Disclaimer

I do not own Naruto or any materials about it. If I did, then I would be at the Three Forks every night. All original characters are mine, so don't use without permission. All my stories are rated M. There are adult themes in this story. Your warning if you don't want to read them is now, so don't complain about it later.

If you have a question or comment, the answer or a response to it will be posted there. As always, all reviews are welcome. Please include as much detail as possible about things you like, dislike, things I did well, and things I need to improve on.

This disclaimer is the only one and it is right up front. Don't get mad if you skip over it, it's here for everyone to read. Now that the ugly business is out of the way…

Hope you enjoy.

~tomhunt98

Chapter 1: Gone and Back Again

Konoha streets

A small child runs along the streets, sandals clacking on the paved roads. The child, no older than 5, sprints away from another drunken mob. The child slides and takes a sharp turn into an alleyway, hoping to lose them, but no luck. They chase the child for what seems like hours through streets and alleyways and even through a few stores.

The child looks behind to see how far back the mob is when his shoe catches a piece of debris on the ground and he goes face first into the hard rock. His head hits with a sharp smack and instantly his nose begins to bleed. The mob catches sight of him and rush forward hoping to end the little child's life.

"There he is! Kill the demon!"

"Now we get some pay back you son of a bitch!"

"Come back here you little shit!"

The kid jumps back to his feet and runs into an alleyway, the mob right behind him.

'I just have to make it to the other side of the alley and I'm home free.'

He picks up the pace, his chest burning now, his blood on fire. Someone in the mob sprints and starts to gain ground. 30 feet till the end of the alley. The person in the mob gets closer. 20 feet, the person extends his had to grab the kid by the hair. 10 feet, the kid can feel the finger tips of the man, then…

Daylight. The kid rounds the corner and runs right for a house a few houses down the street. He sees a woman out in front of the house waiting for him and hurriedly tries to clean off the blood and dirt. He runs right up to her and puts his hands on his knees and doubles over in exhaustion.

"Hi mom."

The red head gives him a quick look over, noting all the blood and dirt on his clothes and skin. She quickly looks back to the alley where he had come from and sees a group of men withdrawing from her sharp and murderous gaze. Her eyes return to her child. She bends down so she is eye level with him.

"Naruto, what happened?" She asks sweetly, full knowing what happened but she wants to hear his side.

"Nothing. I was playing at the playground and I tripped. No big deal."

She eyes him, but doesn't say anything to him about it. The Hokage will get an earful from her later.

"Alright honey. Go and take a bath. I'll be in making dinner." She gives him a kiss on the forehead and spurs him inside.

He goes in and climbs the stairs to his room. He grabs some extra clothes and takes a bath. When he comes back down the stairs 30 minutes later, true to his mother's words, dinner was being made. His blonde hair uncharacteristically flat from the water half hiding his deep blue eyes.

"Hi mom. How was your day?"

"Oh it was fine. I did some gardening in the back, I talked to Mikoto for a while, and then I went and got some groceries. After that I waited for you to come home from playing. Tomorrow, we will have your favorite."

"Yay ramen! You make the bestest ramen ever mom; more better than Ichiraku's!" Naruto is practically bouncing in his seat at the counter. That gets a smile on her face. So full of energy and personality, it's like Minato had been reborn, looks and all. That thought of course brought a twinge of sadness to her, even after 5 years, but only a twinge.

The door bell rings and Naruto bounds out of the seat shouting that he'll get it before she can even turn around. She stops making dinner and walks to the front door when she hears Naruto shout.

"Shi-Chan!"

Kushina steps around the corner to find Naruto completely wrapped around someone's leg. Kushina's eye's wonder further up and sees a mask and grey hair that seems to defy gravity (think Cloud from FF7 minus the sword that is bigger than he is).

"Hello Kakashi. How is everything going?" she asks and with a wave of her arm, she ushers him into her house. Her husband's former student walks with ease even with the small person attached to his leg.

"Oh, everything is going fine. Just got back from a mission with my Anbu squad. I can't say too much about it, but it went well."

He looks down and sees he has Naruto's rapt attention. Kushina gives a small giggle.

"Come on Naruto. It's not polite to stare. Go wash up and dinner will be ready."

Naruto lets go of Kakashi's leg.

"Ok mom," and wanders into the bathroom. Kushina and Kakashi watch him leave.

"He reminds me so much of Minato it's scary."

"I know what you mean. He loves to hear stories about being a ninja." she says with a smile on her face. But that doesn't last long. Her face turns serious and she faces Kakashi.

