Chapter 28

Naruto looked at the glowing red figure behind the cage and only one thought came to mind. He was going to get that white-haired pervert. The fox chuckled at the boy’s thoughts.

“SUCH DARK THOUGHTS, I KNEW THAT YOU WERE INTERESTING. SO HOW ABOUT YOU USE MY CHAKRA BEFORE WE GO SPLAT?”

“I’d rather go splat than to use your power again. Last time, I wasn’t myself and almost killed someone in cold blood.”

“DO NOT BLAME ME FOR YOUR LACK OF CONTROL OF YOUR EMOTIOMS! YOU WISHED FOR THE BOY’S DEATH WHEN YOU THOUGHT THAT PATHETIC UCHIHA WAS DEAD! THE FACT IS THAT I HAVE TAKEN CARE OF YOU SINCE BIRTH! DID YOU THINK YOU HEALED SO FAST WAS BECAUSE OF YOUR OWN DOING?” Naruto hated to admit that he was right. The Kyuubi still saw that the boy was still reluctant to use his chakra, so he took the first step. The red chakra grasped Naruto and held him.

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?” Naruto roared

“SORRY BUT I WILL NOT DIE YET! OUR FATES ARE CONNECTED IN SUCH A WAY SO CONSIDER THIS A GIFT. PREHAPS YOU MAY RECONSIDER AT A LATER TIME. DON’T DIE YET BOY!” The Kyuubi said and everything faded out. Naruto’s eyes flashed open and he felt that sensation again. It was like the time on the bridge but it was similar. He bit his thumb and smeared blood on his palm. He did the hand seals.

“Kuchiyose no Jutsu!!!” Naruto shouted. This time there was a huge blast of smoke and a large shadow below him. He hit this shadow full force and was laying face down on whatever this thing was. He groaned and picked himself up. He looked around and noticed that he still in the pit of doom. He did a bit more searching and he saw brownish ass. He was really confused now. “What the hell is going on?”

“That’s what I’d like to know.” Said a voice. Naruto jumped at the sound and walked to the other side of whatever he was standing on. He saw a pair of yellow eyes and a pipe. That’s when he realized he was on a toad, a very big toad. Suddenly, something clicked in his mind.

“Hey, you wouldn’t be Gamabunta would you?” he asked

“That’s right brat. How the do you know me and why are we hovering in mid-air?” the toad asked

“Oh, well Gamakichi is always going on about how he was going to be head toad like his father and we would be kicking ass when we got older.” Naruto answered

“So you’re the one who signed the toad contract? Gamakichi and Gamatatsu have spoken of you. Yet, you don’t have the chakra yet to summon me.”

“Yeah, well, I didn’t have too much of a choice. That white-haired pervert threw me down here so I would use that stupid fox’s chakra.”

‘Fox? Could he be?’ “Boy, tell me you’re name.” Gamabunta ordered. Naruto frowned a bit but he knew better than to mouth off to a summons. Raijin had reminded him countless times.

“Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage of Konoha.” He said. Gamabunta didn’t show his surprised but he was shocked.

‘So, it’s the Kyuubi container that has summoned me. It explains a lot but he didn’t seem to be happy by the way he summoned me.’ “Well Uzumaki Naruto, get on my back. We’re getting out of here.” Naruto complied and got on the great toads back. “Hang on!” Gamabunta said and with a mighty push, he leaps up. Jiraiya, who was busy gathering ‘research’, was suddenly shaken out of his concentration by a large quake and huge gust of wind. Once it died down, he turned to the source and paled. He quickly hid and looked back at the scene.

‘Well, he used the Kyuubi’s chakra all right but of all the toads why did he summon Gamabunta?’ Jiraiya thought. Naruto stood up but he quickly fell off as he was very dizzy. Gamabunta turned as soon as he heard the thud of Naruto hitting the ground.

“I would suggest that you don’t summon me any more. If you get dizzy for that jump, then you aren’t ready to ride on my head.” He told him

“No problem, I know my limits.” Naruto said

“That’s good, you’re much better at this than Jiraiya.”

