Naruto 1. Chapter 1

Note:

_Please excuse some of the grammatical errors, English isn't my best subject._

_I clearly don't own Naruto._

_This is my first story; I'll see how it goes with people and then I'll move from there._

**Chapter One:**

From the Shadows

The sun begins to rise over a lifeless Konoha. Silence encompasses the land, as no one is ready to begin the day. Groggy ninja start their daily routines, unaware of the impending threat. For the past few months, the Village Hidden in the Leaves has enjoyed a calm, serene lifestyle. No war, no border conflicts, not even so much as an S-rank mission, just your standard, everyday run-of-the-mill missions. No one was expecting the trouble waiting right around the corner.

Slowly rising from a deep sleep, Nara Shikamaru stared at his alarm clock. It read 6:00 AM, displayed in bright red letters. "How troublesome," he yawned. Shikamaru had to fill in for Izumo and Kotetsu, who apparently needed time off from tediously watching the gate every day. After finishing getting ready, Shikamaru slowly trudged his way downstairs and out the door. As he reached the gate and sat down, he said aloud, "Here's hoping nothing will happen today, I really need some sleep, I am so overworked." He slumped down in the nearest chair and shut his eyes.

Walking down the main path to Konoha, a boy dressed in a blue cloak approached the main gate. He stood slightly over six feet tall, and was a bit on the large side. Not overweight, he was just husky and built that way. He wore khaki colored shorts, with pockets and pouches for various items. His face wasn't visible, hiding underneath the hood of the cloak. The most distinguishing figure, however, was not a part of him. Rather, a large sword strapped to his back, easily longer than his torso, which stuck out behind his shoulder and below his hip. Sheathed in black leather, the hilt was the only part visible, and it seemed to be made of some unidentifiable material, which was jet black, adorned only with a sapphire, slightly below the blade. A dark aura surrounded him; it seemed to emanate from what appeared to be a black tattoo on his neck, near the base of his skull. The tattoo was an intricate design, consisting of flowing lines that made the shape of a set of wings. Through the morning mist he appeared before the front gate of Konoha.

Standing there as still as possible, he called out, "You should release your jutsu, it's rather obnoxious."

"Sorry, I can't do that, something gives me a bad feeling about you," Shikamaru said as he stepped out from behind the bushes.

"Why do you say that, I'm merely a lone traveler looking for some breakfast. By the way, you wouldn't happen to know of any good coffee shops around here would you?"

"I highly doubt an individual with chakra levels as high as yours would be a mere traveler," stated Shikamaru, suspiciously eyeing the boy. He thought to himself, "I've never sensed this much chakra in my life, I could be in big trouble if this guy decides to fight back."

"Could you please let me go? I don't want to break this bind by force, I just want some food."

"State your business in Konoha."

"Huh, so this is Konoha, I wondered when I'd pass it by."

"Answer my question," Shikamaru said again, becoming slightly more agitated.

"Ugggh, you won't let me go, will you? Fine, I'll make you let me go, but don't say I didn't warn you."

"Shit, what's this guy gonna do?" Shikamaru thought.

As with most days, Naruto spent his time training in the outskirts of Konoha. Today was no exception, and Naruto had been training for a couple hours, until he decided it was time to get breakfast. Strolling through the streets of Konoha, he overheard a group of ANBU discussing something about a late report from the front gate. He thought nothing of it and continued looking for food. He decided on eating at Ichiraku's, as was customary. "Finally, I get something good to eat," he eagerly exclaimed.

The boy laid Shikamaru against a tree right next to his outpost. "Hopefully he will wake up in a few minutes, leaving me plenty of time to go in and find someplace that serves breakfast." The boy walked past the massive gate and into Konoha. Approximately five minutes later, Shikamaru awoke, clutching his head. "What the hell happened, I just remember looking into his eyes before I blacked out?" He staggered to his feet. Looking around, he noticed that the boy was gone. "Shit, where'd he go!?" Two ANBU stood before him, "What happened, Tsunade sent us to check on you since you didn't send your report?"

"We have to hurry!" he yelled, "There's an intruder in Konoha!" The two ANBU went back to report to Tsunade, while Shikamaru began frantically searching Konoha for the intruder. A few streets over, the boy was sitting in a coffee shop, quietly enjoying the peace the town had to offer. Sitting outside under the balcony from the building, the boy kept watch on the passing ANBU. After sipping the last of his coffee, the boy got up, stretched, and continued on his way. Meanwhile, Naruto had just finished his breakfast and was headed back to train. Walking down the street, he saw Shikamaru. "Hey Shikamaru, what's up?" He noticed that Hinata, Kiba, and Shino were with him as well. "What are you guys up to?"

"Naruto, perfect timing, we were all just about to go find the intruder," Kiba said.

"What are you talking about?" said Naruto with a confused look on his face.

"Earlier this morning Shikamaru came into contact with an extremely powerful ninja who knocked him out cold, and we believe he entered the village."

"Is he a threat?" asked Hinata.

"Right now all we know is what Shikamaru has described to us concerning his appearance," Shino impassively stated.

"What are we standing here for, then, we have to go find him!" exclaimed Naruto, waving a fist in the air.

The hooded figure sat atop the Hokage monument, lazily eyeing a hawk overhead. He sensed an incredible chakra nearing him, very similar to his own, very _sinister. _"Well, this is interesting," he thought as the chakra signature drew closer. He stood up and walked into the clearing, and turned around.

"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!!" Naruto screamed as he leapt in front of the cloaked individual. Shikamaru, Kiba, Shino, and Hinata were right behind him, and all five, including Naruto's numerous shadow clones, surrounded the blue clothed being. "Who are you?" asked Naruto. "You can't escape, you're surrounded," stated Shikamaru. Shino had his bugs at the ready and Hinata had her Byakugan activated, scanning her foe. "This is strange," Hinata said. "What do you mean, Hinata?" Kiba asked. "His chakra, he has two systems, it's like another separate entity, and an incredibly powerful one too."

"Who are you?" Naruto asked again, only becoming more impatient.

"No one you should concern yourself with." he slowly began to remove his hood. "I'm just a normal person, for the most part." His brown hair laid flat on top of his head, and his most notable facial feature was his eyes. They were a bright, shining blue, almost exactly like Naruto's, but hid behind them a tortured soul, a life filled with sorrow and agony. He smirked at them, "I don't remember doing anything wrong, so I fail to see why you are here."

"Answer my question!" yelled Naruto.

"Very well, let me introduce myself, my name is Lance, and I mean you no harm." He yawned, "I was about to fall asleep, why'd you come and disturb me?"

"For one, you knocked me out with a genjutsu," responded a pissed Shikamaru. "You also failed to explain why you are here."

"Well allow me to elaborate, that is if you're willing to get rid of these pesky clones, they're annoying as hell."

"Fine, Naruto."

"Alright." the clones disappeared, one by one in a cloud of smoke. "Shino, Kiba, go inform the Hokage of our visitor, ask her what we should do." "Okay, let's go Shino."

Lance crossed his arms and walked over to Naruto. "What are you looking at?" Naruto growled. "Hmmm, nothing, nothing at all."

"Well, are you going to tell us why you are here?" asked an annoyed Shikamaru.

"I suppose, I don't see any harm in it," he paused. "Basically, I was just passing by, until you made a big deal about me making you uneasy. You started bitching at me, I knocked you out with a genjutsu, and then you get all pissy about it. I was planning on staying a day or two at a nice hotel, but so much for that. However, there has been a change in my plans, as you see I have found something here that has piqued my interests." He looked over at Naruto, who in return gave him a confused look. Naruto had been quiet the whole time, there was something different about this guy, something familiar, the look in his eyes had left him stumped. He kept thinking about what it could be, he couldn't quite place his finger on it. "In fact, I would like to have a word with the spiky- haired blonde kid over there." "You mean Naruto?" He strolled over to Naruto.

"What's up?" asked Lance. "Let's go for a walk, shall we?" Before Naruto could say a word, Lance grabbed his arm, made a hand seal, and the two melted into the shadows. "What the…?" Shikamaru, along with Hinata, now stood alone on top of the monument, they both ran off to the Hokage's tower. He had never been so confused in his life. He needed to warn Tsunade and find Lance and Naruto, before something could happen. "What would that guy want with Naruto?"

"This seems to be safe enough," said Lance. He and Naruto rose from the shadows near a pristine river.

"Let go!" Naruto yelled. Lance released his grip on Naruto's arm.

"I'm gonna kick your ass!" Naruto screamed.

"Calm down, I just want to talk."

"Why should I trust you?"

"Well, I suppose it wouldn't be wise to trust someone you just met. However, I would like to know more about what's sealed inside you." Naruto stood there, dumbfounded. "How does he know about the Kyuubi?" Naruto thought.

"I bet you're thinking, 'How does he know I have something sealed within me?', right?" Naruto looked even more confused, so much so that he was speechless.

"Yeah, but how did you…" Lance cut him off. "I have my ways. Besides, you might say I know a thing or two about your situation."

"Is that reason enough for you to hear me out?" Naruto stood motionless, then cast distressed eyes upon the ground.

"Judging by your unique chakra signature, I'd guess that you're a Jinchuuriki, right, with one of the tailed beasts within you."

"How did you figure it out?"

"As I said, I have my ways, but don't worry about it, a normal person wouldn't be able to tell, unless of course they've seen it."

"Come here and sit down with me, I'd like to have a little talk." Naruto obliged, but was still weary of Lance. "What did he mean by 'a normal person'?" thought Naruto.