"Do you know how the villagers have been treating him?" The seriousness of her voice instantly has his full attention. Being the wife of his former sensei, he knows just how much of a temper she really has.

"I hear rumors every now and then, but nothing concrete. I sure hope they are rumors because the things I hear nobody should have to go through, especially not a child." He decides to keep it honest. She likely knows anyways, no point in lying to her about it.

"Hmm, things are worse than I thought. Can you watch him tomorrow? I need to talk to the Hokage in the morning."

He shrugs. "Yeah that's fine. I have nothing else to do tomorrow," not even giving it some thought.

"Thanks and please try to be on time. I was late last time for a doctor's appointment last time." She rounds on him with a fierce look.

"Oh and if I find out you let him read that perverted sannin's work again, you will regret it. I'd rather not have to give him the talk yet." She look she is giving him freezes over hell in an instant. Kakashi nervously shifts his weight under her glare.

"And don't tell him any of your gruesome ninja stories. He had nightmares for a week."

He rubs the back of his head nervously. "Yeah sure. No problem."

Out of shear habit, he reaches down into the pouch at his waist and starts to pull something out before he realizes his mistake and hopes she doesn't realize it. Too late. Kushina catches a bit of orange before it disappeared back into the pouch.

"Kakashi, that had better not be what I think it is. Because if it is…"

"Mom what are you threatening Shi-Chan now for?" asks Naruto right beside her.

She looks from Naruto to Kakashi.

"Yes Shi-Chan, what am I threatening you about this time?" She asks and waits for him to answer.

Now he is really sweating. "Nothing Naruto. Your mother was just giving me some instructions for tomorrow. I'll be watching you while your mom goes to see the Hokage."

Naruto's eyes go wide in excitement. He hurriedly looks from Kushina and back to Kakashi. "Really? Really mom? Really? Really? Really?" He is vibrating from anticipation.

Kushina laughs at her son's antics. She crouches down and puts her soft hands on his shoulders making stop moving for a second.

"Yes, it's true. I have to go see the Hokage tomorrow. But Shi-Chan is staying for dinner too right?" She asks in a not-so-asking manner.

Kakashi sighs. He is trapped and there is nothing he can do about it besides break the little boy's heart. He didn't really have anything else to do, but he doesn't like being forced into something even though he would have said yes anyways.

"That's fine. I've no plans anyways."

Naruto jumps with enthusiasm.

"Come on, let's go before dinner burns."

(Time skip - next morning)

Kakashi appears in front of Kushina's house in a whirl of leaves.

'Great. I'm 3 hours late. Kushina's going to have my ass on a spike roasting over a pit this time.'

He opens the front door and to his surprise, he finds Kushina just getting ready to leave.

"I thought you had an appointment with the Hokage this morning?" he asks carefully.

"Oh it's not an appointment. I just show up and he usually sees me. I told you the wrong time because I knew you would be late. Naruto's already up and playing out back. Make sure he doesn't wander out into the streets because who knows what the people will do to him."

"Right. Have a nice talk."

She smiles at him and gives him a quick hug of appreciation before disappearing before his eyes. A hint of red stays briefly as an afterimage.

Hokage Tower (few minutes later)

The Hokage is sitting at his desk doing the accursed paper work again. His senses pick up something moving very fast. He gives a sigh and puts his hands on the piles of papers so they wouldn't go flying.

A flutter of wind and the door to the Hokage's office bursts open. The Third Hokage doesn't even look up. He resumes his work after the wind dies down. He hears the door close.

"Hello Kushina. To what do I owe the pleasure?" His eyes don't even migrate off the paper.

"I need to have a talk with you about how the village is treating my son." She strolls over and sits in the chair across from his desk, not even waiting for the Hokage to acknowledge that he has time to talk.

'She must be serious. Better not leave her disappointed.'

He pushes the stack of papers he was working on a second ago and finally looks up at her.

"Alright. What about Naruto?"

"Are you aware of how the village is treating him? Just yesterday he came home after being chased through the streets and alleyways with a bloody nose!"

"What do you want me to do? He isn't a shinobi, I can't offer him protection by Anbu since he has a living parent. There is nothing I can do about how the village treats him. The only thing I can do I've already done."

"You mean the little law banning the adults from talking about the Kyuubi? What good is that going to do him? The children of the parents may not know the specifics, they will still pick up the attitudes of their parents and it will be no different!" Her voice is starting to rise in volume.

