Why do I have to hide?

Chapter 3

Brought to you by: Anonymous Joe & “The Letter Q”, also by the number “42” ( I love Sesame Street!)

Edited by: L33t N1nj4 Boris (The lazy bum…Blame him if this is late)

Disclaimer: I do NOT…I repeat I do NOT own anything related to Naruto….this honor belongs to those who own its copyright…which sadly is not me.

“speech”

‘thought’

“Kyuubi speech”

‘Kyuubi thought’

(I don’t know Japanese so…techniques are in English and I use honorifics whenever I feel like it…so don’t ask me why, I put them in when they feel right, Sorry if you don’t like this)

Also if I use between sections it mean same place but passage of time

Hokage’s Office-

Naruto had just made the three most respected ninja in the village faint. That was no small feat unless nudity or blood was involved and in his case he used neither. But in their defense, a live Kitsune in one’s office was more surprising than either of the prior mentioned things.

Naruto scratched the back of his neck as he was trying to figure out what to do now. ‘Well that could have gone better…’

“You think?” said the Fox in a semi-angry and semi-impressed voice.

‘Well, what should I do? I guess it would be better if I just wait for them to come around.’ thought the boy. After this he approached the adults and placed them in more comfortable positions on the floor.

“While we wait let us meditate…” said his father in a warm tone.

‘Alright…’ smirked Naruto, and he went into a lotus position and began to clear his mind.

“I said ‘meditate’ not ‘PINE OVER VIXENS!’” said the older fox with mirth behind his voice.

Naruto just blushed and this time really tried to clear his mind.

Two Hours Later

Tsunade began to blink her eyes. ‘What happened? I couldn’t have drunk that much sake…right?’ she thought franticly. She rolled over and she immediately began to panic. Beside her was the super pervert with a disgusting smirk on his face. ‘Oh Kami! I didn’t…there isn’t enough sake in the world to make me do…THAT…with HIM…is there? …Shit, where am I?’ She quickly sat up and began to take in her surroundings. Her eyes fell on her desk with the many unfinished scrolls and the portraits of the former Hokages behind it. ‘I PULLED A CLINTON! NO I WOULDN’T…’ her face paling in fear.

Her eyes began to move around the room for any explanation as to why she and her former teammate were asleep on the floor. They soon fell upon the boy she considered a brother. He sat meditating, and she was so relieved that her former conclusion seemed to be wrong that she failed to notice the fox ears or tails for that matter. “Naruto?” she asked questioning obviously confused.

He slowly opened one eye and his smile returned. “Ah you’re awake! About time too! It has been two hours since you guys fainted.” He snickered lightly and his eyes dancing with mirth. Showing his happiness to see his “granny” awake, his tails began to wave merrily behind him.

The Hokage’s eyes became wide again and her previous conversation came rushing back. “THIS IS GONNA BE SUCH A HEADACHE!” she yelled. “But compared to other one I thought I had I’ll take this…” she mumbled thinking Naruto wouldn’t hear.

Naruto’s smirk dropped and was replaced with confusion, “What other headache?”

“Nothing!” she quickly rebutted defensively. “Wait…you heard that?” she looked at him incredulously.

“Yep! That is one of the benefits of having the Kyuubi as your father! But I think I’ll wait till these geezers wake up before I get into details.” He said joyfully as he jabbed his thumb toward Jiraiya and Kakashi, both of whom had perverted smiles on their smiling faces. (Though Kakashi’s expression was hard to tell due to the mask and all but since I am the author I know these things…)

Tsunade’s evil glint returned to her eyes and she smirked as she said, “I agree and I think I know how to get them up…”

Knowing a trick when they saw one both father and son cackled as they went to help Tsunade.

Five Minutes Later

Jiraiya was having such a nice dream, it involved girls, a pool, Jell-O, and sake…lets just say things that would make my rating go up drastically. You get the point. He was rudely awakened by someone loudly talking. ‘Damn that brat!’ he thought as his world began to fade.

As he awoke his mind began to take in his surroundings even though he kept his eyes closed. He was trying to remember where he was. Then he realized that his hand was on something. His smile widened as he realized this object he was currently inspecting was warm…and squishy…and fleshy! ‘Score! I must be with a beautiful lady.’ he thought happily. He began to squeeze when he heard in a distinctly masculine voice,

“Um…sir?”

The super pervert’s eyes shot open and to his horror he saw the face of Kakashi. The Jounin had a wide shown eye and said in a serious voice, “I am sorry sir…but my door doesn’t go that way.”

