubborn he sounded but it didn't really matter because he knew that he was indeed stubborn. Tsunade had said so many times, and so had his friends, that he was probably the most stubborn of all the other shinobi in their village. When his mind was made up, he would not back down.

"Do you ever think before you speak? Or listen to yourself? Because you are clearly not listening to me you ungrateful brat! This is the last time I will say this, you may have a lot of chakra but I have more and I won't give it up, not again. It wouldn't even do any good." Kurama snapped angrily, biting his teeth together with enough force that would have broken the most strongest trees around Konoha. He was starting to really get fed up not only with this conversation, but with Naruto's attitude also. In the past he wouldn't have hesitated even a heartbeat, but now, as he watched those sky blue eyes stare back at him, Kurama found his legs firmly in the ground, claws out but clean of blood. The bloodlust he had felt so many years ago now nothing but a distant memory, at least toward the ones that he had come to tolerate in ways that could be maybe even called friendship.

Naruto, who was oblivious of the demon's thoughts, was instead starting to feel the weight of his lack of sleep. The sick feeling he had had earlier was starting to crawl back and he could feel a headache coming with it. It was obvious that he needed some proper sleep but he had a feeling that he wouldn't be getting any anytime soon.

"What do you mean?" It was the question that Naruto's tired mind kept playing over and over in his head, only worsening the ache in his head by every passing moment. At least the sting in his chest had subdued for now.

"It won't be enough, nothing will be enough. This thing can literally eat until there is nothing left anymore. It is its curse." As Kurama spoke, Naruto couldn't help but notice how the fox's fur that had just a moment ago been raised and ruffled with anger, now settled back. The look in the fox demon's eyes calmed down as well. If Naruto hadn't known better, he would have insisted that Kurama seemed to feel sorry for the demon that was sealed in his father. All he could think of was that maybe the fox felt a tiniest bit of resemblance with the other demon, or Kurama was remembering something that he wasn't aware of.

"A curse? You mean someone cursed it? Why? How?" Kurama had always spoken like being sealed inside a human was a curse of its own, in a way it probably was. Being stripped away of your freedom and possibility to decide things on your own, and of living your own life, sounded like a curse as much as it was a prison. Were there actually other possibilities to curse a demon, to control it?

"I am not sure, even I can't know everything." It did not really surprise Naruto that Kurama didn't know, but he considered the truthfulness of the demon's answer. Information like that would be extremely critical for beings like Kurama, very dangerous.

Naruto seemed to fall deeply in his thoughts again after that. There was a lot to take in and it made him quite dizzy actually, like someone had punched him hard both in his head and in his stomach. He felt the need to puke.

"I have to do something." It was more said to Naruto himself than the fox, but Kurama still answered.

"Yeah, I agree to that. Now, calm down and listen." Kurama growled and lowered his body to lay down next to Naruto, still constantly watching the blond and keeping his head over him to show that there were still serious matters to discuss. In Naruto's case, this would probably be the most painful point of their whole conversation.

"You have two choices, whether you like it or not. The first is to let that old hag continue her work at trying to help your dad and pray that she can find a way to do so without making things worse. Meaning that you would need to try to help your dad to regain his strength and accept that if anything would go wrong, in the worst case scenario the whole village would be just a tasty snack for the demon and it would be practically your and that old hag's fault."

A deep silence fell between the two, broken only by their own breathing, both growing deeper and deeper by every passing second. A lot of things had been said, even more experienced but right now the air felt heavier than it had for a long time.

Naruto was now aware of every breath of air he took, feeling how it traveled from between his lips all the way to his lungs and forward, filling him just like the fear that he had been battling until now. He refused to give it any room in his mind, he wouldn't fall into despair. If it would have been just his own life, he wouldn't have felt like this, but this was not just about him. This concerned everyone he cherished and cared for, even if they were unaware of everything that was happening and had happened.

His head was starting to really hurt.

"I understand. What is the second option." Even if he thought he knew the answer already, Naruto still felt that he needed to ask it out loud.

"We seal it away."

"How? That thing is already sealed inside dad, isn't it?" To say that Naruto was surprised and confused by both Kurama's words and the demon's sudden calmness was a major mistake, he was utterly confused.

"Yes and no. The way that thing is bound into its host isn't the same like what was done to me or any of my siblings. That binding is what allows this whole mess. What I have tried to get in that stupid brain of yours this whole time is that while in a normal demon sealing technique the demon is sealed tightly inside its host and can't get out without certain things happening or someone breaking the seal, Minato is actually in an equal symbiosis with that demon. At how things are now, they can't exist without the other."

In some other situation the widening of those blue eyes would have made Kurama laugh, now he just smirked, knowing that Naruto's head was possibly working overtime and over speed to progress what was being told to him. It wouldn't surprise the demon if Naruto had forgotten half of everything he had told him by tomorrow.