"I'm sorry Kushina. My hands are tied. I want to do more but I can't."

"Fine if you won't do something about it then I will. I will not have my son, who is a hero, grow up in a place so rooted in hatred that they won't see the truth."

The Hokage gives her a hard stare. "Just what are you planning to do?"

She stands out of her chair and begins to pace around the room. Her voice is surprisingly calm. "We are leaving Konoha."

"And what makes you think you can just stroll out of here and not expect us to come after you?"

"Because you still value the lives of the shinobi who serve under you. Don't forget that I still am one of the highest ranking ninja in the whole village. I don't have the name of the Red Death of Konoha for kicks.

"But don't worry. We won't be leaving for good. Just for a while so my son doesn't grow up hating those around him. When I deem it is time to return, we will. He will be assigned to a Genin squad and he can choose where he wants to go from there."

The Hokage sighs again. 'This woman is definitely a pain in my old ass.'

"And what will you do about assassination attempts? You have kept Naruto's father a secret for now, but it may leak eventually."

She stops pacing and if looks could kill he would have been burned to a crisp in seconds. "Are you threatening to reveal Naruto's father?"

"No, I am simply giving you more to think about the consequences of leaving. Here in Konoha he will be safer from assassination attempts than out in an isolated part of the woods."

Kushina scoffs. "Yeah, but it wouldn't surprise me if some of the citizens decide to play assassin themselves. You said it yourself; you can't do anything to protect him from harm. While the possibility of the father being revealed exists, it will only happen if someone we trust tells someone else. And any assassin, or hunter nin for that matter, will meet a swift death by my sword."

Seeing how Kushina isn't giving him any leeway or any other options other than let her go or label her a missing nin, he chooses the former.

"Go and take you son, but on one condition. You will return and help the city in times of invasion if needed before Naruto returns."

She thinks it over for a second. It is pretty reasonable. She was expecting a deal like this, it is just something to make sure she stays close to the city. "Deal."

"Good. I will help with what I can. Supplies, weapons, building materials. I will also allow you to get into the Namikaze grounds to gather any jutsu's you wish to teach him that you don't know yourself."

"Thank you, Lord Hokage."

(Time skip - 3 days later) Konoha Front Gates

Kushina and Naruto stand at the front gate, heavy packs over their shoulders. Naruto turns to his mother with pleading eys.

"Do we have to go mom? I like it here."

"Yes honey. We are leaving. But we'll be back."

Naruto perks up at this. "Really?"

"Yes, but it won't be anytime soon."

Naruto's face fell. "Awwwww." He crosses his arms and lets out a puff of defiance. However one look from Kushina sets him straight. He follows his mother out of the gates and into the forest.

A few minutes of silence. "Naruto?"

"What's up mom?"

"Why do you like the city so much?" She asks with complete honesty.

He shrugs. "I just do."

"But all those people chase you and hurt you. I thought you would hate it there."

He shakes his head. "I like it because you like it. And you like it because dad liked it. So it doesn't matter what the villagers do to me. I don't hate them. I just don't understand them."

"But why didn't you tell me about the people chasing you? I would have helped you."

"But I don't know what you would have done to them mom. I've seen you angry plenty of times and I don't want to become upset over something stupid."

Kushina suppresses a tear. 'Thinking of her and not himself at his age. He really is like Minato.'

"Hey mom, why did we leave and where are we going? Does the Hokage know where we are going?"

She laughs a little. "We are leaving because I am going to train you as a ninja. I don't want other people steeling techniques and jutsu's so we are going to train away from Konoha."

Naruto's eyes become big as dinner plates and starts bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Really? I'm going to become a ninja?" She can feel the excitement coming off of him in waves. This time she laughs outright. She reaches down and ruffles his hair.

"Would I lie to you? Just so you know this training will not be easy. There will be times when you want to give up and not go on, but you must in order to become a great ninja like you father and later to become Hokage."

"You bet. I won't give up. I'll make you and dad proud of me. Believe it!" However, he has no idea what he is getting himself into.

(Time skip, 10 years) Somewhere in the forest

Naruto is out back of the cabin that he has called home for the past 10 years. He is doing a last bit of training before he and Kushina return to Konoha. He is "standing" upside down on a 20 ft tree limb using chakra to keep kunai on his fingers without them puncturing the skin. This also teaches you to control where your blood pools as to keep from dying or getting a headache you must circulate your blood using chakra. This is the first time he is returning to Konoha. Kushina went back a couple of times a year for weapons and new clothes for him.