Jiraiya’s eyes quickly moved to were his hand was. It was enough to make him turn green…what he had thought was a girl was actually the other ninja’s backside. Without paying any attention to his surroundings he quickly found the nearest waste basket and relieved his stomach of its contents. At this laughter broke out around the room.

Tsunade was wiping tears from her eyes from the laughter while she leaned back in her chair. In the corner, Naruto was laughing while the Kyuubi was chuckling in his mind. Then Kakashi’s eye suddenly made the happy upside-down “U” shape as he joined in. This quickly stopped the woman and the two kitsunes from their laughter.

“Why are YOU laughing? You were just molested!” quizzically asked Naruto.

“Because I have nothing to worry about since everything said or done in here is an S-class village secret, remember?” he smirked under his mask.

“Damn…” mumbled Naruto while the Hokage just looked angry.

It was at this point, the oblivious Jiraiya interjected. “Oh KAMI! I don’t think I’ll be able to write my books for a couple of months…or years!”

After hearing this, Naruto was surprised that his father and his sensei had the same reaction. “NO!” shouted a noticeably paled Kakashi while the Kyuubi yelled in Naruto’s head, “He can’t stop such fine literature!” ‘I was really hoping I could get kit to let me read his newest chapters!’

Tsunade had fallen out of her chair and was holding her side while she was laughing at the Copy-nin’s reaction. Naruto was having trouble catching breath after hearing the demon’s and perverts’ responses.

Once the Hokage regained her composer she said in a serious voice, “I believe we have more pressing matters…”

This seemed to sober up the room. Naruto walked over to one the chairs in front of the Hokage’s desk while Tsunade sat opposite him. The two other ninja were standing behind her with stone faces. “Naruto I want to know EVERYTHING right now!” Tsunade said in a stern voice as the ninja behind her just nodded in accord.

“Okay…where should I start?” Naruto asked more to himself than to anyone.

“Well…I don’t know maybe…WHY THE HELL ARE YOU A FOX!” she screamed at him.

“Yeah…that sounds like a good idea. I guess it all started when my father, the Kyuubi, began to bother me for the blood of the innocent or somethin’ like that.” he paused deep in thought. But before he could think all he could hear was the laughter of his father. ‘What’s up pop?” he said heatedly.

Between laughs the fox was able to get out, “LOOK AT THEIR…snicker…FACES!”

So Naruto did just that, Jiraiya looked pale and his eyes were wide, while normally Kakashi was calm and cool right now his visible eye was wide and he was shaking ever so slightly and Tsunade had her mouth agape A little worried for his sensei and Hokage he stopped his pondering of his story and asked, “What is the matter?”

“H-h-he asked for the blood of the innocent….AND YOU MAKE HIM YOUR FATHER!” yelled the woman.

“Naruto, surely you didn’t accept and aren’t going to allow him…to eat innocent people, right?” said the strained calm voice of Kakashi.

Naruto blinked and smirked, “Of course not…I would never let him feast on people who are innocent, besides he doesn’t like their blood it tastes like chocolate or something and he likes miso…” He began to recall the rant the demon once gave him on the flavors of blood.

“If you didn’t agree to that, then what happened?” asked a slightly edgy Tsunade.

“Oh, He and I had a little conversation on… um…personal matters. Then he offered me something that I never thought I could have. He said he would give me power, friendship, and most of all, the thing I always wanted…a family and a father. So I jumped at the chance!” His tails waved merrily while stating his induction into the Vulpine Clan.

“And what did he get in return?” questioned a skeptical Jounin.

“Oh isn’t that obvious! He gained a son and heir!” he smiled and said loudly. He then muttered this part, “also, when it is determined I am supposed to kill someone he gets to ‘enjoy’ the kill…”

All the Ninja listening paled. “Naruto! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?” shouted a hysterical Hokage. Her finger lingered an inch over the ANBU summoning button, to send her brother to a holding cell for his dangerousness.

“Don’t you realize that ANY action can be considered enough to cause reason to kill! He might destroy the village.” stated a shocked Jiraiya.

“Of course I know that! What do you think I am? An idiot! He can’t kill with out my permission and besides he is held in check by the seal! If he really was out to kill everyone he would have done it already…I was adopted by him months ago.”

The other ninja just stared at the kitsune. “How do you know this for sure?” timidly asked one of them.

“He gave me his word! The word of a kitsune demon is binding! You have nothing to fear, that’s a promise!” smiled the blonde boy.

