Naruto crept down the hall carefully. It was a very old hallway, more like a cave really, in one of the oldest parts of Konoha. He'd been running from a couple of drunks when the ground had collapsed underneath him and dropped him into this place. It had been a better idea to see what was down here than to try and climb back up and risk facing the drunks, but the blonde was beginning to have trouble seeing. For some reason he had always seen better in the dark than others had, but he needed at least a little light to be able to see and the blackness was beginning to become absolute the further down he walked.

No one could ever have called Naruto a beacon of good sense, so despite his inability to see he continued onwards and downwards. He was rewarded eventually as he came into a section of hallway that had some kind of glowing moss on it. The blonde found a flat piece of rock and scraped some of the moss onto it so that he could see as he continued to explore. This was a lot more fun than trying to avoid all the drunks that would be looking for him after the festival.

Eventually, Naruto came to a cavern where the floor leveled out. The light from the moss reflected in several crystal formations and lit up the majority of the space enough for Naruto to see. The center of the cavern had been smooth away, whether by human hands or by nature the boy couldn't have said, but the low platform set dead center was not a natural formation. The blonde moved closer, curious about finding this place. He'd never heard about anything being here before Konoha had been founded sixty or so years before. At least, not that Iruka-sensei had ever mentioned.

The platform looked kind of like an alter he'd seen at Hokage-jiji's house the one time he remembered being there. The old man had said it was a place to honor the memories of the dead, but this one was much prettier than jiji's had been. The stone was a white that practically glowed with it's own light and there was a single, long, cloth-wrapped bundle laying on the alter. Naruto's natural curiosity overcame the warning that something inside him was shouting and he set his moss covered rock on the alter and reached out to remove the cloth from the bundle.

Inside was a sword. A plain katana with the hilt wrapped in black cloth. Nothing that seemed too terribly special, except for Naruto it was the first time that he'd ever gotten his hands on a sword of any kind before. A smile of glee grew on his face as he pulled the sheathed blade free of its wrappings, never noticing the paper fragments that had bits of seal writing on them flutter down and crumble to dust. The blonde pulled the blade free of the sheath, noting that for something that had obviously sat in this cave for a long time, the sword really was in great shape.

Who dares to draw me, voice boomed, making Naruto jump over a foot into the air. He looked around to try and find who had said that, but as far as the blonde could tell he was still alone in the cavern.

"Who was that," Naruto called out, really hoping that he wasn't going crazy.

I am the one who will ask the questions, the voice boomed again, the ground vibrating with the force of the voice. Who dares to draw me!

"Umm, my name's Uzumaki Naruto," he replied, turning in circles trying to figure out who was speaking to him when he realized what question was being asked. He looked dawn at the drawn katana in his hand and noticed that it was glowing with an inner light.

Why have you come here, the voice demanded. How did you find this place? How did you bypass the seals?

"I don't know," Naruto cried out in fear. I was running from the drunks like I always have to during the Kyuubi festival and the ground collapsed, leaving me in a tunnel. I followed it instead of having to worry about more drunks and then I found this place and I didn't know anything about seals, I just thought the sword looked really cool and I never got to use one before and…"

Silence, the voice commanded, making Naruto freeze in terror. You are a mere child, correct?

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage of Konohagakure and don't you forget it," Naruto snapped at the voice, some of his normal fire coming back to him. "I might be just an Academy student right now, but I will be Hokage someday and everyone in the village will have to respect me then!"

Hmm, you are an interesting child, the voice said. Sheath the blade and sit down. I wish to speak with you in person.

"What are you talking about," Naruto asked in confusion.

Do as I say, child, the voice thundered. Naruto hurriedly stuffed the sword back into the sheath and sat down on the floor, laying the blade across his lap. He felt his eyes growing heavy and the next thing he knew, he was standing in a sewer.

"Where the hell am I now," Naruto asked out loud. No answer came for several minutes, so the blonde scowled and began moving along the tunnels. He noticed that the pipes along the walls and ceiling were cracked and leaking in many places, which explained the standing water. After walking for a while, maybe an hour or so, Naruto heard a sound like a bellows pumping air and tried to follow it.

The hunt for the sound lead him into a large room with a set of vertical golden bars arranged in a gate. There was a piece of paper over the lock with all the funny squiggles that Naruto had learned to recognize as sealing script from the time he'd actually managed to get hold of an exploding tag from one of the ANBU that used to watch over him. The sound of air moving was coming from the darkness behind the bars and the blonde found himself drawn towards them. As he closed in, he thought he could just make out a pair of glowing eyes in the distance.

When Naruto reached the bars, he touched them and was surprised when they bit him with a mild electric shock like when he touched the cord on his lamp where the copper was showing. A flash of red caught the corner of his eye and the blonde barely managed to jump back in time for the giant red paw to miss and slam into the floor just outside the bars.

Come back here, a malevolent voice came from behind the bars as more of the form became visible. A large furred body and a maw bristling with teeth larger than Naruto himself gleamed behind the bars. There was movement further behind the creature as if a tail was moving. I want to devour your pathetic soul and free myself from this prison.

"Who…what are you," Naruto cried out as he continued to backpedal away from the fearsome creature.

You truly are as dumb as you appear, the monster snarled. Even after all the times you are attacked, after knowing that your birthday falls upon the same day as the festival the pathetic villagers hold to celebrate my feet and seeing me here in all my majesty you do not recognize me?