Strapped his waist in the back is his katana. Just a cheap sword used to practice and make mistakes with. The balance is off, the metal is low quality, and it vibrates too much when hit which hurts his hand. On his legs, he has a pair of black Anbu pants and sleeveless dark blue shirt with a back vest. He is now taller than his mother at 5'6" and still growing. His face still has some baby fat, but not much. His hair is now down to his shoulders. He is lean from not over eating and only living off of the forest. His toned muscles clear as day for anyone to see.

All the early mornings, the running, the blood, sweat, tears, pain, and effort have paid off big time. He was ready physically and mentally years ago, but Kushina just couldn't let him go. As a result, he is now a high level Chuunin or a low level Jonin. Now she can't find any way to justify him not being ready.

"Naruto. Come in the kitchen please." He hears his mother calls out.

He grabs all the kunai and lets his chakra slip. He flips over and gracefully lands on the ground. He strolls in to the kitchen.

"Yeah mom."

Her back is turned to him when he enters the kitchen. She turns to him.

"Naruto, honey, I wanted to thank you for all your hard work the past 10 years. I know it wasn't easy and I pushed you a lot. Now you are a full shinobi, just like your father was. I have no doubt that you will become Hokage. Turn around and look in the cupboard."

He turns around and looks to the one place that he has been forbidden to access. He turns sheepishly around and looks at her for approval, which she gives immediately. He opens it and pulls out a something heavy wrapped in soft silk, obscuring all characteristics. He slowly unwraps it.

He finds a brand new katana. Not a cheap one, but a solid, high quality one. He pulls the katana out of the scabbard. The blade is very long and has a more pronounced curve than a normal katana. The blade itself is black with the sharp edges silver. On the blade is a picture carved into the blade of the red Kyuubi with the tails wrapping around the blade all the way down to the bottom of the hilt. The hilt is also black, making the red tails stick out more. "Mom…I don't know what to say." He has tears in his eyes.

Kushina gives him a big motherly hug. "Then don't say anything. I got that a few years ago when I learned your chakra type. The blade is made to channel wind chakra, extending it far farther than normal."

"Thank you mom. It is wonderful. I don't even know how to begin to thank you."

She laughs. "Don't thank me, you earned it. Put it on and let me see how it looks."

He does so very enthusiastically. He carefully puts the blade back in the sheath and hurriedly takes off his old katana and puts the new one on. The hilt just meets his hand while it is naturally hanging.

"It's perfect in size. The blade may be a little longer than I'm used to, but I'll get past it."

He gives his mother another hug in thanks.

"I guess we can test out your Akanakami (crimson blade) against my Tenma Kitsune no Tsurugi (Sword of the Demon Fox)."

She gives a hearty laugh. "Nice name. Don't push your luck. You are good, but not as good as I am. I am still the Red Death for a reason."

"Ha, that was more than 10 years ago, baa-Chan!"

A tick mark appears on Kushina's forehead.

"What did you call me?" A dark aura surrounds Kushina. But Naruto doesn't budge.

"I called you baa-Chan, an old lady." A huge grin on his face.

In a flash, Naruto is punched through the thick timber wall and spills out into the woods. Kushina sighs.

"It's a good thing that we are moving, otherwise this would need to be repaired. I'd better go and collect my son before he goes to sleep."

She moves outside and kneels over her son who is still lying on the ground.

"Come on. I didn't hit you that hard. Get up we still have to get moving." She watches his eyes open and her grins.

"Sorry, but the princess is in another castle!"

She looks at him, confused.

"What are…"

Poof!

The Naruto on the ground disappears in a puff of smoke only to be replaced by a log.

Kushina growls in annoyance.

"Get down here now unless you want to carry all our belonging on your own!" she calls out.

In a flurry of wind, Naruto appears in front of his mother laughing quite hard.

"You…you fell for it! I…I didn't think it would work…" at this point he doubles over with laughter.

"Alright now. Let's get going. I want to make it before nightfall so we don't have to spend the night outside."

Naruto calms down and stands back up. "What's the matter mom? Age finally setting in?"

Naruto has to dodge another hit from his mother. More tick marks appear on her forehead. She maneuvers him around to where he is between her and the cabin and lands a kick on his chest, sending him through the open door. He rights himself and skids to a halt before slamming into a wall or something worse.

"That wasn't nice mom."

"Get going!" she snaps at him.