“You mean Ero-sennin? I’ll take that as a compliment. Now, I must do something to get back at him but what.” Naruto wondered. Suddenly, he had a sinister smile on his face. Gamabunta remembered that smile. Jiraiya was in for a world of hurt.

-----

Jiraiya watched as Gamabunta moved away from his location. He let loose a breath of relief as he watched him go. He really didn’t feel like explaining himself to the great toad. He looked to see the pretty girls gone except one, a stunning blond who was bathing under the waterfall. He drooled and moved closer to get a better look at this vision of beauty. He moved quietly until he was about twenty feet away from the waterfall. He was glad that he was there because she was coming out from out the waterfall. He took out his pad and pen, waiting in excitement. She stepped out and disappeared, in a poof of smoke. Confused, Jiraiya was wondering what was going on until he felt a bit of killer intent. He turned and faced Naruto.

“Well, how are you doing Naruto?” he asked.

“Oh, I don’t know. I will be fine once you’re eating dirt, you dirty old man.” Naruto snarled

“Oh come on, I did this for your benefit. I know that you aren’t too thrilled about using that chakra but it was necessary.” Jiraiya said

“How so?”

“Naruto, you will face obstacles that you will need that chakra to overcome. I can’t really explain right now but trust me that you will need the Kyuubi’s help.” Naruto sighed at that. It seems like he will have to think about it.

“Fine but that doesn’t mean you’re off the hook. You threw me off a cliff and you will pay for that.” Naruto said

“Oh yeah and what can you do?” Jiraiya asked with a smile.

“Him, little. Me, a lot of painful memories.” Jiraiya’s body went ridged and began to sweat. He didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. The large shadow that covered him told him who it was. Naruto just smirked and looked up.

“He’s all yours Bunta-sama.” Naruto said

“Thank you Naruto.” Gamabunta said. Jiraiya looked at the smirking blond and growled.

“I will make you pay for this brat.” He threatened

“Perhaps but you’ll be in the hospital for quite a while before you do. Oh, hope you don’t mind but I sent a clone to Anko-oneesan and old man Hokage about this little training exercise.” The loud cries of ‘WHAT’ sailed through the air. “Later Ero-sennin.” Naruto said and left the white hair man to his faith.

“Any last words Jiraiya?” Gamabunta asked his henchman

“Have mercy?” he asked

“Not happening.” Gamabunta pounced on the toad hermit.

-----

Naruto sat in his apartment and was thinking about what Jiraiya had said. He really didn’t understand what Jiraiya was talking about. Were there people after him? If they were, then why? Was it because of the fox? There were so many questions running through his head that it hurt. He sighed and laid back of his bed. He closed his eyes and let himself fall to sleep. When he opened it again, he was back in that sewer. He grumbled and walked toward the evil feeling. It didn’t take him long to meet up with the fox.

“What do you want?” Naruto demanded

“SUCH HOSTILITIY, TO THINK I SAVED SUCH AN UNGRATEFUL BRAT!” The Kyuubi said

“Hooray, you actually did something good. Maybe you’ll go to heaven.” He replied sarcastically. The Kyuubi narrowed his eyes at him.

“IT WAS AMUSING WHEN WE MET BUT ITHAS BECOME QUITE TIRESOME! YOU WILL KNOW YOUR PLACE BOY! I CAN MAKE IT A VERY DIFFICULT ETERINTY FOR YOU!”

“Oh, am I annoying you? Well tough, I’ve had to put up with you for thirteen years. Get use to it.”

“WHATEVER! NOW, FOR THE REASON I BROUGHT YOU HERE, THE WAY I SEE IT IS THAT OUR SURVIVAL REST ON YOU. WHILE YOU HAVE GOTTEN STRONGER, THESE ENEMIES THAT THE PERVERT SPOKE OF MUST BE ON A DIFFERENT LEVEL. SO, I WILL ALLOW YOU TO USE MY CHAKRA AS LONG AS I STAY ALIVE.”