Tsunade, along with Kiba, Shino, Hinata, Shikamaru, and Kakashi, stood in her office. "So what you're telling me is that Naruto is off with some guy named Lance who made his way into the village just this morning?" "That's right," said Shikamaru. He looked down, ashamed of himself for letting this happen. "Can you tell me where they are now?" "No, they just stepped into the shadows and disappeared without a trace." "Without a trace you say," said Kakashi. "That is rather interesting." "Alright, Kiba, Shino, Hinata, and Shikamaru, I want the four of you to form a squad and look for Naruto. Be careful, I don't know what we could be dealing with here. Dismissed." They temporary squad hurried out of Tsunade's office. "As for you, Kakashi, I want you to look for Naruto as well, seeing how you have superior tracking skills. Head to the monument first, have Pakkun pick up Naruto's scent. Once you have it, go and find Naruto. Don't engage the enemy until Shikamaru's team arrives, I want him subdued as quickly as possible, understood?" "Yes." "Very well, you may go." Kakashi opened the door and walked out.

Naruto and Lance sat next to one another underneath a large tree. It was now almost night time; the last of the sun was setting. "So, do any of your friends know about your furry acquaintance?" asked Lance. The two had been talking for a couple of hours, mostly Naruto explaining his childhood and life in general as a vessel. Lance was someone Naruto felt comfortable with, someone he believed truly understood what he went through, someone who didn't judge him. Naruto looked at the ground, sorrow apparent in his eyes.

"I don't think anyone other than Sai or Sakura know, and they've kept quiet about it. I really wished they didn't know. In the midst of a battle once, I lost control and went up to the fourth-tailed state. I hurt Sakura, she has a scar on her arm; I still can't forgive myself for what I did to her." Naruto looked depressed. "Do you think I should tell them?"

"Well, I typically would say no, but then again I don't know your friends that well, so it's difficult for me to know. I don't know how they would react."

"Yeah…"

"But don't let it get you down; at least you've kept yourself under control since then." Lance smiled.

"You're right!" Naruto perked up again.

"Hmmm, this boy could be trouble if he decides to fight back, what do you think we should do, Shikamaru?" Kakashi had picked up Naruto's scent using Pakkun and now he, Shikamaru, Shino, Kiba, and Hinata were hiding in some nearby trees. "I don't know, Naruto seems to trust him, maybe we could just persuade him to come with us." "Let's try that first, but Hinata, Kiba, Shino; you three stay back in case we need you, this guy looks tough." "Understood," they replied in unison. Kakashi and Shikamaru leapt down and crept over slowly to where they were sitting.

"I'm getting hungry, how about you?" asked Lance.

"Yeah, I know a great place we can go!" Lance and Naruto stood up and began to walk off. Lance stopped in his tracks.

"Aww, god damnit, not this again." whined Lance.

"What is it?" asked Naruto. Shikamaru and Kakashi stepped into the clearing.

"Kakashi-sensei, Shikamaru, what are you doing here?"

"This guy could be trouble Naruto, Tsunade wants to see him." said Kakashi.

"Why, he's a nice guy."

"That may be true, but still, we need to take him to see the Hokage."

"Couldn't you have just asked?"

"….."

"I'll ask him now." Kakashi neared Lance.

"Boom," whispered Lance. Lance had created a shadow clone before Shikamaru could get him; it exploded as Kakashi approached.

"An exploding shadow clone!?" said Shikamaru. By this time, Hinata, Kiba, and Shino had appeared, prepped for battle. Kakashi popped out of the ground. Lance slowly rose from the shadow behind Naruto. He grabbed the hilt of his sword, ready to unsheathe it any moment.

"Naruto, get away from him he's dangerous!" yelled Hinata. Lance laughed.

"Tch. This should be fun, five against one."

"Are you stupid, you can't beat them all." Naruto told Lance.

"We'll have to see about that, besides, I wanna have some fun. If you don't wanna fight, then watch."

"Whatever." Naruto, usually one for fighting, sat under a tree. He had a feeling that Lance wasn't serious about fighting them. He instead opted to watch.

"Fuuton: Slicing Breeze" Lance grasped his right wrist and began to focus chakra. The wind picked up.

"Everyone, keep an eye out for him." stated Kakashi. Lance forced a blast of wind towards the group. They anticipated a large, deadly gust. But they only felt a slight breeze.

"What was that?" Kiba asked in a mocking tone. Lance turned red in the face. He couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Hahahahahahaha!" Lance burst out laughing. Naruto soon followed.

"I got you soooo good!" Lance said between bouts of laughter.

"What are you talking about!" Kiba yelled furiously. He didn't notice that Shikamaru, Kakashi, and Hinata were red in the face as well, but for another reason.

"Look at your clothes." Naruto kept laughing in the background, rolling on the ground. Kiba looked down, and stared at what he saw. Akamaru whined. He quickly ran to cover himself. Since he was out front, he got the worst of it. His clothes were in tatters, as was everyone else's, he was almost naked. Lance and Naruto slowed their laughter. Shino, who had stayed back, was unharmed. His bugs reformed the clone that was broken apart by the wind. "Ohh man, that never gets old." Lance wiped a tear from his eye. He and Naruto high-fived each other. They stood there, regaining their composure. Hinata passed out, and the group fled, Shino carrying Hinata. "Naruto be careful, we still don't know this guy, keep an eye on him," Kakashi whispered, before fleeing.

"I would've never guessed you were a prankster."

"I find it extremely entertaining to laugh at others misfortune." Lance said. "I sent them packing."

"Yeah, but you know, we really should go see grandma Tsunade," Naruto explained.

"Alright let's go, you lead the way."

As the duo entered Tsunade's office he yelled, "Hey grandma Tsunade!" Lance chuckled at Naruto's nickname for the Hokage. Tsunade looked up from her paperwork. "Stop calling me that!" She noticed a boy standing next to Naruto. "Let me guess, you're the one causing an uproar in my village," she directed at Lance. "I dunno." At this time, Kakashi, Shikamaru, Shino, Hinata, and Kiba walked in. "Hey you guys, no hard feelings, right?" They glared at Lance. "I'm pretty sure he's the one," Tsunade muttered under her breath. "Hey, hey grandma, this is Lance." Naruto excitedly said. Lance looked back over at Tsunade. He stared at Tsunade. Arching an eyebrow he asked Naruto, "Why do you call her grandma? She looks like she's in her thirties." "She's actually in her fifties," Naruto stated.

"No she's not, is she?" Lance looked confused. Naruto nodded. Lance turned around to the group behind them. He received glares from everyone other than Kakashi, who was standing there with his nose in his erotic novel; the Icha Icha series. He put his hand behind his head. "Okay then, I'll just uhhhh…" He turned back around. "So you're like a MILF or something?" Naruto stared at Lance, mouth agape, astonished faces replaced those previously held by death glares. Even Kakashi looked up from his book; a usually calm face was replaced with disbelief. Lance noticed this and said, "What's the problem?" However, he didn't notice an unusually calm Tsunade rise from her seat. She walked over towards Lance. "The calm before the storm," muttered Kakashi, who put his book down; waiting to see what would happen. Everyone knew Tsunade had an incredibly short fuse and Lance just lit it. Akamaru cowered in a corner. Shizune, who had just opened the door, took one look inside, and promptly shut it and walked back down the hall. Kiba snickered, "He's gonna get it, finally, payback." Lance turned to face Tsunade. She smiled the sweetest of smiles. He smiled back. "Hello," he said. Her face instantly disorted into one of the most sinister, angered faces he had ever seen. Hinata covered her eyes. Shino looked away. "Whoa, whoa ,whoa, can't we talk about this, Lance will apologize, right Lance?" Naruto nervously sputtered. "Apologize for what?" **BAM!! **Tsunade decked him with a chakra-infused fist. Lance flew back through the door, and smashed against the wall. He slid to the floor lying on his back, dazed. Tsunade stood over him. "Ouch." Kiba said. "Troublesome." The group nodded in unison. Lance shook his head and looked up. "Ahh, crazy bitch, that friggin hurt." He gingerly touched his face. Naruto stared again with disbelief. Even he had never talked to Tsunade like that before. "Either that guy's really ballsy, or really stupid." Kiba said. They peeked out the door, to a fuming Tsunade. "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY!!" "I said, 'crazy - bitch,- that - friggin - hurt,'." **THUD!! **Tsunade had slammed her foot into his stomach, sending him crashing through the floor; he landed with a sickening crunch on the ground. Tsunade jumped down. Naruto and the group followed like a bunch of school kids eagerly awaiting a playground fight. They stood off to the side. Tsunade picked Lance up by the shirt and shook him furiously. "WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, YOU SMUG LITTLE BASTARD!!" She wrapped his arm behind his back. He squirmed, trying to get away. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, lemme go."

"Say 'uncle'."

"Never!" She twisted his arm harder, until it almost broke.

"Alright, I give, uncle." She let him drop. He took a deep breath and stood up.

"Now, why are you here?"

"Like I said earlier, I found something rather interesting, and I would like to stay awhile." Tsunade studied him closely.

"I'm not sure."

"Please grandma, let him stay," Naruto pleaded with a puppy dog face. She couldn't resist.

"Alright, fine, but if anything happens, I'll come after you Naruto, got it." He nodded his head vigorously.

"Yeah, alright!!" Shikamaru and the rest of the group went outside.

