Xenocide, Chap. 02

[Narukashi666]

Because I love you all so much~

Chapter 2: Study

Naruto carefully carved a symbol on a piece of wood, set it on a large flat rock, and stepped back.

"Ninjörn." He stated clearly. The wood burst into flame, burning crisply for a moment before collapsing to ashes. Naruto grinned maliciously in the brief flare of red light.

'Kyuubi... thank you.'

"You're quite welcome, kit." Kyuubi murmured, grinning viciously at the sight through Naruto's eyes, "I myself am quite proud of you.

Look out world, here we come."

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Life was so much easier now that he no longer had a squad to worry about. But Naruto often found himself thinking longingly of the jokes and comments made by his former subordinates. Often, he wondered if this man or that woman had been Cobra, or Tiger, or Crane. But then he would be distracted.

Today, he felt the restlessness more than ever. So he went to see the Hokage. He'd been thinking it over... maybe he should have just asked to go back to being a private. Captain was such a high responsibility... and he'd wanted to do it perfectly. Maybe, if he started out small, he could do things better. Maybe... he might be given to his old team. He wanted so badly to see them...

"Hokage-sama?"

Sarutobi looked up with at start. "Naruto-san. Come in." Naruto entered, flicking the signs for sealing and silence at the walls and corners of the room. They spread from small symbols to large sheets of yellow, sealing anything spoken in this room from any outside. It was undetectable, as well. Unlike chakra.

Sarutobi blinked, eyes flicking from wall to wall. "Naruto-san..."

"It's not dangerous. It'll just keep everything spoken here from being overheard."

The Third relaxed slightly. Then he frowned.

"Naruto-san, you only ever talk like that when you want something." Naruto nodded.

"I do want something. I want to rejoin ANBU."

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Wolf sighed and put the last paper in the metal wire basket. Crane minced up and took them, switching her hips suggestively. Wolf ignored her. He always did.

"Wolf-sama. We have a new- well, sort of new recruit." Wolf studied Cobra, who was shifting from foot to foot, obviously excited.

"...Send 'em in then. Let's get this over with." He hadn't been able to find a new recruit when he was voted captain, and then Tiger had died...

"Hello, Wolf-san."

Wolf gaped, staring at the boy who stood before him, grinning. His sharingan told him that it was the truth, not a fake.

Kitsune stood before him.

"...Wha... but..."

"Yes, I resigned, but it was just for a while, so I could fix my grades. Now I'm back, and I hope this round will be easier. Now, Tiger died, right?" Wolf nodded.

"Yeah... I'm sorry I missed his funeral... but it would've looked strange, ne? A little boy at the funeral of a man he shouldn't even know." His grin had turned to a bitter smile. "But now I'm back, right on my ninth birthday, hooray. So what else have you guys been up to? Besides the regular life stuff, I mean."

They took turns reporting, just as they'd been trained. Kitsune listened carefully, and nodded when they were done.

"Well, you've been busy. But I'm not the captain of this squad, so you might as well start thinking of me as the newbie again. Cause I am, sort of. And besides recently turning nine, I've mastered a style of jutsu that you've probably never heard of, so don't be alarmed if you see this."

He raised his hand and drew the symbol for light in the air. It hung there, glowing with a steady light that was tinged with the faintest yellow.

"Rôŋśū." He commanded. The symbol flared with blinding light, and faded to a pale red glow. Wolf, Cobra, and Crane uncovered their eyes, staring at him. He grinned.

"You're alarmed, aren't you?"

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Kakashi pondered the meaning of things as he waited for the ANBU meeting to begin. Kitsune, the legendary ANBU captain, had resigned, and then, after only about a year, rejoined. He was smiling more, practically every moment of the day, in fact. He made jokes and recalled old ones that Kakashi and the others had half forgotten.

He made Kakashi proud to be an ANBU.

"Oy, Wolf." Kakashi looked down at Kitsune.

'He's really Uzumaki Naruto... you have to remember that...'

"Yeah?"

"Why are we all just hanging around? I thought that when I left things would go quicker." There was a devilish gleam in Kitsune's eyes, a gleam that suited him far more than the hard edge of smug pride. Kakashi felt himself smile a little under both his masks.