“So, I’m like your bodyguard or something?”

“IF YOU WANT TO SEE IT THAT WAY, THEN YES. BESIDES, WITH MY CHAKRA YOU WILL BE INVINCIBLE!”

“Like I care, I’ll be invincible on my own.”

“SO, DO WE HAVE A DEAL?”

“For now, I don’t trust you, hell I don’t like but if what you think is true then I’ll need all the firepower I can get. Just know this, the second we are out of danger I’m going to seal you furry ass so tightly that not even a slither of you chakra get out.”

“WE’LL SEE ABOUT THAT BOY. NOW, AS A REWARD, I’LL LET YOU IN ON SOMETHING. IT’S ABOUT THE GAARA KID.”

“Gaara? What about him?”

“IT WOULD BE WISE TO WATCH OUT FOR HIM. HE WILL KILL THAT BOY.”

“What are you talking about? Why would he try and kill Lee?”

“IT’S BECAUSE OF THE DEMON INSIDE OF HIM.” Naruto eyes went wide at that. “THE BOY HOLDS THE SHUKAKU NO ICHIBI (One-Tailed Demon Tanuki)! I NOTICED WHEN YOU TWO FIRST MET. SHUKAKU IS NOT EXCATLY STABLE AND IT SHOWS IN THAT RED-HEAD. DIDN’T YOU NOTICE HOW HIS SAND AUTOMATICILY PROTECTED HIM? IT IS ONE OF HER ABILITIES! THERE IS ALSO THE FACT THAT THE BOY LOOKS LIKE HE HASN’T SLEPT IN A VERY LONG TIME.”

“All right, he’s not stable but what does this have to do with Lee?” Naruto asked

“MY GUESS IS THAT THE BOY HAS NEVER BEEN HURT BEFORE! THE BOY WILL GO AFTER HIM SOONER OR LATER!”

“Jeez, don’t you sound concern.” He said. He laid his head on his pillow before letting sleep claim him.

-----

Sakura walked toward Lee’s room. After she was given a clean bill of health, she had gone to see the overly excited boy. Ino had filled her in on what happened to him and she made time to go see him. She didn’t have too much to do with her teammates training and all. The first time he was training despite his injuries. It took her and three nurses to stop him and places him back in bed. Since then she had kept watch on him to make sure that he didn’t train. As a thank you, the nurses gave her a scroll on basic first-aid. She was reading it when she felt something behind her. Training with Naruto, had increased her awareness so she was quite surprised to see the Suna ninja, Gaara. The red-head was holding his head and mumbling. Sakura gulped but stayed firm and slowly reached for a kunai.

“May I help you?” she asked. Gaara’s eyes flashed and thrust his hand forward. Sakura had no time as she was slammed into the wall with big impact. She groaned and struggled to get up. She watched as he moved toward Lee. “What do you think you’re doing?” she groaned. Gaara ignored her and watched as he sand covered the injured boy. Before he could do the deed, he was stopped by an invisible force. Then a kunai was on his neck. Sakura saw who the two were.

“Shikamaru! Naruto!” she exclaimed. Gaara turned to see Naruto. He was shocked to see the boy’s red eyes. He also felt killer intent coming from him. Perhaps he shouldn’t have written the guy off at first.

“I will only say this once. You either get control the Shukaku or you and she will be going to the next world. Don’t think your armor with protect you.” Naruto threatened. Gaara was shocked that he knew about his demon but didn’t show it. He could probably kill him but the way the kunai was held he would kill him as well. Gaara retracted his sand and placed his cork back on his gourd. Naruto looked to Shikamaru and the boy released him. The two locked eyes with each other.

“It was a mistake to ignore you. I will kill you and prove my existence.” Gaara threatened

“We’ll see. First the Hyuuga, then you.” Naruto said with conviction. Gaara scoffed and walked out the room. Naruto’s eyes returned to its normal color. He sighed and released the breath that he was holding. Why were the gods so cruel to him?

-----