"Hai, Ka-san." And he disappears to pack.

(Time skip – 5 hours) Konoha Front Gates

Kushina and Naruto land in front of the main gates. They had been pushing a fast pace the entire time, not slowing once. Naruto is slightly winded, but not in bad shape. Kushina notices his slightly out of breathe posture.

"What's the matter Naruto, can't keep up with an old person like me?" she asks innocently.

Naruto smiles. "Ha, you can't get mad at me for calling you old now. You just admitted it."

"Damn." She didn't think he would pick up on that part. "I have to the right to get mad at anybody I choose to for whatever reason I see fit." She crosses her arms and turns away from him.

At that moment a Chuunin approaches the two.

"Excuse me Lady Uzumaki, but the Hokage is expecting you."

An evil grin passes over Kushina's face.

(Time shift – 10 minutes later) Hokage Office

A familiar chakra signature rushes up the stairs. Sarutobi sighs and places his hands on the stacks of paper around him. True to his senses, the door flies open and a flash of red. He finds Kushina sitting in his office chair eating an apple.

"What's going on old man?"

He sighs once more and takes his hands off of the papers.

"I thought you would have brought you son with you. Anyways I have assigned him to a Genin squad. He is to report to the 7th training field at 7am tomorrow without eating breakfast." Kushina is about to object when Hiruzen holds up a hand to stop her.

"Before you say anything that is his teacher's orders."

Just as Kushina is going to say something, another burst of wind flies through the large room. This time the Hokage didn't have time to place his hands on the papers and they scattered throughout the room. A yellow flash and Naruto joins his mother sitting in front of the desk eating an orange.

"What took you?" his mother asks him.

"Sorry, I was peeling this orange outside the window and I forgot to watch when his hands came off the papers." He gives a shrug and continues eating the orange.

"Naruto Uzumaki, it is a please to meet you after 10 years." The old Hokage says with a genuine smile.

"It's Namikaze to you." This gets Hiruzen's eyebrow to rise.

"You told him?"

Kushina just looks at Sarutobi. "Of course I did. Would you want to grow up not knowing who your father was and why he wasn't here?"

"So you told him about the Kyuubi too I see."

"Yes and that was a fun conversation."

Flashback – 7 years ago

Naruto walks into the living space in the cabin, finding his mother sowing in a rocking chair. It is his 8th birthday and Kushina let him sleep in. His hair is a mess and he is rubbing sleep out of his eyes.

"Mom I had a very scary dream."

Kushina pauses and puts down her project and lifts Naruto so he is sitting in her lap.

"Why don't you tell me about this very scary dream of yours."

Naruto nods.

"Well, I was walking in a field with people lying on the ground all around me. They had tomato juice spread all over them and they were sleeping. A lot of them had on armor and had weapons. I got scared and started running through the field trying to find you. I got to a hill and I saw a really BIG, red fox with a lot of tails staring a huge frog with a man standing on top of its head."

Kushina freezes. She knows exactly what he is talking about. She may not have been there, but she heard from witnesses what happened, but she doesn't interrupt and he continues.

"The man and the frog attack the fox and I watched for a while but then a big person with white robes came down from the sky and talked with the man. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but the man on the frog held something up and the man in white took it and a big flash happened. When the light was gone, the fox was gone too and the man on the frog fell off and went to sleep too."

Tears stream down Kushina's face. To hear it from the Hokage is one thing. To hear it from your son who had a dream about it is something completely different. A great wave of sadness overcomes her.

"Then I was in a tunnel with a HUGE cage with a piece of paper written on it. I went closer to read the paper when a big, red fox jumped out and hit the bars. And then I woke up." He turns to see what his mom thinks and sees the tears.

"Mom, why are you crying?"

She wipes the tears from her face and gives him a smile. "I was just thinking about your father."

"What was he like?"

"Well, he was kind, and brave, and thoughtful, and caring. He was the nicest man in the world."

"I wish I knew who he was."

'I hadn't planned on telling him this so soon, but I won't keep him guessing.

"Naruto, do you remember all those people in Konoha who chased you around?"

He nods.

"Do you know why?"

He shakes his head.

"Well, the day you were born there was an attack on the town."

"Yeah, the Kyuuji."

Kushina laughs lightly. "It was the Kyuubi, the most powerful of the 9 Bijuu. It was so powerful that not even the 4th Hokage could beat it. So instead he had to seal it in something."

She looks at him making sure he is with her. Her face becomes serious.