"Come on Lance, let's go!" Naruto said, excitedly jumping up and down. He was like a little kid who just got an awesome Christmas present.

"Wait outside Naruto, be there in a sec," said Lance as he looked around. He noticed a few bottles of sake lying on the ground. He also noticed Tsunade rubbing her temples.

"I take it you're a drinker?" he asked.

"What of it?" she replied.

"Nothing, its just I feel kinda bad for what happened, so I was gonna make it up to you." She eyed Lance, who began rummaging through his cloak.

"Ah hah, here it is." He pulled out a bottle of the finest sake money could buy. Tsunade's eyes widened.

"I don't really like the stuff, but I didn't want to throw it out since it was so expensive, so here, you've earned it." He handed it to Tsunade, and ran outside and joined up with Naruto and the group.

"Maybe he's not so bad after all," Tsunade thought as they walked off into the streets.

"There you are," Naruto said. Lance's stomach grumbled.

"Dude, I'm so hungry right now." Naruto grabbed his stomach.

"Now that you mention, I haven't eaten since this morning." he whined. Shikamaru, Hinata, Shino, Kiba, and Kakashi were thinking the same thing. The group began to disband, searching for food.

"Wait up," Lance said. "Let's go to this Ichiraku place Naruto told me about, my treat. Think of it as paying you back for enduring my mischief." Naruto's eyes lit up, like he was going to explode.

"Yeeeeeaaaaaaahhhhhh!"

"That's pretty generous of you," Shikamaru said calmly.

"Yeah, are you sure you can afford it?" Kiba asked. Hinata was silent, blushing at Naruto's childish antics. Shino decided to head home.

"No problem," he said. He pulled out a wad of cash, "I think this should cover any and all expenses." Kakashi noticed that there was quite a large sum of money in just that single bunch.

"Whoa, where'd you get that kind of dough?" Naruto asked.

"Nowhere."

"Nowhere my ass, that single stack of cash could buy everything on Ichiraku's menu a hundred times over!" said an astonished Kiba. Shikamaru, like Kakashi, wondered where he could get enough cash to be throwing it around like that.

"Well, whatever, let's go eat, I'm starving." complained Naruto.

"I umm, I have to head home, umm, it's getting late."

"Are you sure, uhh, what's your name again?" Lance grinned.

"Oh, umm, it's H-Hinata," she quietly responded.

"Well Hinata, are you sure?"

"Yes, I'll see you guys later." Hinata quickly hurried off down the street and turned towards the Hyuuga mansion.

"Looks like its just the five of us."

"Actually, I should probably head home too, I have work that needs to be done," stated Kakashi. He disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Okay, down to just the four of us. Let's go."

Lance, Naruto, Kiba, and Shikamaru headed off to Ichiraku's together. The moon shone overhead, casting a soft glow over Konoha.


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own Naruto, obviously

_I don't own Naruto, obviously._

_I would appreciate reviews, but they're not necessary._

_Chapter 3 will be better._

**Chapter Two:**

The Konoha Eleven

Stacks of ramen bowls lined the counter at Ichiraku's. Kiba and Shikamaru had left after two bowls; it was getting late. Lance and Naruto sat there, contentedly full of ramen. Lance got up and paid the owner, who was graciously thanking him for the large tip. He promised that he would pay handsomely if Teuchi would keep the place open late so they could eat there fill. He obliged; he knew it was always worth it if Naruto was there. Lance walked outside and looked at the twinkling sky. He turned to face the counter. Naruto was snoring, chopsticks still in his hand; a puddle of drool on the counter. It was almost 2:00 AM.

"What are you going to do with him?" asked Teuchi.

"Tch. I guess he'll come with me. By the way, are there any nice hotels around here? I'm in need of a place to stay."

"Well, there's a five star hot springs resort off the main road, a little bit south of the Hokage's tower. It's kind of pricey, though."

"Awesome, thanks. See ya!" Lance hefted Naruto over his shoulder; Teuchi waved good-bye. Lance walked off into the night, Naruto still snoring loudly. He started to yawn, "Here it is." Lance walked up to the reception desk. An old woman walked over.

"A little late to be out, isn't it?" the old woman joked.

"Yeah, I guess it is. Do you guys have any rooms available?"

"Well, all of the cheaper rooms are occupied; we only have the Hokage's suite left."

"Great, I'll take it." The woman looked at Lance, confused.

"Can you afford it?" Lance used his free arm to dig through his cloak. He pulled out another wad of cash.

"Will this cover it?" she flipped through the money, then suspiciously eyed Lance. He stood there smiling, Naruto still asleep over his shoulder.

"I suppose, this'll get you about a week." She walked over and grabbed a key hanging on the wall. "Follow me." She directed Lance out another door, who had to adjust Naruto. They walked up a few stairs, turned a few corners, and arrived at the room.

"Here we are," she said as she handed over the keys to Lance.

"Thanks," he unlocked the door and went in. He walked down the hall, and put Naruto down on the bed in the master bedroom. He then locked the front door; Lance sighed, and then walked out to the balcony, not even bothering to examine the suite. He sat there in silence and gazed up at the sky.

The sun rose slowly over Konoha, casting its light over the villagers. Lance, still out on the balcony, opened his eyes. "Morning already?" he thought. His sword glistened in the morning sun. He stood up and strapped it to his back. He stepped back into the suite and into the master bedroom. He crouched on the bed and stared at Naruto. "Wake up," he said in a low tone. Naruto rolled over. "Wake up," he said, only slightly louder this time. No response; Naruto kept snoring. "Heavy sleeper, eh? We'll see about that." He walked over to the side of the bed, grabbed the mattress, and flipped it over like a pancake. Naruto fell to the floor in heap, surrounded by pillows and blankets.

"WHAT THE HELL!" he yelled.

"Ohh, you're awake." said Lance, standing over Naruto with his arms crossed. Naruto looked around the room.

"Where am I?" he inquired.

"Hot spring resort, south part of town. I brought you here last night."

"Why?" Naruto clambered to his feet.

"You fell asleep at the restaurant, remember. You wouldn't wake up and I don't know where you live; I couldn't leave you, so I checked into this resort with you over my shoulder." Naruto grinned sheepishly.

"I guess this will be where I'll stay in Konoha, unless I find a more permanent residence." Naruto and Lance yawned simultaneously.

"Let's go," said Lance.

"Where are we going?" asked Naruto.

"First we're going to get coffee, and then you're going to show me around the village."

"Why would I do that?"

"Tell you what, you show me around today, and later we'll spar, how's that sound?" Naruto excitedly leaped in the air. He hadn't fought anyone in a long time.

"Yeah!" Naruto grabbed Lance and dragged him out the door.

Across town, in a local coffee shop, conversations were held between Sakura, Ino, Hinata, Shikamaru, and Chouji. Shikamaru and Chouji frequented the coffee shop, neither of them was a morning person. As for Hinata, Ino, and Sakura; they came here every Sunday to just get together and talk about stuff. Typically, Tenten would accompany them, but she was off with Team Gai. Shikamaru and Chouji had just ordered their drinks when Ino spotted them and called them over. The five of them sat together in lounge chairs in a corner. "So Shikamaru, Chouji; anything interesting going on? Ino asked.

"Not really," responded Chouji.

"What about you Shikamaru?" Ino prodded.

"I guess, maybe. Yesterday there was this guy who came into the village, caused an uproar. Said his name was Lance; carries a big, black sword. Brown hair, blue eyes; kinda acts like Naruto. Hinata was there, do you remember anything else about him Hinata?"

"He seemed O.K., but there was something strange about him, I can't describe it," Hinata squeaked.

"No doubt, he knocks me out with a genjutsu, pulls a prank on us, and buys us dinner. Definitely an odd guy." Shikamaru took a sip of his coffee and leaned back into the chair. "He seems to like Naruto a lot, and the same goes for Naruto. They hit it off pretty well."

"So, is he hot?" asked an inquisitive Sakura. Shikamaru began to cough; almost spitting out his coffee.

"Why would you ask me?!" Sakura blushed and Ino giggled.

"Sorry."

"Why don't you ask Hinata, she saw him too."

"So, is he hot?" Ino asked.

"I ummm, he, well I mean, ummm, he has nice eyes," she stammered.

"Wow Hinata, that's all you can say?" She blushed at Ino's comment.

"Don't ask her that, Ino. We all know who Hinata thinks is hot." Sakura said with a sly grin.

"Sakura!" she chimed in. Chouji wasn't paying attention; he was on his fourth cup of coffee. Shikamaru smirked at her remark. The five continued their conversation about Lance and Naruto.

Across town, Naruto and Lance jumped from rooftop to rooftop. "Where are we going?" Naruto looked back. "We're going to the local coffee shop, everyone hangs out there, and it might be a good place to start." Lance put more chakra in his jump and soared past Naruto. "Come on slowpoke, I need coffee." This enraged Naruto, who sped up to catch up with him. Lance, who coincidentally stopped on the roof of the coffee shop said, "Mmmm, I smell coffee." He stuck his nose in the air. "Watch out!!" Naruto yelled as he crashed into Lance. The two fell off the roof in an entwined mess and landed in front of the shop with a loud crash. People in the streets stared at them.

"Did you hear that?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yeah, what was it?" said Chouji.

"Let's go see, it was right outside." said Sakura.

The four walked outside to a cloud of dust. Naruto lay on top of Lance; they were both seeing stars and were too dazed to move. The dust began to clear.

"Speak of the devil," stated Shikamaru.

"So this is who you were talking about?" asked Sakura.