Naruto shook his head dumbly in response, causing the beast to roar again.

Know this, fool, the beast bellowed. I am the great and powerful Kyuubi no Kitsune, lord of the bijuu. I was sealed inside your pathetic body by that blonde ape, but it shall not hold me forever. I will break free and the first one I shall devour will be you!

Naruto was terrified, but like with the villagers he couldn't let himself cower in fear. "Shut up, you damned furball. I don't want you here, but I'll be damned if I let you eat me or anyone else for that matter. You say that you're trapped in me? Well, be ready to be trapped for a long time." Naruto crossed his arms over his chest and nodded for emphasis.

You simplistic ape! I will destroy you, the Kyuubi howled as he threw himself against the bars and bounced backwards.

My, how the mighty have fallen, another voice boomed through the sewer. A figure wearing heavy black armor stepped out of the tunnels and into the room. It was so tall and broad that it actually had to stoop to fit inside the room. So, Komamura, this is what you made of yourself after you sealed me away? You have become worse than a Hollow.

So, the brat managed to find you, the Kyuubi sneered. A worthless weapon of a world that can never be returned to. I threw you away because you had become useless to me. You refused to help me gain the power that was available here!

And rightly so, the armored figure answered. You changed after we came here, as did the others of our party and those we chased. It is ironic to see you sealed away now that I have been freed. And bound behind a binding kidou of immense strength as well.

Laugh all you want, tin can, the Kyuubi mocked, but I will free myself soon enough and you can no longer do anything about it. All of our ties were severed long ago and you have no power over me!

While it is true that I have no power over you, like you have no power over me, the armored figure replied, there is one who can change all of that. Naruto.

"Eh, what about me," the blonde asked, confused about what the two behemoths had been talking about.

Bah, the brat can do nothing, the Kyuubi spat. He's just as worthless as the other flesh bags that live in this world!

Naruto, the armored figure said, bending down on one knee in front of the small boy. You said that you craved to earn the acceptance of your home, that you wished to prove to them that you are not what they think. I can help you with that. All I ask in return is that you help me in keeping him from ever breaking free into the world of man again. Will you agree?

"What will it take," the blonde asked warily. He'd learned a long time ago that no one gave anything away without a price.

You just have to accept me, the armored figure said simply. I will become your power and your strength. I will protect you and give you the power to crush your enemies. I will teach you how to use my power and your own until none can stand before you that would threaten what you hold dear.

Heh, the brat will never amount to anything, the Kyuubi scoffed. He can't even draw on my power without being poisoned.

"Shut up, fuzzball," Naruto yelled before turning back to the mass of black armor. "So, if I say yes, then the fox can never hurt jiji or Teuchi-ossan or Ayame-neechan?"

That is so, the armored figure replied. The seal that holds it back now is powerful, but will fail in time. It was designed to allow you to pull at his power, which will weaken the seal. By accepting my power, the seal will be reinforced and his power will be unable to escape. When you grow skilled enough, I will also teach you additional bindings that can be laid upon him and others like him.

"You mean, there's more out there like him," Naruto asked, shivering a little in fear.

Nine beings came here and became the forces you know as bijuu, the armored figure replied. Three fled and six pursued, but all fell prey to their base desires and became less than they were.

I am not lessened, the Kyuubi howled. I'm more powerful than I ever was when I wielded you!

Naruto looked up at the featureless helm of the giant and nodded hi agreement. "I'll do it," he said.

So mote it be, the armored figure cried out before everything faded away in a blue haze.

Naruto blinked as he stared up at the white ceiling of the hospital room. He recognized the crack in the ceiling and thought it looked a bit like a rabbit, but it was the room that jiji always put him in when he got hurt.

"So, finally awake, Naruto," came the familiar voice of the old Hokage.

"What…what happened, jiji," the blonde asked, suddenly aware of how dry his throat was.

"You were found in a pocket of air near a section of town where a sinkhole had formed," the old man replied, looking at the blonde in worry. "The doctor's say that you took no damage other than exhaustion, but I am relieved that you've woken up."

"So can I get out of here," Naruto asked, looking around nervously. "I never really liked the hospital."

"I don't think anyone who doesn't choose to work here ever really does," the Hokage laughed. "You can leave anytime now that you've woken up. How about you join me at Ichiraku's for a meal?"

"That's great, jiji," the blonde exclaimed, jumping from his bed.

"Ah, you may want to put on your clothes first," the Hokage suggested delicately to the youth, who blushed and dove for the closet. "I'll wait outside for you, my boy."

As the Hokage left the room and Naruto took his clothes from the closet to replace the hospital gown, he couldn't help but feel a large smile grow across his face. "Are you there," the blonde asked quietly

Of course, Naruto, the voice said. I told you that I would always be with you if you accepted me. It will take some time before I can manifest as a sword again, but you will need to train to handle me so it is not going to cause too many problems.

"Cool," the blonde whispered as he pulled his orange shorts and black T-shirt with an orange swirl on. It wasn't until he was putting his sandals on that the voice spoke again.

I do believe that we should get you some training clothes, it commented. You have assumed a role and you will need to look the part, but we can handle that in the days to come.

Naruto just smiled happily. A real smile, not the fake ones he often wore to fool the people around him, but one that brimmed with real happiness as he dashed out the door to join the Hokage on his way to one of his favorite places in the world: Ichiraku Ramen.