"Well, ya see, when you left a whole bunch of yahoos with no lives joined and we've been trying to get them to conform to ANBU standards. Unfortunately, they don't think they should, and-"

Kitsune held up a hand, shaking his head. "I think I know where this is going. You always have to send out people to drag them away from whatever they're doing and bring them here. They continue to complain when it'd be simple to just quit and get a quieter job, like desk work. The Hokage is too soft-hearted to fire them. They won't die."

"Exactly." Kakashi said cheerfully.

Kitsune chuckled and shook his head again before turning to the front of the room, where three ANBU from squad 2 were dragging in two who obviously didn't want to go to the meeting, and were letting it be known in loud voices. When Cobra threatened them with her poisoned katana, they immediately shut up, but when she walked over to Bear, a tall man with many gruesome scars on his shaved head, they began again.

"Scuse me." Kitsune said, and disappeared into the crowd. Kakashi perked up, waiting, waiting...

"-Damn it, why are we even here-" One was saying when a white-black-yellow bullet slammed into his stomach. He gasped and doubled over. The bullet kicked the other in the kidney, sending him sprawling.

"YOU DON'T LIKE ANBU LIFE? HUH? THEN GET THE ---- OUT! WE DON'T NEED SCUM LIKE YOU IN THIS ROOM WITH US, SPOILING OUR AIR AND OUR GOOD NAME! WE WORKED HARD TO GET TO THIS LEVEL, YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST WALTZ ON IN AND DEMAND SPECIAL TREATMENT? WELL, I GOT NEWS FOR YOU, YOU ------- PANSIES; WE DON'T TAKE SHIT FROM YELLOW-BELLIED COWARDS LIKE YOURSELVES! GET OUT IF YOU VALUE YOUR MISERABLE DOG-SHIT LIVES!"

The men scurried out, whimpering as Kitsune roared at them, taunting and kicking them, tripping them and knocking them over. When they were gone, Kitsune calmly brushed himself off and looked up at the others.

"...Do you want them to lower your standards?" He asked, voice not the least bit raw.

Kakashi covered his mouth with a hand, but couldn't stop himself from shaking with laughter. Cobra was gasping for air as she roared with laughter. Crane was chuckling too.

"Kitsune... you haven't lost the ability to frighten the ---- out of people, I see." Kakashi said finally. Kitsune grinned.

"Well, if I had, I wouldn't have rejoined! And besides, I hate people like them; they don't ever try."

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"Geröś Baln." A long whip of water rose from the pond, hung suspended in the air for a moment, then twisted, flicked out, and caught hold of several children at once, raising them into the air. They shrieked with joy, kicking and laughing as the water tickled their sides. Iruka shook his head, hiding a grin.

"Naruto-san, put them down." He ordered, trying to be stern. Naruto set the children down gently, let the water slid back into the pond, and asked "Do we have to go in already? I didn't hear the recess bell ring." Iruka shook his head again, and gave up on trying to hold back his grin.

"No, it's just most shinobi don't know that you can do that. It'd be best if you didn't do that where they could see."

Naruto crossed his arms and pouted. "Why not? It doesn't hurt anybody!"

"Yeah!" Chimed in one of the boys the water had lifted into the air, "It's really fun, sensei! You should try it!"

A spark formed in Naruto'd brain, and he grinned mischievously.

Iruka, not noticing, shook his head and sighed. "No. I don't really like the idea of going up without- O-OY!" The water wrapped around his waist lifted him two feet off the ground, and halted.

"Naruto, what the heck, put me down, this is not very comfortable-"

"You really need to chillax." Naruto said dryly. Iruka scowled at him.

"I don't care if I do, just put me down, you are so getting detention-"

Laughing, Naruto set him back down. "It was only two feet, you know." He chuckled. Iruka smacked the side of his head and gave him detention for the rest of the week.

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Kakashi's hand slipped, and his katana dropped to the ground. The blood coating the hilt had made it impossible to hold on to. His breath rasped in his throat, loud and menacing in his own ears. His enemy was strong... too strong...

He was going to die.

But just before the man brought his sword down upon Kakashi's head, he stopped, and his look of triumph turned to one of fear. His eyes were fixed on something behind Kakashi, something that felt unnaturally warm. Kakashi turned, and froze.

Flames reared, red and orange and yellow and gold. Their light nearly blinded Kakashi, so bright and hot was the flame. Before the fire stood a shadow, an outline. Its eyes glowed blood-red, a match for the fire. Unholy, fierce delight was in the snarling smile that bared the shadow's ivory fangs. A ceramic mask dangled from its fingers, markings in red paint proclaiming it 'Kitsune'.