Hinata looked over at the pile of Lance and Naruto, "Yes."

The first words out of Ino's mouth were, "He looks average." Chouji walked up beside them with a pastry in his hand.

"What'd I miss?"

Lance came to his senses first. "Get off of me!!" He tried shoving Naruto over.

Naruto groaned, "Uggghhh, my head."

"Get your ass outta my face!" Naruto rolled off of Lance and stood up. Lance stood up and dusted himself off.

"What was that!?" yelled Naruto.

"Whaddya mean, you smashed into me!" Shikamaru, Sakura, Ino, Hinata, and Chouji just stood and watched the bickering.

"You're the one who stopped to smell the coffee!" At the mention of coffee, Lance bolted inside. He came out a few seconds later with two large coffees.

"He got over that pretty quick," whispered Sakura.

"Here you go," he offered the coffee to Naruto. He took the coffee from Lance, who had half of his already gone. They hadn't noticed the five shinobi standing to the side watching them.

"That was fast," said Chouji. Naruto looked over to where the group was standing.

"Hi guys!" Naruto waved and ran over to them. "Have you met…Where'd he go?" Naruto didn't see Lance. Lance popped up next to him, with a coffee in each hand.

"What's up?" said Lance, drinking his coffee.

"Where'd you go?" asked a surprised Naruto.

"Got more coffee, this Konoha brew is awesome."

"So, aren't you going to introduce us, Naruto?" asked an inquisitive Chouji.

"Oh yeah, this is Lance. Lance, that's Chouji, and the blonde is Ino, and the girl with pink hair is Sakura. You remember Shikamaru and Hinata, right?

"Yeah, it's a pleasure to meet you all." Lance chugged his coffee and began eyeing Naruto's. He snaked around Naruto and snatched his coffee.

"Hey, I wasn't done with that!" yelled Naruto.

"What're you going to do about it?" Lance quickly consumed Naruto's coffee. He started twitching slightly; he had downed about a gallon of coffee in less than fifteen minutes.

"I'm bored, you wanna spar now Naruto?"

"Man, this guy has a shorter attention span than you, Naruto." said Shikamaru.

"Yeah, he should cut down on the coffee." Chouji added.

"Not now, I wanna hang out with everyone."

"What are you, a pussy?" Naruto faced Lance, eyes ablaze; Lance smirked.

"Gotcha," he thought to himself. Naruto looked ready to burst.

"Here it comes," thought everyone.

"I"LL KICK YOUR ASS, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE!!"

"Right now, wherever you want."

"C'mon, follow me, I know the perfect place." Naruto leapt to the nearest rooftop, quickly followed by Lance. The two were gone in a flash.

"I can't believe he fell for it."

"Moron."

Hinata spoke up, "I think we should follow them, they might hurt one another."

"Good point, let's go." Sakura and Hinata started off.

"Should we go too?" asked Ino.

"Yeah."

"Troublesome." Shikamaru, Ino, and Chouji hurried off to catch up with Hinata and Sakura. Meanwhile, Kiba and Shino were sparring close to where Lance and Naruto were. They hadn't noticed the two race past them. They did, however, notice Hinata and Sakura coming up fast. "Where are you guys going in such a hurry?" Kiba asked.

"Lance and Naruto are going to duke it out; were going to make sure they don't kill each other."

"Aw dude, sweet, c'mon Shino, let's go watch."

"Very well." The four continued on their way to watch Naruto and Lance. They arrived in a large, open area; Team 7's old training grounds. In the middle, Lance and Naruto stared at each other.

"You ready?"

"You know it."

"Then the first move is yours, this is your home turf after all."

Naruto ran forward, "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. Upwards of a thousand clones appeared. They covered half of the field. "Not so high and mighty now, are we?" Lance smirked, "Shadow Clones, eh? Two can play at that game." An equal amount of clones appeared on Lance's side of the field.

"I-Im-Impossible, nobody can make as many clones as Naruto!" Sakura stammered. The group on the side stood with jaws agape, not able to comprehend what they were seeing. It was at this time that Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji arrived. "Did Lance make those!?" Shikamaru was shocked, he was right; this guy did have a ton of chakra.

"Whoa," was all Kiba could say. Ino and Hinata looked in awe at the sight before them. Chouji was stuffing his face with potato chips.

Naruto was surprised, he had never seen anyone make as many clones as him, "Awesome, this fight is gonna rock!"

On the sidelines Sakura asked, "Why does he have some clones separate from the rest?"

"I think I know why," said Shikamaru. "When we fought him earlier, I thought I had caught him in my Shadow Possession Jutsu. He didn't resist, which I thought was strange. Anyway, as Kakashi got closer to him, he exploded. Rather, I should say his clone exploded. My guess is that he keeps them separate so that the blast doesn't take down any of his clones."

"Naruto, be careful, some of those clones can explode!" Sakura yelled.

The army of Naruto's charged, colliding with Lance's army. Lance and Naruto both stood back, each on their respective sides. "Boom." Lance's exploding clones erupted, causing an earth shaking explosion. Both armies were simultaneously destroyed, and Naruto was blown back against a tree. Hinata cringed as she heard a sickening crunch. Naruto lay at the base of the tree, coughing. He stood back up, wiped the blood from the corners of his mouth and resumed fighting. "Not bad." He made one more clone. Lance rushed across the field as a sky blue sphere formed in Naruto's palm. He charged towards Lance. "RASENGAN!" Unaware of what the Rasengan was, Lance kept on his toes.

"You'd think Naruto would use a different move every once in a while," noted Kiba.

"Why bother, it gets the job done."

Naruto leapt into the air, and moved towards Lance. He stood still. "Gotcha." Naruto's Rasengan slammed into the ground, making a large crater. It was empty. "I missed, how?" Lance appeared behind Naruto in a flash. "Body Flicker." He rammed his foot into Naruto's side, sending him tumbling across the ground. "What was that, I couldn't even see him?" said Ino. Lance walked over to Naruto, who was laying in a heap on the ground. "Poof," he disappeared in a cloud of smoke. "Shadow Clone!" Lance jumped into the air as quick as possible. "Too slow." The sphere grazed his leg, leaving a half inch wound seeping blood. Lance awkwardly landed a few feet from Naruto. "Not bad yourself," Lance said. He stood and faced Naruto, who noticed that the wound was almost healed. "What the…how did you heal that quickly?"

"There's more to me than meets the eye."

The pace of the fight continued for about a half hour longer. Sakura, Hinata, and Shikamaru were the only ones who stayed to watch; Shikamaru was asleep under a tree. Kiba and Shino left to spar on their own, and Ino had to help out at the flower shop. Naruto was sent flying by one of Lances' attacks, he landed on all fours. Lance was fairly beat up, but Naruto was another story. He was getting frustrated and was running dangerously low on chakra. When Lance noticed that Naruto hadn't moved from his spot on the ground, he walked over to check on him. "Naruto, hey Naruto, you alright?" Red chakra slowly began leaking from his body. Sakura and Hinata were lying on the ground, watching the clouds and talking about relationships in the village. Lance put a hand on Naruto's shoulder, trying to get him to snap out of it. "**ROOOOOOOAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR!!"** Red chakra was violently swirling around Naruto. Lance leapt back, wondering what was happening. Sakura and Hinata were abruptly startled, immediately jumping to their feet. They immediately saw the Demon Fox's cloak envelope Naruto. Three tails made themselves visible. Naruto's eyes turned blood red and his pupils became slits. His canines grew longer, as did his nails. The lines on his face were more defined; he took on a feral appearance.

"No, Naruto!!" Sakura screamed. "Hinata, stay here, watch Naruto, I need to get help. Go wake up Shikamaru!" Sakura ran to find Yamato and Kakashi as fast as her legs could carry her. Hinata raced over to Shikamaru, shaking violently.

"Shikamaru, SHIKAMARU!" He instantly awoke and jumped to his feet, sensing that something was wrong.

"Wha-What's wrong?"

"It's Naruto, something's wrong with him," she said, her eyes on the verge of tears. Naruto had begun transforming to his fourth-tailed state.

"Where is he?!" Hinata pointed to a black sphere, radiating an evil, burning chakra.

"What is that, what's going on?!" Shikamaru began frantically thinking about what was happening.

"I don't know, he started acting strange all of the sudden." Hinata and Shikamaru watched from a distance, unaware what had befallen Naruto.

Sakura ran straight to Tsunade's office, hoping Kakashi would be nearby. She burst in the door, panting heavily. Fortunately, Kakashi, as well as Team Gai, who had just returned from a mission, turned to see what was wrong. Kakashi spoke first, "What's wrong Sakura?" She managed to catch her breath.

"Where's Captain Yamato? Naruto is…" she cut herself off when she noticed Team Gai staring at her. Kakashi understood, Gai as well; they exchanged knowing glances. Lee, Neji, and Tenten gave their sensei's confused looks.

"I'll explain on the way, let's go."


	3. Chapter 3

This should hopefully be the best chapter; no promises

_This should hopefully be the best chapter; no promises._

**Chapter Three:**

The Truth is Revealed

Team Gai , Kakashi, and Sakura raced towards the training grounds.

"Where's Yamato?" Sakura frantically asked.

"He and Sai are on a mission, they won't be back for at least two more days." Kakashi had a grim look on his face. Sakura was stunned; she knew Yamato was the only one who could stop Naruto. Team Gai was a few paces behind Kakashi and Sakura.

"Gai-sensei, what happened to Naruto?" asked Lee, concerned for his friend.