“Okay, I guess that will do for now…Boy, do you know why he decided to do this? Other than what he gains.” Jiraiya seriously asked.

“Oh he said something about me having a ‘death Santa’ ability or something that normally doesn’t show up in humans...” said the boy while musing over his prior conversations with the fox. The other ninja gave him a baffled look and the Kyuubi sighed. “Boy, I used ‘Santa of death’ as a metaphor to explain to you what it is you have. THAT is NOT the name. The REAL name is the DIVINE SPARK...” said the annoyed eon-old demon to Naruto.

‘Oh…oops…hehe. Sorry dad, I forgot.’ thought an embarrassed Naruto. “Well that’s obvious…” ‘He may be smart in some areas…but his memory is still worth nothing.’

“Wait, that isn’t the name. Pop said the real name is the “Divine Spark” whatever that is…I got it!” he flashed his foxy smile.

“The d-d-divine s-spark! You have the Divine Spark?” screamed Tsunade.

“Yeah, what of it?” Naruto replied snottily.

“Naruto, the Divine Spark is only given to this world when a time of turmoil is about to bestowed upon it. The job of its possessor is to bring balance back to the world between good and evil. And was thought to be given only to demons, unless your claim is true…” said Kakashi

“Which means this world is about to fall into dark and troubled times and you have to fix them…” finished Jiraiya.

“Yes Kit, that is your purpose, and I will help with it as long as I can.” He stated proudly.

‘Thank you father’ he replied gratefully even though he was very nervous and unsure what he was supposed to do.

“Father agrees with you. That is my purpose and he decided to help me as long as he can.” He told the others grimly.

“I see then…Naruto, you have been given one of the most difficult lives anyone has ever seen. I am sorry you must carry such a heavy burden.” she said in an emotional voice close to breaking into tears. She cleared her throat after the room had been silent for a while. Her voice returned back to the “I am Hokage, fear-me” voice and said, “What has he given you?”

Naruto broke out into a vague explanation of his powers of the kitsune. The others just sat and listened with a question here or there. When they asked him about his Jutsus he would reply, “That is only to be known by the Vulpine Clan” and continue on with his prior thought. He conveniently forgot to mention the he was now a summon because he really didn’t think they needed to know that tidbit of information.

“I see, well then it seems that you have grown very much. But I ask you to not go around in this form. The villagers were not ready to accept the container of a kitsune let alone a live one.” said the Hokage in a remorseful voice.

“Of course Granny! You three are the only one I will let know about…my situation.” replied Naruto.

“Well I think that is for the best. But now we will go on to the reason I called you here.” She replied.

“What would that be?” asked the kitsune.

“Well as much as I would love to give you the rank of chuunin, my position as hokage doesn’t give me the authority.” Naruto grin seemed to have dropped. “So, you will have to retake the chuunin exams. The good news is that you will at least know the people on your team.”

“Why would that be? Shouldn’t they all be chuunin by now, I mean they certainly seemed strong enough.” asked Naruto thoroughly confused.

“Yes they are strong enough but ever since the invasion we were undermanned and couldn’t risk sending all our promising genin to other villages for the exams. So for the past three years we would send certain genin who needed to or were over qualified for the position genin to the exams in small numbers. Like a team or two, so far the only ones from you rookie class to pass have been Shikamaru, Shino and Sakura.” stated the hokage.

“Why them?” asked Naruto

“Well Sakura needed to become a chuunin to work as a medic-nin so we were forced to send her the first year you were gone. So we placed her on the team with the most promise. Ten-ten graciously gave up her spot and thus Neji, Lee and Sakura passed that year.”

“I see, well what about Shino and what happened to Ten-ten?” asked Naruto a little worried for his friends.

“No need to worry, Ten-ten took Shikamaru’s spot and the year after Shino took the spot on a younger genin team that showed promise and helped them pass.” the hokage stated with a type of pride in her voice.

Naruto smiled to himself, ‘Looks like I get to speak to Hinata earlier then planned…DAMN IT! Stupid hormones….’ His father just coughed which sounded suspiciously like “smitten”. Naruto was still angry that his father had been right but allowed himself to smile at the thought of working with Hinata. He then cleared his throat and stated in a serious and formal voice, “If that is the case I formally request that I am to be placed on team 8 and be allowed to take the chuunin exams the next time the opportunity presents itself for the village.”

Tsunade raised an eyebrow at this, “Don’t you want to take it right away?”