The shadow's grin grew, fox-like and fierce.

"Ninjörn." It hissed.

Immediately, flames leapt from its out-stretched hand, across the gap, above Kakashi's head, to sear the enemy's bones to brittle black ash. Kakashi stared at embers that might once have been organs slowly collapsed to wet dust, fire leaping joyfully about them, reveling in this unholy blood-fest.

Kakashi turned again to the shadow, and saw only Kitsune, retying his mask, pale and shaking. When the boy's hands fell to his sides, he looked up into Kakashi's eyes. The older man saw something he never wished to see again on the child's face; fear, and self-loathing.

"...Help..." Kitsune whispered hoarsely, "I... need to stop this..." He tried to take a step forward, and tripped on nothing. Instinctively, Kakashi lunged and caught him before he fell. Kitsune clutched his vest, and sobbed against him, shaking like a leaf in the wind. Without thought, Kakashi held him close, and tried to comfort him without speaking. Speaking would mean betraying how fearful of the boy he really was.

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Naruto hadn't expected Kyuubi to take over. He'd been able to shove back the Demon, but not before it had killed a man. And now Naruto knew; knew that the spells Kyuubi had taught him had been a doorway, a means for the Demon to seize control. They were in the language of Demons, and he wanted nothing to do with them anymore.

But he couldn't stop them from invading his mind.

When the team found him sobbing on Wolf, he'd been sure it'd be his end. The spell of death had invaded his mind, begging for him to kill them before they saw him. But he couldn't. So he clung to Wolf tighter, and tried to stop the sobs.

"Wolf-sama? Kitsune-kun?" Crane whispered, fear in her voice. Cold rage flowed from Cobra, yet she made not a sound. And that bit deep into Naruto, and the tears tried to force their way up. But he bit his lip hard, stifling hiccups and sobs, and forced himself to stand on legs like jelly. Wolf stood quickly, and kicked a rock at the pile of ash that had so recently been the enemy.

"We're done here." His voice was as cold as a winter midnight, and as distant as the stars. No emotions escaped his iron control.

Naruto just felt even smaller.

Here were these superior women and man, strong on their own, worked to the bone. And then there was him, small, weak, a child, stupid. He'd let the Kyuubi in, had let it take over. He was at fault. He was the one to blame for destroying the body so no trace was left, and the remains could never be taken back as evidence. They were utterly useless. He stared miserably at the ground, awaiting his punishment.

None was forthcoming.

When he finally raised his head, all three adults were staring at him, like they expected something, some insight as to what happened.

He felt his lip tremble with fear, and forced himself to be calm. "...I... lost control." He muttered, looking at the ground again.

"An understatement." Cobra identified coldly. Her voice was ice, and it cut deep in Naruto. "You let Kyuubi take over. That is not professional. The Hokage should have you fired."

"...I know." Naruto whispered, "I know all that. I threatened you with it. And I'm sorry. Is it my fault I'm the one who has to carry around a bloodthirsty Demon?" His courage was coming back, as was his childish foolhardiness. He glared up at the adults whom he trusted, cared about even, and who thought him solely responsible.

"Is it my fault it was sealed in me? Is it my fault that it lies? Is it my fault that it promised to teach me protective spells? Is it my fault that I thought it harmless? IS IT MY FAULT I'M A KID?"

He knew he was crying, he knew he was yelling, he knew all of it. But they wouldn't listen, and if this was the only way, then damn them all to hell.

"I DIDN'T ASK FOR THIS! I DIDN'T ASK FOR THE ABILITY TO KILL! I DIDN'T ASK FOR THIS POSITION! I ONLY WANTED TO HELP KONOHA, DO SOMETHING SO PEOPLE WOULDN'T HATE ME! AN' I GUESS I CHOSE THE WRONG FIELD, BUT I'M GONNA KEEP DOING THIS BECAUSE IT'S WHAT I DO BEST! SO ------- WHAT IF KYUUBI TOOK OVER ONCE, IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN, SO IT'S NO USE TELLING ME I'M NOT PROFESSIONAL!"

Crane and Cobra had taken steps back. Wolf just stood there, watching him with cold eyes. Kitsune glared back, though everything wavered from the tears in his eyes. Then Wolf did a strange thing; he smiled.