"That bijuu is sealed in you."

At first there is no reaction. He just stares at her. She lifts up his shirt and places a hand on his stomach. She channels a bit of chakra onto his stomach and to his amazement a seal with a spiral at the center appears.

"Whoa cool!"

"This is the seal that the 4th Hokage used. That fox you saw in the cage is the Kyuubi no Kitsune. He will be there until the seal is broken or you die of old age."

She takes her hand back and lowers his shirt.

"That seal is special. It is very powerful; so powerful that the 4th Hokage had to give his life in exchange to use it. Honey, the 4th Hokage is your father. Your real name is Naruto Namikaze."

End Flashback

"I won't use the name Namikaze until I reach Chuunin level, so I will still go by Uzumaki."

"And I will change my name to Namikaze after my son takes the name as well."

"Sounds like a plan. Now, if you don't mind, I have to get back to work. Naruto, I already have your first mission."

Kushina smiles knowing what is coming, but Naruto run straight into it.

"Really? Do I get to fight some missing nins?"

The Hokage grunts in amusement. "No, your first mission will be to collect the papers you blew off my desk and arrange them exactly how I had them before. You have 5 minutes. Go!"

"Aw crap!"

(Time skip – 3 hours) Kushina's house

Naruto walks in the door after taking a stroll around the neighborhood. He smells dinner cooking and migrates to the kitchen drooling.

"I know that smell."

He enters the kitchen and his nose is correct. Kushina is making a huge amount of Ramen.

"Dinner will be ready in a few minutes honey."

Naruto snaps out of his daze. "I'm going to unpack for a few minutes." He turns to leave the kitchen.

"Naruto, wait. Don't unpack." She stops him mid-step.

A confused look comes over his face. "What do you mean 'don't unpack'?"

"It means just that. Don't unpack your things. You won't be staying here."

Now he is lost. "Mom, what the hell are you talking about?"

She stops working on dinner for a second. "You won't be living with me." She sees his face contort into a hurt expression. "Before you jump to conclusions, I want you to hear me out first."

He nods and she returns to the Ramen. A minute later, he plate is piled high with the savory noodles. He grabs a pair of chopsticks and digs in.

Kushina watches him eat for a few moments before eating at her normal, paced speed. About halfway through she clears her mouth and talks to her son.

"So back to you not living here. I don't want you to get the wrong idea. I would love for you to still live here."

"Then why…" he manages to make out with a mouth full of noodles.

"Naruto, what have I told you about eating with your mouth full?" A quick glare makes him chew and swallow. "Better. Now as I was saying, I would love for you to still live with me, but I think it is time for you to go and have a place of your own. I believe that you are responsible enough now that you can take care of yourself and you need to learn how to live on your own.

"I have talked to an apartment owner earlier today and have arranged for you to live there. You will pay half the rent; I will pay the other half. You will pay for you own food and laundry and any other items you may need. Now that doesn't mean you can't come over to have a meal with me, but I will not be your primary source of food.

"I want you to grow up and this is part of it. So don't feel like I'm kicking you out because I don't love you. That couldn't be further from the truth. I love you so much, but I have to let go and let you become independent."

Naruto listens to all this and simply nods. "I get it. It may be interesting, but would still rather live with you. I don't want you to get lonely. I'm the only one you have had to talk to the past 10 years."

'Always thinking of others.'

"Don't worry about me. I have friends here that I need to catch up with. And I make friends pretty fast. Once we are done with dinner, I'll take you to your apartment."

"Ok. How did you get one so fast? We haven't even been here 5 hours."

"Oh, I have my ways."

'I'm not going to tell him that the land lords at 3 different apartments wouldn't let him stay there because of the Kyuubi. I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they learn that Minato is Naruto's father.'

End Chapter 1

Word count: 5,571

Chapter uploaded: 12/10/10

AN: First off, hello to all my readers. I'm going with a different format than my last stories. Using the time skip instead of the page breaks gives more detail about the timeline. I also won't be using the honorifics over and over again, it gets monotonous and too much of a mouthful(I mouth the words as I read and Naruto-kun 20 times in 3 paragraphs doesn't roll off your tongue like Moka-san (Rosario + Vampire) does). Since there seems to be a bit of confusion as to if Naruto dies if the Kyuubi dies as well. I'm going with yes. Otherwise the Kyuubi would try to hurt and kill Naruto to escape.

*Looking for a beta for this story. Let me know if you are interested.*

As always, don't forget to review!