“Yes, of course I want a higher rank as fast as possible but what I want isn’t what is at issue. If I am to serve the village I must look out for its interests first. The needs of the many out way the need of the one.” He replied in a sage style voice even though he wasn’t trying to.

Tsunade just nodded her head, ‘spoken like a true hokage’ “Very well Naruto Uzumaki of the Vulpine. You are now an official member of team eight thus disbanding team seven. You and your team, along with the other genin teams eligible are to be entered into the next chuunin exam that is to be held in Konohagakure.”

“When will that be?”

“Two weeks…Is that acceptable?” she smirked as she saw the look of disbelief cross his face.

He quickly nodded his agreement and stated, “Can I leave then granny?”

“Don’t call me that! Get out of my sight!” she shouted in mock outrage.

Quickly stood up in his fake fear and ran toward the doors. Before he could open them he heard her call his name. “Naruto?”

“Yes?”

“Your tails…” she said in exasperation.

He looked behind him and saw his long flowing tails still flickering happily. He blushed and quick made his chakra drop. “Oops…I need to remember about that. See you later.” He quickly walked out the door but before he could get three steps he spun around and stuck his head in the door, “Remember, I’ll keep you to your word about keeping this secret.”

“Yes Naruto. Now LEAVE!” she said angrily and he was running out as random objects came through the door intended to hit his head.

Streets –

“Jeez what is wrong with her…one moment she acts all nice then she flips back to being all pissy?” said Naruto aloud as he was walking away from hokage tower.

“I don’t think you should be one to talk…Mr. “I am all smiles then serious then smiles again”. I really think you should just drop that stupid idiot mask…” mused the demon.

‘I told you already! If I do that then we won’t be welcome here anymore and be chased away by lynch mobs again…and we STILL need to work on your comebacks.’ that the boy in frustration. The demon had been saying this type of thing ever since he had become his father.

“So what? There are many more amusing places than this…you are a Kitsune they should fear us and bow down to us and if they resist, kill the insolent ones and show benevolence to those who accept you.” stated the demon while chose to ignore the statement about his comebacks.

‘I agree on the benevolence part but not on the other. You have that all wrong. If I lash out on those whom have hurt me through violence, than I will be no better than these mortals.’ He thought firmly.

“Kit, you are growing…” ‘Much like I had hoped my son would act’ said his father with pride.

‘Thank you!’ and smiled knowing someone for once was proud of him. ‘Now where shall I go…’ than he remembered he had ALMOST forgot about ramen. “How could I be so stupid!” he said to himself

“So you are finally realizing it…” said an annoying voice. He turned a little angry to whom ever had made the comment and saw Shikamaru and Kiba standing there.

“I see you still an asshole” he said in a growl.

“Troublesome…Naruto we just came to see if you were able to come get some ramen with us and the others.” the master of shadows said.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, “Whom might these “others” be?”

“It is a welcome home party! DUH! All of us are gonna be there you stupid fox-boy…” smiled kiba

“AWESOME! Of course I’ll come!” he shouted with excitement but then he heard his father clear his throat. “I wouldn’t be talking like that you dumb dog…” he stated coolly.

‘How the hell dose he switch moods so fast!’ thought Shikamaru a little unsettled.

“We all know dogs are twenty times better than foxes. When was the last time you saw a fox work with, let alone listen to a ninja?” replied Kiba with his aggravated voice.

“Exactly my point, we don’t demean ourselves like that…we have much more pride than to just to become human’s property…” retorted Naruto without thinking.

Kiba and Shikamaru just looked at each other with looks of bewilderment, while Akamaru began to bark at him. Naruto just sneered at the dog, he had no idea of what he was saying but he could guess.

“What do you mean by “we”, Naruto?” asked both ninja.

Naruto began to sweat while his brain was trying to find a way out of this as fast as he could. The best response was, “Uh…nothing”

They gave him cold incredulous stares. “Well we better get going eh?” and with that Naruto bolted toward his favorite restaurant.

“What was up with that?” asked Kiba

He received a growl from Akamaru and a “Troublesome” from Shikamaru.

He just sighed and began to head toward the welcome home party for Naruto along with the lagging Shikamaru and the riled up dog.

ichiraku restaurant –

Hinata sat there with a slight glow about her as she remembered her pervious meeting with Naruto. ‘I really need to stop doing that…It just proves how week I am…’ she thought gloomily. Her eyes glanced up at the clock and she felt anticipation for she knew that he would be at the restaurant soon. After all it was his party.