"I as well am confused as to what is happening." added Neji. Neji had noticed the somber expression on Gai's face, something he only saw in the direst of circumstances. Gai didn't reply.

"Please Gai-sensei, tell us what has happened to our good friend Naruto," Lee asked, confused as to why Gai didn't answer him. Kakashi looked back at Gai.

"It's not my place to say," said Gai, very perturbed. At this response, even Tenten, who considered herself an acquaintance to Naruto, became intrigued. Not for Naruto's sake, but more as to why Gai was acting strangely. Lee and Neji kept quiet, they had never seen Gai like this before, and he knew something they didn't. Lee was about to speak again when a look from Neji made him think otherwise. "**BOOOOM!!" **An explosion in the distance caught everyone's attention.

"What could that have been?"

"I don't know Lee," Neji responded.

"We have to hurry," Kakashi stated gravely. The group doubled their speed; the training ground was in view. Kiba and Shino had apparently heard the explosion as well; they joined alongside Kakashi and Sakura.

"Hey, you guys heard that, right?" asked Kiba.

"Yes, we're going there now to see what's wrong. Something happened to Naruto," Neji said. "Byakugan!" Veins popped out of Neji's forehead. Akamaru started whimpering. They landed next to Hinata and Shikamaru, who were hiding behind a tree.

Lee looked around, "Where's Naruto?"Neji was studying a powerful chakra system hidden in the dust. The dust began to clear, and a low, growling noise could be heard. Four tails were swishing violently, and two white eyes stared malevolently at them; sending shivers through the group. Kakashi looked down and closed his eyes, Gai stepped beside him.

"Wha-what is that thing!?" Lee looked in awe, Neji as well; Kiba took a few steps back, as did Tenten. Shino stood motionless, watching from the shadows. It was a terrible sight to behold.

Kakashi looked up with a solemn expression, "That's Naruto." Gasps escaped everyone's mouths. Tears streamed down Hinata's cheeks. Everyone was speechless. There sat Naruto, at the bottom of a crater, with four tails, white eyes, and covered in blood. Kakashi saw something stir behind Naruto, so did Gai.

"There's someone down there!"

"Who?"

"It's that Lance guy, he's been holding off Naruto," Shikamaru said unsmiling. Lance rose to his feet and used a Body Flicker to appear before Kakashi.

"We have a problem," he panted. Lance was bruised and battered, and had a large slash across his chest.

"I know," said Kakashi, watching Naruto, his Sharingan activated. Naruto sat there, growling.

"Does anyone know how to stop him?" asked Shikamaru.

"Yamato is the only one, and he isn't here."

"Can't we help him?" cried Hinata. Sakura went over to comfort her, tears in her eyes as well.

"There's nothing we can do, no one can stop him like this. We're going to have to hope he snaps out of it on his own."

Lance spoke up, "I might be able to find a way to stop him, I just need you to buy me some time. Can you do that?" Everyone focused their attention on Lance.

"Who are you?" Gai asked.

"No time to explain, just answer me!"

"What are you planning?" asked Kakashi.

"I don't know, yet. Just go." Lance took a knee on the ground. He closed his eyes. His consciousness faded to darkness.

"What's he doing?!" said a frenetic Shikamaru.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, it's our only hope. Gai, come with me, the rest of you, go get help." Kakashi and Gai leapt into the crater. Naruto extended a tail and began whipping it at Gai and Kakashi.

"We have to help them!" yelled Kiba.

"There's nothing we can do, we have to get help before we get killed!" Shikamaru glared at Kiba.

Neji agreed with Shikamaru, "He's right, Naruto's too powerful, I doubt even those two could stop him," as he looked at Gai and Kakashi.

"NARUTO!!"

Hinata reluctantly followed Kiba and Shino, who hated seeing there teammate in such distress. Sakura followed Hinata, and Team Gai brought up the rear. Kakashi and Gai were having it rough just avoiding Naruto's attacks.

"Kakashi, we can't fight him while not holding back, we'll get killed."

"Don't hold back."

"We don't want to hurt him, though."

"Don't worry, in his four-tailed state, Naruto is almost indestructible. We couldn't put a scratch on him even if we tried."

Gai began focusing chakra, his eyes turned white and his skin red, "Life Gate: Release!" Chakra surged out of Gai, who began a relentless assault on Naruto.

Lance awoke in a stone corridor; it was pitch black, except for a faint light at the end. Almost to dark to see, Lance ran towards the light, the sound of his shoes against the stone echoed throughout. He ran his hand against the cool, slick stone walls, trying to keep on track. He slowed down as he passed under a stone arch, inscribed with an unknown language. The temperature suddenly dropped, and chains began to rattle. Lance walked into a large, open room. He was greeted by a deep, sinister voice, yet eloquent voice, **"It's been awhile since you've been in here, boy."**

The voice came from behind a set of iron bars; a silhouette appeared on the ground. The shadow was cast by an undying flame, sitting atop a platform next to the iron bars. It shed enough light to illuminate the room and some of the cage. The silhouette spread its wings, and a hand beckoned Lance closer. He obeyed, and now stood directly in front of the cage. The figure lunged forward. "**CLINK**" The sound of the chain holding its captive tight reverberated through the room. Lance stood his ground.

"**My, my, this chain is a terrible nuisance. Do me a favor, would you, unlock the cage. I feel the urge to wreak havoc upon mortal souls." **

"Sorry, you know I can't do that. Besides I have more urgent matters to attend to. I need your help."

"**Well, what could I possibly do? Do you seek my power, boy?"**

"I need to know how to stop my friend's rampaging."

"**Ah yes, the Jinchuuriki; vessel for the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox. How quaint. Would I be correct in saying that it has manifested itself?"**

"Yeah, now how do I stop him?"

"**With a suppression jutsu, of course. But if memory serves, you have no such ability. Quite the conundrum, yes?**

"I know you know how to stop him, now tell me!"

"**Very well, your presence has appeased my boredom. As for the jutsu, it is quite simple; this is what you must do." **

Lance opened his eyes and stood up; he was in the same spot as earlier. It had only been a couple minutes on the outside after he entered his mindscape. He unsheathed his sword. The sword was a deep crimson; the blade itself was three feet in length. It glistened in the setting sun. Lance swiped his thumb across the tip. Kakashi and Gai were running ragged, they couldn't keep dodging and evading for much longer. Lance slid down the slope of the crater.

"I know how to stop him, just hold on a little longer." Kakashi looked at him suspiciously, but immediately came back to reality.

"We'll try."

"You need to get out of here as fast as you can when I give you a signal." He thrust his sword into the tender earth, and ran in a wide circle around Naruto; slicing the ground as he went. He cut across the diameter five times, turning at 36° angles. A circumscribed pentagram appeared, with Naruto in the center. At this point, Naruto expelled chakra from his body, and then compressed it into a small sphere. He swallowed it, and began to slowly expand.

"Go, NOW!"

Without hesitation, Kakashi and Gai leapt out of the crater and ran for cover. Lance drew a pentagram on his palm with blood; the pentagram on the ground began to glow a faint white, as well as the one on his palm. The chakra beam began forming at Naruto's mouth.

"FIVE ELEMENTS: DEMONIC STYLE SUPPRESSION!!" Black, shadowy hands arose from the five corners of the pentagram and grabbed Naruto, similar to Yamato's wooden pillars. Naruto fired right before the Kyuubi's chakra began to fade. Lance drew his sword, trying to block the chakra discharge. Too late, he managed to deflect the beam from his vitals, but it still tore a hole in his abdomen. Lance was sent spiraling from the impact; his body was sent up and out, into the trees. He snapped through two tree trunks before his momentum slowed. He fell in a heap on the forest floor, blood pouring from his open wound.

"There he is, get him on a stretcher!" Those were the last things he heard before slipping into a dark unconsciousness.

The rookie nine minus Sasuke, Team Gai, and their sensei's, minus Asuma, looked at the scene with confusion. Naruto and Lance were carried off on stretchers, each with heavy sustained damage. They stood in the crater, looking down the ravine created by Naruto's chakra beam. The sun had set; night encompassed the land, and an unbearable silence infused the air. Everyone went home, left to wonder about the day's events.

It was 3:00 AM; Lance awoke in a hospital bed, covered in bandages. "Ugggghhhh," he struggled to sit up. He looked around the unfamiliar room. He took the sheets off the bed with his one available hand and noticed he was only wearing a pair of boxers. "Where are my clothes?" He whispered to keep from drawing attention to himself. As he was looking around, he saw someone lying in a bed across the room. It was Naruto. He was bandaged as much as Lance and he was sound asleep. He couldn't help but smirk as Naruto snored and started making inappropriate gestures.

"Ohhh Sakura, Sakura, god yes Sakura." He apparently was having a very good dream. That's when it hit Lance, he didn't have his sword!

"Shit, where'd that thing go!" He frantically searched the room. After about five minutes, he reached the conclusion that it wasn't there. He staggered out of the room and into the dark hallway. He clumsily made his way to the front desk, and looked around behind the counter. A figure stepped out of the shadows.

"You looking for this?" Lance jerked up. Tsunade stood behind him, holding his sword, back in its sheath.

"Gimme that!" He lunged after the sword, but Tsunade kept it out of his reach. He was sweating profusely and could hardly stand, so he steadied himself on the counter.

"Keep it down." Tsunade reprimanded him in a stern whisper.

"Please. Give it to me."

"No, you have some explaining to do first."