"Wa-wait!" Does that mean?... Doesn't that mean that if we want to seal that demon away we…"

"Yes, we need to seal both of them in a secure place, probably even in other dimension if you ask me."

"NO! I will never allow that!" There was a raising panic in the blond's voice that had Kurama snap. Arguing and proving one's point was one thing, but to see and feel Naruto's pain like it would be his own was really wearing him out. This needed to end.

"Do you then want to sacrifice your whole precious village to be a mere meal for a starving demon?! A village, that you have fought hard to save?! What about all those annoying friends of yours? Do you want them to DIE!?" Kurama's voice roared like a ferocious storm, making the inner world shake from his wrath. The low growl that he had been emitting was now making Naruto almost unable to hear anything else. He watched the demon with wide eyes, feeling his earlier defiance change into something else as he watched those now narrow eyes glow and it made Naruto wonder why the fox was showing such an unusual concern for the Hidden Leaf Village or its citizens. Or was it possibly for an another reason?

Naruto let his eyes leave the demon's own to take in those huge ears pressed against his body, the fur now standing up and those long claws clearly showing along with his fangs. No matter how much people had mocked him over the years, Naruto was not dumb, especially not anymore. He had had enough time now to learn, to understand the slightest indications of one's intentions and right now he could see that Kurama's body gave every possible warning sign of a possible upcoming attack. Years back Naruto would have probably felt uneasy or even scared of the sight in front of him, but not anymore. The reason why he felt coldness take over his body now was for a completely different reason.

"You are afraid of him…" It was not a question, it didn't need to be, but even so, Naruto kept his voice as quiet and gentle as possible. He knew, better than anyone, just how proud the demon fox was of his power and he had every reason to be. It was because of that, that Naruto found himself actually speechless and also, scared.

"WHAT?! I AM NOT AFRAID OF ANYONE! I AM KYUUBI! THE MOST POWERFUL ONE OF THE -"

"You could as well be a five headed dragon, breathing out rainbows and shitting out lava and I could care less!" Naruto suddenly shouted, letting his own voice carry over Kurama's, challenging him to a fight that had already been decided.

"Why you little… You are crazy, you brat!" The growl that emitted from the demon felt like an earthquake had taken place, shaking everything to its core, leaving Naruto to wonder if the fox would finally snap and attack him.

"I don't care! I am going to help dad and you are going to help me!"

"And why in the hell's name I would do that?!"

"Because if what you said is true, and that thing inside dad can eat everything near it if it breaks loose, then we have to make sure that that never happens. We have to help dad gain his strength back so he can control that thing!"

Kurama actually seemed to be taken slightly off guard by Naruto's words and the movements of those huge tails slowed down considerably, accompanied by a low humming sound from the fox as they stared at each other. Like everything else between them, this was also a test of willpower, a battle of strength and determination.

"Fine. Then, tell me, Naruto, just how exactly are you going to help your old man? You do realize that you will need to have an actual plan in order to do it, you can't still think that your usual method of just busting in there blindly could actually work this time?"

"I do realize that." Naruto admitted, looking at Kurama and for the first time during their conversation his determination was actually starting to waver. He knew that Kurama was right, he needed an actual plan, a strategy, in order to have any chance of success but as everyone knew, those were not his strong points. His usual method was to solve everything with determination and strength, but now when his strength was actually working against him, he could do nothing else than search his memory for any information and experience concerning all the battles he had faced during his years as a ninja.

A small voice in his head kept whispering to him, bringing forth the memories of when he had spoken with the Yondaime inside those flame consumed corridors. He tried his best to remember every spoken word, every detail. He had the feeling that Minato had truly recognized him, even if Naruto himself hadn't, no matter what Tsunade seemed to think. The way he had spoken, the tone of his voice, and the fact that he had actually seemed to be able to control those flames, even if it was for a rather short moment and he was not in complete control, had Naruto's hope rise up again.

"Dad already controlled those flames from that demon inside of him, once. He can do it again." Naruto finally said sternly, his hands clenching into fists. There had to be a way.

"He recognized me back then and took over the situation, I know he can do it again."

Yes, there was a way, but it was dangerous, a gamble of life and death. One mistake and it would all be over.

"I want to talk to him."

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I hope that this chapter answers many of the questions you my lovely readers have asked me but what, for the sake of the story, I have been unable to answer. Until now that is. There is one thing I will need to be honest with all of you right now thought, I am having a little problems with this story at the moment. It is not like I would be losing interest of this story, don't worry that is not the case, but I am having trouble at deciding how the next chapters should actually go. You could say that I have a little writer's block. I know most of what I want to write but I can't decide a few major things that I have for this story, at how and when they will start to actually take place. You see, I do have a story line and also a plot thought out for this story and I am sticking to them but right now I am unsure of few things. That is why I do wish you could give me a few words of what do you like about this story and what would you like to see to happen. I would be forever grateful.

Thank you all for reading this fic and please continue to enjoy it as much as I do : )

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