She knew he would probably just brag about his adventures and eat an obsessive amount of ramen but that was how the man she looked up to was. He acted as though he was a jester, always happy and grinning while seeing the better side of things. Although this is what almost the entire village saw she saw what he truly was. He truly was a man who hid his many feelings. He was a man of sorrow, pain and wisdom beyond his years. He was man despite being mocked and ridiculed still desperately clung to a golden fiber of his being. The fiber that still has hope for all human beings and belief in himself. She wished she could possess just a portion of it…but alas she just wasn’t able too. Although when she was around him, she was able to barrow upon it and grow within herself. That is why she loved him, even though she wouldn’t admit it even to herself.

She looked around the small dilapidated store and saw his friends. All of them had shown up. Neji was even there this time. He stood tall and wore the clothes of a Hyuuga. Ten-ten stood next to him while he wore a face of exasperation. Lee, Shino and Ino were in the corner discussing something trivial, and she really didn’t care. ‘Besides it isn’t nice to eavesdrop’ she thought.

Choji was already eating while Iruka was scolding him for not waiting for Naruto. She looked next to the men and saw the chair where Naruto usually sat and was flanked by Sakura. All gave the door and the chair expecting glances then would return to their musings. Oh how Hinata wanted Naruto to sit in the chair that was empty next to her. But she knew that it was wishful thinking.

‘Yeah, like he would ever choose this chair…he always sits in that chair. Also Sakura is next to it…he won’t even have a second though about sitting there.’ She felt a prang of jealousy when she thought of the pink haired girl. ‘Why won’t you look at me like that Naruto?’

At that moment all the heads turned to a loud sound from outside. Suddenly the flaps were lifted and the grin of a certain blonde haired boy was visible.

“Welcome home Naruto!” screamed the group in various tones of voice.

Naruto was taken aback a stared blankly at all those who where gathered.

He turned his head and for the first time in a long time the entire room, as his gaze wandered, he saw not a trace of contempt on any face but instead replaced with smiles or signs of welcome.

He felt his eyes begin to tear and his grin grew twice its size. “THANK YOU!” he shouted with glee.

They all gave him reassuring gazes as he approached the crowd. He looked toward the bar where he was going to sit. Next to his usual chair sat Iruka, Sakura and Choji. Behind the Counter were the smiling faces of the Ramen man and his daughter, Ayme. He felt an odd burning sensation in his eye in that moment. He slowly raised his hand wishing that this wasn’t a Genjutsu. When his hand reached his eye he found not some sort of trick but instead a warm tear. He then turned to all his friends and said in an emotional voice none had heard before, “You don’t realize how much that meant to me…thank you.”

The girls gave small gasps or awes while the boys just gave him odd glances of understanding. “Well ... I guess this is a party and I shouldn’t act like this…man I hate being a wet blanket…” he said in a mock frustrated voice. This gained a chuckle from all that were present minus Shino.

“Naruto, hurry up and eat your Ramen! We already paid to rent this place out!” said Sakura in her scoffing tone.

“Yeah sure!” nodded Naruto. He began to walk toward his usual seat. That was when he caught something in the corner of his eye. There sat the girl he couldn’t stop thinking about, the one he had begrudgingly admitted to himself he had a crush on. His father had much fun with that but after awhile the effect wore off and his father slowed down for awhile. She sat with a strange hopefulness as she watched him.

‘What should I do, everyone expects me to sit in my chair. My act says I have to sit in the same chair. They will think it suspicious if I just suddenly change my seat to sit next to Hinata. But I really want to sit next to her.’ He pondered. He looked at everyone’s expectant faces.

‘Screw it! I want to sit next to her and that is what I am gonna do!’ thought Naruto quickly and heatedly.

“That’s it kit! A little initiative goes a long way.” Hisfather said in a rather pleased voice.

‘Oh shut it pop!’ screamed Naruto in his head. None the less he stopped in mid-step and began to walk toward the chair next to Hinata.

Mwhahaha! I stopped right before the fluff. Aren’t I evil?

Sorry I wanted to finish this earlier but things came up like my birthday, my brother coming home from collage (and stealing my computer) and a county fair. I will try to have the next one out sooner but you never know what you’re gonna get. Expect lots o’ fluff in the next one. Well please read and review…please be kind.

Joe

P.S. Boris needs a vacation because I have him editing too much so I am looking for a TEMPORARY Editor/pre-reader for the next three chapters. PM me or leave it in a review if you are interested.

Ich werde Sie später sehen!