"I have a feeling that there's going to be a lot of explaining to do tomorrow."

"Fair enough. Here you go." Tsunade handed over the sword. Lance unsheathed it to make sure it was O.K. Still in one piece, he put it back.

"Now, go back to your room, you shouldn't be walking around anyway."

Lance slowly made his way back to the infirmary. He slowly closed the door so he wouldn't wake Naruto. As he walked past the foot of Naruto's bed, he heard sheets rustle.

"Where'd you go?" Naruto watched Lance through the darkness.

"I went to get my sword back." Lance went over to his bed and sat down; he propped himself up against the back.

"So, why are you as messed up as me?"

"Your furry friend came out to say 'hi'."

"I thought so. Did I hurt any more of my friends?" Naruto was about to cry.

"No, not physically anyway. I get the feeling that we'll both have to explain ourselves tomorrow. It's gonna be a long day."

"What do you have to explain, you didn't do anything."

"Who do you think got you under control? Everyone was afraid since this Yamato person wasn't here, so I stepped up and took you down."

What, how?"

"Get some rest, I'll explain tomorrow." Naruto grunted and went back to sleep. Lance closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

This is going to be a short chapter

**Chapter Four:**

The Truth is Revealed-Part II

The morning sun cast its light over the sleeping hospital patients. The window was open, and a ray of light slowly made its way to Naruto's face. He squinted, groaned, and rolled back over.

"Wake up sleeping beauty," said Lance from across the room. Naruto groaned again.

"No, I don't wanna." He sounded like a little kid.

"C'mon, rise and shine."

"Don't make me flip the mattress over."

"Alright fine, god." Naruto sat up in bed. Lance hadn't moved from his previous spot from the night before.

"You ready for today?" Lance looked at Naruto with a slight smile.

"No, I never wanted this day to come. The day that decides whether or not I keep everything that I hold close." Naruto had never been more depressed in his life.

"You know, they would've found out eventually, just be thankful no one got hurt."

"What are you talking about, look at yourself!"

Lance puffed out his chest, "Tch, you think these little scratches are enough to keep me down? I'm the greatest ninja ever!" They broke out in laughter, Naruto began to smile. He felt as though he had known Lance forever. They were similar on many levels, and enjoyed the other's company. The mood in the room lightened considerably.

Naruto spoke up with a serious tone, "Do you think they'll still acknowledge me after I tell them." His face darkened.

"I honestly don't know, they seem to be a good bunch, but I don't know them well enough to answer that."

"Oh, thanks."

"C'mon, cheer up; there will always be someone who cares deeply for you, no matter what. I know that for a fact."

"Maybe…"

The rookies, along with Team Gai, all had similar thoughts when they woke up. They were all going to visit Naruto in the hospital and make sure he was alright.

_Flashback_

Kakashi, Gai, Kurenai, and Tsunade stood near the front of the hospital. They walked out after Naruto and Lance had been treated.

Kakashi spoke up, "I suppose you all want an explanation."

No one responded. Kurenai spoke next, "I know this is hard, it's a lot to take in, but Naruto needs your support now more than ever."

Kakashi looked at the group of young shinobi, "We can't force you to accept him or think differently of him, but let me just remind you that true friends stick together in the best of times and in the worst of times, now is one of those times."

Gai spoke next, "I believe a good night's rest is in order, so go home and get some sleep."

"Wait, before you go, let me say one more thing," Kakashi had the attention of the group. "If you cherish your friendship, I would come see how he's doing in the morning. But like I said, the decision is entirely yours to make. I feel he's the only one who should tell you about what you saw."

The young shinobi walked their separate ways without saying goodbye, silence filling the night.

_End Flashback_

8:00 AM; Sakura, Ino, Chouji, Lee, Tenten, Neji, Kiba, Shino, Shikamaru, and Hinata met in the waiting room of the hospital. They walked down the hall. Lance had watched them come in the front through the window next to his bed.

"They're coming." He said in a serious tone.

Naruto sighed, "Might as well get this over with."

Someone knocked on the door. Naruto looked over at Lance.

"Come in," he said.

The group piled in single file.

Shikamaru spoke up first, "Hey man, how ya' doin'?" He fell down in the nearest chair and leaned back. Standing was too troublesome.

"Hey guys," he sounded depressed.

"C'mon, cheer up." Kiba forced a smile.

"Yes, this is quite unusual for you." Even Shino spoke.

"What happened to the loud, happy, dope who used to be Naruto?" Ino spoke, trying to cheer him up. Naruto remained silent.

Sakura broke the silence, "Naruto, I know this has to be difficult, but we're your friends, you can tell us anything." Her soothing voice comforted Naruto.

"I guess I should start from the beginning," he sighed. "Fifteen years ago, the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox attacked Konoha. We were losing badly, no one could stop it." He had gained their full attention at this point. "The Fourth Hokage, in a last ditch attempt to save the village, gave his life to seal it away. He knew he couldn't destroy it, so he sealed it in a newborn child on October 10th. His dying wish was that the boy be treated as a hero, but unfortunately, the opposite happened. Shunned by the village, with no family or friends to turn to, the boy grew up in a living hell. Scorned by the villagers, who did everything they could to make his life worse. The boy had to steal food on occasion when no one would sell him anything. Anywhere he went, he was looked down upon by the villagers with contempt and hatred. He didn't know why they did; he couldn't understand what he did wrong. Every night he went home to a small apartment and cried himself to sleep. One year, on the fifth anniversary of the attack, the boy's fifth birthday, a group of drunken villagers discovered where he lived. They decided to get revenge on the 'Demon Boy'. The windows in his apartment were smashed, graffiti saying 'die' or 'go to hell' was written on the walls. Furniture was broken, all his belongings destroyed. He hid in a small closet, terrified, thinking about what they would do if they found him." Hinata, Sakura, Ino, and Tenten had tears rolling down their cheeks by this time. Neji, Lee, Shikamaru, Chouji, and Kiba looked down, a mixture of disgust and sadness written on their faces. Even the normally blank expression on Shino's face had changed to that of sorrow. Naruto continued. "His life eventually took a turn for the better when he became a ninja. He had friends, people who acknowledged him. It was the happiest moment in his life. Do you know who that boy is?" Naruto stood up and lifted the bottom of his shirt, revealing his navel. They watched him, already knowing the answer. "That boy," he paused, "is me." He molded chakra as he said this, and the seal appeared on his stomach. He put his shirt back down. "What you saw was the Kyuubi, partially controlling my body. Its chakra had leaked out of the seal. I'm sorry you had to see that. I would understand if you didn't want to be my friends anymore, now that you know the truth." A single tear slid down his face. Everyone was shocked; they would have never believed Naruto would say something like that.

"I have to be strong for Naruto-kun right now, he needs a friend," Hinata thought to herself. She walked over to the edge of Naruto's bed and spoke up first. "Naruto-kun, we could never hate you or think differently of you. It's not your fault, we understand that. Besides, you are Naruto-kun, not the Kyuubi. It doesn't make you Naruto-kun, your actions as the kind, caring, faithful, and determined boy make you Naruto-kun." Tears of joy rolled freely down Naruto's face. He quickly embraced Hinata in a tight hug, burying his tear-stained face in her purple jacket. She turned a bright red, but hugged him back. Everyone smiled, including Kakashi, Gai, Kurenai, and Tsunade, who had been listening in the whole time.

He moved back and wiped his face off. "Thank you Hinata, thanks all you guys."

"What else are friends for my youthful friend?" Lee struck his thumbs-up pose. Everyone nodded. At this time the jounins and Tsunade walked in.

Gai burst out in tears. "Lee, this is your most shining example of youth, being there for a friend in need!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

A sunset backdrop appeared suddenly, as they hugged one another, tears streaming down their faces. Everyone dropped, except Lance, who had remained quiet the whole time. He didn't know what was happening. He walked over to Naruto.

"Hey Naruto, what's his name?" He pointed at Lee, still with Gai.

"Him, that's Bushy-brows, why do you ask?"

"Hey Bushy-brows, do you have the hot's for your sensei or something? I mean I don't have a problem if you swing that way, but I was just curious."

Laughter erupted from everyone in the room; that is except for Lee, Gai, and Lance, who was confused even more. Lee was furious, but Gai held him back. He looked over at Lance.

"Young stranger, this is not a romantic relationship, but a beautiful, youthful bond between student and sensei."

"Is that what you call it?" He shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever floats your boat man." Lance got up and stretched. "Alright, I'm outta here, this place is boring me."

Tsunade glared at him. "You're in no condition to go anywhere."

"Why not?"

"Because, you had a hole blown in your side, three broken ribs, a fractured arm, and massive internal bleeding. You're lucky to be alive after taking such a thrashing!"

"But I'm boooored." He whined and tried to look as pitiful as possible. Tsunade didn't flinch; she just kept staring at him. It didn't work. "Besides, I feel fine. Now where are my clothes?"

Tenten whispered to Neji. "Whoever that guy is, he's just like Naruto."

"Yeah."

Kakashi walked over besides Tsunade and whispered in her ear. "Cut him some slack, he did manage to stop Naruto after all."

"What do you mean; I thought you and Gai stopped him?"

"Nope, we ran after he told us he could stop him. We couldn't have done much else anyway, he couldn't even scratch him. We ran back after we saw a large explosion and found Naruto severely injured, laying in the middle of a symbol on the ground, with none of the Kyuubi's chakra surrounding him. Then you and the medics showed up to take him off on a stretcher. We found Lance lying in the forest, heavily bleeding, remember?"

"So what you're saying is that this boy somehow managed to suppress the Kyuubi's chakra and survive an attack that left a gaping ravine in the terrain?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

"There's something not right here, he's not normal. He also has weird markings on his back and spine, they almost look like wings."

By this time, Lance had begun to remove his bandages. First he removed the one around his abdomen, covering the blast from Naruto's attack; then the one around his ribcage. No one tried to stop him; everyone was in the midst of a conversation. Chouji, Ino, and Sakura tried to get a sleeping Shikamaru to wake up. Neji and Tenten were talking about their recent mission. Lee was talking with Gai. Hinata, Kiba, and Naruto were talking about the Kyuubi. They were both incredibly interested about it. Even Shino stood nearby, listening to the conversation. Lance found his clothes on a small shelf above his bed, neatly folded. He rummaged through them to make sure everything was there. He pulled on his shorts, and then put on a tight, white undershirt. He then pulled on his blue cloak, which was in pretty bad shape. Luckily, it was all that got damaged. He took everything out of the pockets and crammed them into his shorts. He removed his cloak and threw it on the ground.

"Hey, pick that up!" Tsunade began to scold Lance. "Didn't your parents ever teach you any manners?"

"Nope."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm sure they would've, but I don't have any parents."

"What happened to them?"

"I'm pretty sure they're dead, along with the rest of my family." Naruto overheard Lance and looked over at him. Tsunade looked ashamed.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't know."

"Oh don't worry about, its fine." He smiled at her; Tsunade gave him a confused look. A boy that age, yet already as emotionally hardened as the most experienced ninja, more so then she was. That didn't seem right to her. She didn't press it further. He yawned again and walked over to Naruto.

"I know you've gotta be gettin' bored, so let's ditch this place." Naruto jumped up and stretched.

"YES!"

Tsunade towered above the two, tapping her foot. "AHEM." She cleared her throat. "Where do you two think you're going to?" They turned around to face the wrath of Tsunade.

"I feel fine grandma." Naruto got up and pumped a fist in the air.

"Same here, see?" Lance lifted his shirt; the hole in his side was almost completely healed. "No problems, right?"

Tsunade was awestruck. "There's definitely something strange about this boy, I know why Naruto's healed so quickly, but he was in nearly the condition as Lance, who has almost completely healed as well." Her hand began to glow a faint green. "Stand still; let me check you over once more." She began using her medical ninjutsu to check for any problems. "His ribs have completely healed, same with his arm. There's no sign of any damage." She thought to herself, feeling very perplexed. "I guess you were right, no sign of any damage, you're free to go." She looked towards Naruto. "You'll break out of here as soon as I tell you 'no', won't you?"

"You know me pretty well huh, grandma." He rubbed the back of his head.

"Fine, whatever, get out of here."

"Alright, let's go!" Naruto quickly got dressed. The pair headed for the door. Naruto turned back around.

"You guys comin' or what?"

"They'll be out in a second." Kakashi said.

"Whatever, c'mon Lance." They walked out of the room and down the hall.

Waiting until they were out of earshot, Tsunade spoke up. "I want all of you to keep an eye on that boy. There's something odd about him."

"He seems o.k." Kiba responded.

Hinata spoke next. "Yeah, he seems to be pretty nice, and Naruto seems to trust him."

The sleepy Shikamaru joined the conversation. "She's right though, when I first saw him, he sent a chill through my body, I dunno, I can't explain it."

"I agree, there's something about him." Neji added.

"Well, whatever it is, just watch him and Naruto, keep them out of trouble, alright. Now all of you get outta here."

The young shinobi all left the hospital. Naruto and Lance were sitting outside, waiting for them.

"Geez, what took you guys so long?"

"Nothing, nothing." Lance eyed Sakura suspiciously.

"Whatever, so Naruto, is there a place to go shopping around here, I need some new clothes."

"Uhhhh, I can't remember."

"What do you mean 'I can't remember,' you live here!"

"It's not my fault; I got these clothes when I was training with Jiraiya." Ever since Jiraiya's death, Naruto referred to him with the utmost respect, never again calling him pervy sage.

"Uhhhh, fine, I'll have to find a place to shop by myself then." Lance bit his thumb and made familiar hand signs.

Ino, who frequently visited Konoha's shopping district, thought of a good place for him to shop. "You know, there's this great place…"

"Summoning Jutsu!"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five:

**Chapter Five:**

The Talk

A pillar of flames erupted from the ground, swirling violently, like a cyclone. Everyone jumped back. Kakashi, Gai, Tsunade, and Kurenai ran outside to see what the ruckus was.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?" Naruto yelled at Lance, who was standing atop his summon. It was a variety of colors, a mixture of reds, yellows, and oranges; all of which shone brightly in the sun. It seemed to radiate warmth, almost glowing. It ruffled its feathers.

"YEAH, WARN US BEFORE YOU SUMMON A GIANT, FLAMING, uhhh, what is that thing again?" Sakura's anger faded and was replaced with curiosity. Everyone looked up in awe at what stood before them.

A feminine voice came from the summon. "Hey, I'm not a thing, my name is Adria."

Ino had never seen a summoned creature before. "YOU TALKED!"

"Of course I did." She replied with dignity.

Lance laughed. "Judging from your expressions, I'd say none of you have seen a phoenix before. Although, I can't say I'm surprised. They are rare."

"Why'd you summon me?"

"Because, I need to find a place that sells clothes, and what better way to see the village than from the air."

"Whatever, let's just go."

"Oh wait, before we go, I gotta tell these guys about Naruto's dream last night. It was classic."

_Flashback_

Lance awoke to an array of odd noises and muffled voices. He looked around and noticed Naruto making weird movements and sounds.

"Oh Sakura, Sakura, yes, **SAKURA!" **Naruto was lying on the bed with his arms and legs wrapped around a pillow. He was making out with a pillow in his sleep. Lance tried to go back to sleep, but Naruto kept making inappropriate noises. He got up and walked quietly over to Naruto's bedside.

"Hey, wake up." Naruto groaned and sleepily opened his eyes.

"What do you want; I was having a good dream."

Lance cracked a smile. "I know you were, that's why I came over here to ask you to keep it down."

"Whatever." Naruto went back to sleep.

_End Flashback_

"You wouldn't." Naruto started to worry, he was afraid of what Sakura might do if she heard about his 'special' dream last night.

"Oh, I would."

"What'd Naruto do, tell us." Kiba was anticipating something good.

"Probably one of the funniest things I've seen in a while."

"If you tell them, I swear I'll kick your ass!"

"That's a risk I'm willing to take. So anyway, Naruto was having a _very _good dream last night. I woke up after hearing the noises he was making. Hmm, how should I put this, Naruto, you wanna help me out here." Death glares were being shot off from Naruto. "Have it your way. Lemme try and replicate it." Lance tried imitating Naruto's voice. "Oh Sakura, Sakura, yes, **SAKURA!**" Naruto turned bright red and tried to fade away. "He was making love to the pillow." Everyone broke out in laughter, Naruto turned even redder. He tried to get away, especially when he saw Sakura stomp towards him.

"Do not be ashamed Naruto-kun, for I too have had sexual dreams with Sakura-san in them." Sakura stopped dead in her tracks, nearly paralyzed by Lee's disturbing words. Naruto felt some relief; Lee had taken some of the focus off of him. "I owe you one bushy-brows." He said so nobody could hear him.

"It is typically a recurring dream, after a day of youthful training, we make love." Silence fell across everyone. Sakura hit the ground; Lee's words knocked her out. Tsunade couldn't help but laugh at her student's misfortune. Kakashi walked over to Lee and Naruto.

"Don't worry boys, those dreams will stop soon enough. Mine went away after I got laid for the first time."

Time itself seemed to stop, everyone stared at the three. A pin could've been dropped a mile away and been heard.

Lance was stunned; he hadn't expected a simple joke to escalate into a full blown pervert convention. He broke the silence. "Whoa, I am outta here; this place is packed with perverts."

Tsunade picked up Sakura. "No doubt."

"YOU"RE NOT GETTING AWAY!!" Naruto charged after Lance.

"Oh shit; Adria, get us airborne!" The large bird flapped her wings, slowly rising off the ground. Naruto leapt on the bird's back.

"GOT YOU!"

"Quick, try and shake him, climb!" The phoenix had gained momentum and began her rapid acceleration upward. They reached a high altitude rather quickly. "Don't look down."

Naruto looked down. "YOU CRAZY MOTHER FUCKER, GET ME DOWN!!" He was clinging on for dear life and could be heard by everyone in the village.

"Hmm, that place looks like it would have a good selection. Let's see now…"

"HEY, I'M TALKING TO YOU, GET ME DOWN!!"

"Alright Adria, take us down over by that building, I'll start there."

"Whatever." The phoenix folded in her wings and dove towards the ground, with a terrified Naruto clutching onto her feathers. Within a matter of seconds, the bird steadied itself and flapped its wings, coming to a stop a few feet of the ground. Lance jumped off; Naruto dove, eager to be on solid ground.

"Hey Adria, stick around, I might need you again, go take in the scenery or something."

"Sounds good, you know how to reach me." The mighty phoenix flew up past the clouds, leaving a trail of glowing embers behind.

"C'mon Naruto, let's go."

Naruto was lying on the ground, still in somewhat of a shock, breathing heavily. "Never again."

"Whatever, I'm going inside; you can just stay there and just uhhh, yeah." Less than ten minutes later, Lance walked out wearing a loose, hooded piece of clothing similar to a tunic. It was short-sleeved and navy blue. He didn't care much for aesthetics or use on the battlefield, he just wore what was comfortable. Naruto was across the street talking to a younger boy with a long scarf.

"Who's the kid?"

"You're done already?"

"HEY, I'm not a kid!"

"Lance this is Konohamaru, Konohamaru, this is Lance."

"Hey."

Konohamaru smiled evilly, he had been hoping for a prospective target to test his new jutsu on. Naruto noticed the smile of mischief, and smiled as well.

"Ummm, why are you two looking at me like that? Did I miss something?"

Konohamaru made a ring of clones around Lance.

"What's going on?"

Naruto was happy, "Hah, payback," he thought.

"Sexy Jutsu!"

"What the hell is Sexy Jutsu?"

The clones transformed into five well endowed naked women. They seductively approached Lance and pressed their assets against him.

"Hi there." They all cooed and tried to look appealing.

"Dude, this is itchy, get the fuck off."

Naruto stood there, mouth agape. "Im- IMPOSSIBLE! NO MAN CAN RESIST THAT TECHNIQUE!!"

Konohamaru turned back to normal. "That didn't even faze him boss. What did I do wrong?"

"Perverts, all of you."

"Nothing, that was flawless, Kakashi would've passed out. Let me give it a go."

Naruto performed his harem technique, but to no avail. Lance stood there with his arms crossed.

"H-how are you immune to that?"

"Cuz' I'm not a pervert. Now that you're both finished with your little sex changes, its time someone taught you a lesson." Lance picked Naruto and Konohamaru by their collars, holding them in the air.

"Put me down!"

"Lemme go!"

"Not yet, besides, I think you'll like where we're going, especially since you like to see naked women so much." Naruto and Konohamaru calmed down and allowed Lance to carry them off. A few minutes later they were near the hot springs. "Your fate will be decided by the people on the other side of the fence, may their final judgment upon you deter you from using _that_ technique." Lance tossed the duo up and over the fence, landing them with a splash in the hot springs. They caused the steam to stir up and cloud the area over.

"That's all he did, get us wet?"

"Yeah, how lame."

The steam began to clear. All eyes were on the two. "EEEEEEEEEEEEKKK!!" "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!" They received an overwhelming feeling of murderous intent radiating off of the women in the hot springs.

"Uh oh." The women closed in on the boys.

"Konohamaru, run for it, I'll hold them off; you have too much to live for."

Tears ran down his face. "I'll never forget you." Naruto helped Konohamaru out of the hot springs as the women attacked. He glanced back as Naruto was engulfed. "BOOOOOSSSSSSS!!" Pure, unadulterated pain caused Naruto to lose unconsciousness.

Lance jumped in, shielding his eyes, to save Naruto from an untimely death. "Sorry ladies, I'm just gonna grab him and go." He did just that.

Naruto woke up a couple hours later in a familiar room. It was the same one as the other night, the one where Lance was staying.

"So, you're finally awake. How ya feelin'?"

"Ugh, ow, you bastard." He said weakly. "How long was I out?"

"A day or two, and I hate to break it to you, but you suffered massive damage to your groin. They had to surgically remove one of your balls."

His face contorted in a way never before seen. He started to feel dizzy. "WHAT!!"

Lance couldn't contain it, he started cracking up. "Oh my god, your face was priceless when I told you that." He wiped tears from his eyes.

"BASTARD!"

"Calm down, I know, my bad. That punishment was a _little_ over the top, I'll admit."

"A LITTLE, I"VE NEVER BEEN IN SO MUCH PAIN IN MY LIFE YOU FRIGGIN' SADIST!!"

"Well, I can't imagine how many times you were slapped, scratched, or kicked in the balls. That's gotta hurt. Let's just call it even. You use that weird jutsu with disrespect for women on me, and I in turn threw you in the women's hot springs where you were kicked in the balls until you lost consciousness. Fair enough."

"EVEN, **EVEN**, HOW DOES THAT MAKE US EVEN?! I'LL KILL YOU!!"

"Fine, I'll let you have one free shot on me."

"WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I"D ASK FOR YOUR PERMISSION AFTER THAT!?"

"How about I pay for dinner at an all-you-can-eat place."

Naruto thought about the proposal for a second. "Throw on dinner at Ichiraku's tomorrow night and you've got a deal."

"Fine. No hard feelings, right?"

Naruto got out of bed, but stumbled from the pain that shot through his body. "Owww."

"You're gonna be sore for awhile after taking that kinda damage. The fact that you're even moving is amazing to me."

Naruto glared back at him. "I will get you back, for this and the thing where you told them about my dream."

"Sure thing, whatever you say. Now let's get outta here. There's something I want to show you."

Nearly thirty minutes later, Lance and Naruto arrived on top of the Hokage's Monument. He looked around to make sure no one was nearby.

"Here we are, this place should work just fine."

"Why are we here?"

"Well, I want to ask you something, but feel free to say no."

"Shoot."

"How should I put this, I want to meet the Kyuubi. I need to ask him something."

Naruto remained unusually calm. "How would you do that?"

"It's similar to a mind transfer technique; it's completely harmless and will only take a little while."

"Umm, I guess we could try it."

"Excellent, now hold still."

Lance began a complex series of hand signs that took almost two minutes. When he finished, he placed his middle and index fingers against the seal. Their bodies remained absolutely motionless as they entered Naruto's mindscape. The two awoke in the familiar corridor with pipes running along the ceiling, water constantly dripping and flooding the floor. They walked through the corridors until they reached massive iron bars that seemed to only contain darkness. Two menacing red eyes appeared out of the darkness.

"**Well now, to whom do I owe the honor of this small congregation?"**

"This guy wanted to meet you, although I don't know why, you're just a crazy, devious ball of fluff."

"**You ought to show respect, child."**

"What are _you_ gonna do about it?"

"**Alas, as long as this seal remains, nothing."**

"If I may interrupt, I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Lance, and I wish to speak with you."

"**Very well, I anticipate having a conversation with someone who seems to have a greater intellect than that imprudent jailor. Yet, I am still intrigued as to how you came to be standing before me. You do not possess the doujutsu which is required to enter this realm, nor are you of an age where you have acquired the wisdom of someone much like myself, so do enlighten me."**

"I assume you are familiar with The Messenger."

"**Of course, The Messenger, harbinger of death, the link between this world and the next."**

"Wait, who's The Messenger?"

"**For once, an intelligent question from the likes of you." **Naruto grumbled something to himself about a stupid fox. **"This question is understandable, as I wouldn't expect you to know of such things. It is surprising that this boy even knows who he is at such a young age."**

Naruto became impatient. "So, who is he?"

"**Allow me to explain. The Messenger was a fallen angel, cast from Heaven and banned from Hell. An agreement was reached between Satan and God; the fallen angel would become the link between the realms. Unless needed, he would remain in our world, in a location unknown even to me. If memory serves, he was last in this area some twenty years ago. This is all I know."**

"So why is he the harbinger or whatever of death?" Naruto had become enthralled with the story.

"**Such a special occasion, you actually show signs of intelligence."**

"HEY!" The demon let out a small chuckle of amusement.

"**Typically, when he appears, it is unfortunate for those nearby. Disaster strikes, crops wither and die simply from his presence, and those that oppose him are mercilessly slaughtered. Only a select few survive, those with a pure soul, protected by Divine Intervention. He is immortal, and nearly invincible."**

Lance, after listening to the Kyuubi's explanation to Naruto, stood there silently, no emotion apparent on his face. He suddenly spoke up. "Nearly invincible, but still susceptible to other methods of annihilation."

The Kyuubi and Naruto looked at Lance. **"Tell me Lance, do you know the whereabouts of The Messenger?" **The Kyuubi was skeptic as to The Messenger's location.

"I do."

The Kyuubi came to a conclusion, because no mortal child would know of The Messenger, unless… **"Would I be correct in saying that The Messenger has befallen the same fate as I?"**

"You would." Lance looked down, a mixture of emotions running through his mind. Naruto was slightly concerned, Lance had never been so emotionless before; he would always crack a joke or lighten the mood, but this was not the case.

"**I thought as much."**

"So wait, you mean this Messenger guy was sealed in someone too?"

"**Yes."**

"Who?"

"**Why don't you ask him?" **The Kyuubi looked in Lance's direction.

"Do you have The Messenger sealed in you?"

"Yeah."

"Huh, well that doesn't change anything, but now I'm even gladder we're friends." Naruto smiled reassuringly.

"Yeah."

"That would explain your summon, and how you knew how to do all this stuff."

"Not only that, but it got me this sword, too." He pulled out his blade slightly.

"**I was curious as to where you got that sword, too. Many people have spent their entire lives searching for a sword known only in legend. Forged with the flames of hell, the demonic sword Abyssus."**

"Cool, can I see it when we leave?"

"Sure, I don't see why not. Before we go, I would like to ask a favor of the Kyuubi."

"**I'm listening."**

"I think it would be in Naruto's best interest if you taught him some forbidden jutsu, that way he wouldn't have to rely on your power in times of crisis."

"Forbidden jutsu, aren't we supposed to not use those?"

"Why do think they're called 'forbidden'?"

"I'll give it a shot, I can't wait!"

The Kyuubi remained silent, obviously in deep thought.

"I'll take that as a yes. Naruto, I'm leaving, so c'mon."

Lance released the jutsu.


End file.

Naruto, Friendship