It was tiny, and barely noticeable, but his posture relaxed slightly, his eyes warmed, and he stopped being cold.

"No one said it was your fault." He informed Naruto. "Cobra was just expressing her concern. Most people would warn you, not because they hate or fear you, but because they want to protect Konoha, like you do. So don't get too steamed up; save some for the Kyuubi. Now, we didn't need to really bring back evidence we'd killed this guy. He was a lower level guy. As was his gang. So let's just get home to sleep."

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Kakashi wondered at Kitsune's- no, Naruto's outburst for much of the time it took to write a report and hand it in. When he was finally allowed to go home, his subconscious was filled with speculations, and his waking mind wondered endlessly about the boy.

'He's stronger than I expected... Kyuubi took over, and he forced him back. He's... quite strong. Stronger than I ever will be.'

'He's also a child. Who knows, he might give in again. Especially if someone he cares about is threatened.'

'But why did he give in? Why didn't he just kill the man by himself? Why should he care if I'm injured?'

'He was doing it for Konoha, perhaps. Everyone knows you're the best.'

'But still... I can't help speculating...'

'Hoping.'

He stopped in the middle of the street, eyes widening beneath his mask. '...hoping?...' 'Hoping he cares. Hoping he wants you to be safe. You've been hoping that since you realized he's proud of you. He wants you to be safe, and successful, but he doesn't want you to know he cares.'

'...How do you know?'

'I could see it in his eyes.'

'But... you're me, if you saw it, I would have seen it...'

'No, I'm your subconscious. You are currently using the 'rational' part of your mind.'

'...But... you're me, I'm you...'

'Forget the illogic. You want him to care, because you care for him. Is it clear now, oh small child?'

'...Crystal.'

An uncharacteristic warmth was blooming in Kakashi's chest. He knew why he cared, he knew what he hoped; he hoped Naruto felt the same degree of caring towards him. And if not...

Well.

There was nothing lost in trying, now was there?

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Naruto glared up at the Demon.

Kyuubi glared down at the mortal.

"...I was doing you a favor, killing that scumbag." Kyuubi growled.

"Next time, warn me." Naruto snapped harshly.

"Why should I? Trust me, next time you have to kill a man, you'll thank me!"

"I most assuredly will not! Don't judge me by your standards, Fuzzy-Ass!" Naruto snarled, "I'm not cold-blooded, an' I ain't weak! If I have to kill, I'll do it normal and fast and easy! I won't let you take over!"

"Afraid I'll steal your glory?" Kyuubi sneered, "Awww, my heart bleeds buttermilk! Just think; your name on every official document, women lined up at your door, men toasting your health, and hey! You'll reign over all as Supreme Ruler! And who will you have to thank? Your old pal Kyuubi!"

"Shut up." Naruto hissed in disgust, face twisting in fury, "Just shut the ---- up and never speak again." As he spoke, tendrils of yellow fire snuck across the water-logged tiled floor, and when he fell silent, they surged up, twining around and around the bars of Kyuubi's cage, throwing themselves at the Kyuubi, wrapping around his muzzle, joining to become a single rope of blazing gold fire.

Kyuubi snarled, and tried to toss the rope off, but it held firm. He scratched at it angrily, but only succeeded in tearing his own flesh. He howled in rage, but a vine of power slipped down and threatened to cut off all his air. He choked and glared at Naruto with hate-filled, ruby-gold eyes. Naruto glared back, sea-blue eyes shifting in color, now sapphire, now sky, now deep midnight.

And for the first time in his immortal life, Kyuubi was afraid.

"...Teach me the spell of forgetting." Naruto hissed, "And don't speak it. I want to know how to rid myself of your filthy language. As soon as it's all wiped from my mind, you can speak again."

Kyuubi struggled against the iron will that pressed on him from all sides. The child was strong, however, and would not easily admit defeat. The boy's face hardened, and the vines began to squeeze Kyuubi's throat, tighter, tighter...

"...Okay..." Kyuubi whimpered/hissed. It was all he could manage, chakra and willpower crushing his lungs. Naruto's face smoothed, and the immense weight of his will lifted.

"I knew you'd see reason." He said with a sugary smile.

Kyuubi shuddered

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Narukashi:

Kyuubi-kun: