Meeting the Nine-Tailed Fox

Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

November, x787.

A few days have passed since Alfonzo returned from his trip home. And in that time, nothing of note happened. Though, today would change that.

"Hey Alfonzo, Mizuki-Sensei praised me for how much I've grown physically during today's training at the academy." Naruto said excitedly as he ran into the living room of the residence.

Hearing the name, Mizuki, Alfonzo narrowed his eyes.

In the Naruto canon, Mizuki was one of Naruto's teachers' at the academy. And for the last six months, or so, of Naruto's final year at the academy, he was in charge of the physical training for the students in Naruto's class.

Outwardly, Mizuki was a friendly, encouraging Chunin teacher that the students seemed to love. But in reality, he was a traitor to the village and an Orochimaru fanatic. On top of that, he hated Naruto because he was the Nine-Tailed Fox's Jinchuriki.

'That guy was so forgettable, I would have completely forgotten about him if Naruto did not mention him just now.' Alfonzo thought to himself. 'Well, I guess that means it's time for me to start getting Naruto and Kurama to get along. Kurama's emotion sensing will keep Naruto from being fooled by douche bags like this one episode villain character in the future.'

"Mizuki-Sensei?" Alfonzo asked in a feigned tone of confusion. "I thought your teacher's name was Iruka. I mean, you talk about him all the time, right? You've even talked about introducing us some day."

*Smack!*

"Oh, right." Naruto said in a tone of realization as he punched his right fist into his left palm. "He started teaching our class after you went home last time. And when you came back, I forgot to tell you about him."

"I see." Alfonzo replied with a nod. "So, since he praised you, you must be doing pretty well, right?"

"That's right." Naruto said proudly. "Not only me, but Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, Hinata, Sakura, Ino, and Shino, too. He doesn't really say much to Sasuke, though. All he ever says is keep up the good work. Like it's expected for Sasuke to be better than everyone else, or something."

Based on Naruto's expression when he talked about Sasuke, it was clear to see that he had made Sasuke his rival. Which was in line with the canon. On top of that, Alfonzo did not think it was a bad idea for Naruto to set Sasuke as his goal. Especially since Sasuke was at the top of his class.

"But his training is nothing compared to the training you and Ikaruga put us through." Naruto continued after finishing his rant about Sasuke. "So, his training is super easy."

As Naruto was so engrossed in telling Alfonzo about his day, he never noticed the moment when Alfonzo narrowed his eyes at the mention of Mizuki. However, Wendy, Carla, Saeko, Rika, and Miyuki, who were also sitting in the living room while waiting for the other academy kids to arrive, certainly did. And they were curious why he would do that.

However, they knew now was not the time. So, they just continued doing whatever it was they were doing. And not long later, the other kids arrived, as well. So, the conversation came to an end and they all went outside to train.

A few hours later, most of the academy kids had returned home after their training. Meanwhile, Alfonzo had once again taken Naruto into his workshop to speak with him.

"Alright, Naruto." Alfonzo said in a solemn tone. "I know you're aware that you're a Jinchuriki, right?"

Hearing that, Naruto lowered his head in frustration while clenching his fists before nodding in agreement.

"Well, I think it's time we had a little talk with that Nine-Tailed Fox inhabiting your body." Alfonzo continued with a grin. "I mean, don't you think it's about time he started paying rent?"

In response, Naruto's head snapped up to meet eyes with Alfonzo. And Alfonzo's grin widened into a full-blown smile when he saw the confusion on Naruto's face.

"What are you talking about, Big Bro?" Naruto asked, the confusion in his expression making its way into his tone.

"Well, you're not the only Jinchuriki among all the ninja villages." Alfonzo said. Then, he continued with a statement that would surprise Naruto even more. "Well, I've heard that one of the Jinchuriki in the Village Hidden in the Clouds, located in the Kingdom of Pergrande, has perfect control of his Tailed Beast's powers."

That last statement completely dumbfounded Naruto. From the stories he had heard, all the Tailed Beasts were mindless demons whose only purpose was to destroy. So, the thought of a human gaining full control of that power was unbelievable.

"I can tell what you're thinking from that goofy look on your face, Kid." Alfonzo said as he lay a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "But you of all people should know better than to accept rumors at face value, Mr. reincarnation of the Nine-Tailed Fox."

Immediately, Naruto shut his mouth that had fallen agape after hearing about someone with perfect control of a Tailed-Beast's power. Then, he looked away with a small embarrassed blush on his face. However, a moment later, he put on a resolute expression as he once again made eye contact with Alfonzo.

"You're right." Naruto said with a nod. "There might be more to the Nine-Tailed Fox than anyone knows."

Naruto then gritted his teeth in anger.

"Still, it's the one who killed my parents." Naruto added. "And I'm not sure if I can forgive him for that."

"Well, that's up to you, Naruto." Alfonzo said with a shrug. "But give him a chance to explain himself, at least. After that, you can pass judgement."

Naruto nodded in response. Though, he did not think he would be able to see past the death of his parents. At the same time, when Alfonzo saw Naruto's reaction, he nodded in satisfaction.

"Good." Alfonzo said while once again patting Naruto's shoulder. "Now, why don't we go and have a little chat with that Nine-Tailed Fox?"

"Huh? How are we gonna do that?" Naruto asked. "I mean, he's inside of me… Are you gonna cut me open?"

"Just leave that to me." Alfonzo replied with a reassuring smile. "All you have to do is take off your shirt. And no, we're not gonna cut you open."

As Alfonzo said the last sentence, he began taking off his own shirt. Though, he could not help but chuckle after seeing Naruto's expression when he told him to take off his shirt. And while Naruto did not understand what Alfonzo was thinking of doing, he followed suit shortly afterwards.

Then, when both Alfonzo and Naruto had their shirts off, Alfonzo approached his workbench before picking up a brush and a bottle of special ink that he had mixed. Then, he began drawing a combination of sigils and the characters used in the [Sealing Arts] onto his abdomen. And after about three minutes, he was finished.

Then, with the brush and bottle of ink in hand, Alfonzo approached Naruto.

"Alright now, don't move." Alfonzo said in a solemn tone. "This is something really precise. And if you move and I make a mistake, you could explode."

Hearing that, Naruto's eyes widen in horror. Then, he started stepping backwards. But when he saw the mischievous grin that appeared on Alfonzo's face, he pouted in annoyance.

"Alright, don't look at me like that." Alfonzo said with a smile. "but seriously, stay still. This ink is a bitch to erase. So, if you move and I make a mistake, it will take a while before we can try again.'

"You should have just said that in the first place!" Naruto shouted angrily, which only made Alfonzo laugh uproariously.

After a few more minutes eventually the two calmed down enough for Alfonzo to start drawing the [Seal]. Before he did so, however, Alfonzo focused a bit of magic power onto his right fingertip before tapping Naruto's belly. And when he did, the [Seal] that was holding the Nine-Tailed Fox inside of him was made visible.

'Good, it's the same [Seal] that I found among Danzo's records.' Alfonzo thought to himself. 'It would have sucked if it were something different. Then, I would have had to start creating the [Seal] again from scratch. And I would have had to bear Naruto looking at me like I was an idiot.'

With those thoughts running through his head, Alfonzo began drawing the [Seal] onto Naruto's abdomen. However, unlike the one he drew on himself, there were no sigils involved. And the reason for that was simple, Alfonzo needed those sigils to make it so that Riot and Bedlam could accompany him to meet the Nine-Tailed Fox in Naruto's mindscape.

After around six minutes of carefully drawing the [Seal], Alfonzo took a step back and looked over his work. Then, he nodded in satisfaction.

"Alright, there were no issues." Alfonzo said.

"*Sigh* Good. I'm glad it's over." Naruto said, visibly relaxing as he spoke. "That brush tickled a lot. I was afraid I was gonna start laughing and make you mess up."

In response, Alfonzo only smiled before returning to the workbench to put down the brush and the bottle of ink. Then, he gestured for Naruto to take a seat on the floor. After that, he returned to in front of Naruto and did the same.

"Are you ready?" Alfonzo asked solemnly.

Naruto nodded his head in response with a resolute expression on his face. Nodding in return, Alfonzo circulated his magic power, activating the sigils and [Seal] he drew on himself. Then, he once again extended his right index finger towards Naruto's [Seal] and activated it was well.

*Flash!*

In the next instant, both Alfonzo and Naruto felt as if they were covered in bright white light. A moment later, they found themselves standing at the entrance to a sewer system.

"Huh? Where are we?" Naruto asked in confusion while looking around. Then, he saw the door that led out of the sewers. However, he was surprised by what he saw on the other side.

On the other side of the door, there was a vast plain. Though, it looked like it was made of metal. On top of that, there were several large plates of metal floating in the sky. Even stranger than that, there were a number of electromagnetic phenomena dancing atop those plates.

"Oh, that door leads to my inner world." Alfonzo replied. "There are a couple of people that live there, and they wanted to meet the fox, too."

"Huh?" Naruto hummed in confusion. "They live inside your inner world? What does that even mean? No, never mind that for now. What is this sewer?"

"This sewer is a representation of your mindscape." Alfonzo replied. "It's basically the same as an inner world. Anyway, the Nine-Tailed Fox is in here somewhere. So, that's why we're here."

"What? Mindscape? Does that mean we're inside my head?" Naruto asked, his confusion seeming to grow with every new revelation. "Then, why does it look like this?"

"Who knows." Alfonzo replied with a shrug.

"Not that it really matters." A male voice said in a proud tone. "If this is just how it is, there's nothing you can do about it. And if there is a way to change it, then you train until you can change it into whatever you like."

"In other words, quit your bitchin' and let's get moving." A second, younger sounding male voice said in an angry tone.

When Naruto heard those voices, his head snapped towards the entrance to Alfonzo's inner world. And when it did, he caught sight of two men, the first was tall, even a little taller than Alfonzo, with brown skin and slicked back purple hair and eyes wearing a white suit with a purple tie. And the second was a comparatively shorter and younger looking man with pale skin, red eyes, and silver hair pulled into a messy ponytail wearing a black suit, black shirt, and a red tie.

"Good, you're finally here." Alfonzo said with a smile. Then, he turned to Naruto and continued. "Let me introduce you, Naruto. "These two are my [Soul Armament Spirits], Riot and Bedlam."

"{Soul Armament]? Spirits?" Naruto asked, sounding even more confused than before.

In response, Alfonzo gave Naruto a quick rundown of what an [Soul Armament] was. Though, he did not go into much detail.

"So, you're saying that those two are the tonfa you usually carry on your back?" Naruto asked in a disbelieving tone.

"That's right." Alfonzo replied. "The taller one is Bedlam. He's the spirit of the black and purple tonfa."

As Alfonzo spoke, he pointed at Bedlam while introducing him. Then, he pointed at Riot.

"And that's Riot." Alfonzo continued. "He's the silver and red one."

"Yeah, can we just get going already?" Riot asked impatiently. ""I just wanna see the big fox. I'm not interested in getting to know the kid."

Naruto was dumbfounded by Riot's response. Meanwhile, Alfonzo and Bedlam could only shake their heads. Then, Alfonzo placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder to snap him out of it.

"Don't worry about him." Alfonzo said. "he's always angry. Anyway, let's get going. We've got a fox to meet."

"Yeah, but how will we know where to go?" Naruto asked. "This place is huge."

"OH, don't worry about that, either." Alfonzo replied as he took his hand off Naruto's shoulder. I got this."

With that, Alfonzo started walking deeper into the sewer with Riot and Bedlam following shortly afterwards. And although Naruto was confused as to how Alfonzo could possibly know where to go, he followed soon after, as well.

The reason why Alfonzo knew where to go was simple. [Magic Power Detection]. However, he had no intention of teaching it to Naruto. And there were two reasons for that. First, Naruto's magic power control was nowhere near good enough to master the technique. And second, Naruto was not a member of Fairy Tail. Though, that may change in the future.

After walking for a few minutes, Alfonzo, Riot, Bedlam, and Naruto arrived in a large room filled with water that reached their ankles. And in the middle of the room was a large cage with a [Seal Tag] covering the cage's key hole.

From the entrance of the room, the quartet could see a pair of large, red eyes peering at them between the bars of the cage. And as they approached the cage, more of the being those eyes were connected to could be seen.

Lying in the middle of the cage with its large heard resting on its front paws was a fox, it would probably be, at least, ten stories tall when standing up, with covered in bright orange fur with its nine tails menacingly waving behind it.

"*Whistle* That's a big bastard." Bedlam said in an impressed tone, no fear could be heard in his tone as he continued.. "It's strong, too."

Hearing Bedlam's words, the Nine-Tailed Fox furrowed his eye brows. Then, he unleashed a potent killing intent that washed over the room. In fact, the killing intent was so potent that it changed the color of the water flooding the floor from a murky green color to bright red.

"Humans!" The Nine-Tailed Fox shouted, speaking the human tongue fluently in a deep, male voice. "Why have you come here?"

As the killing intent washed over the quartet, Alfonzo, Riot, and Bedlam seemed to be completely unaffected. Naruto, on the other hand, froze in terror with his eyes dilating.

Noticing Naruto's state, Alfonzo quickly stepped in front of him. Then, he raised his hands disarmingly.

"Take it easy, Big Guy." Alfonzo said solemnly. "We don't want any problems. We just came to talk."

"To talk?" The Nine-Tailed Fox's killing intent grew in potency as he replied. "You think I don't know how you humans operate? You're only here so that that cub standing behind you can use my power for whatever it is that humans like to do. More than likely kill other humans and hurt the others of my kind!"

Honestly, Alfonzo had no way to refute the fox's words. It was true that they wanted to help Naruto gain access to the fox's power, after all. Though Naruto would probably only want to use his power to protect what he held dear, that would definitely lead to him fighting other humans in the process.

"Look man, I can understand why you don't trust humans." Alfonzo said while shaking his head. "Hell, I don't really trust them either. As a species, we kinda suck. We're willing to do just about anything to achieve our goals. Murder, betrayal, enslavement you name it. But that's a pretty big generalization."

Though the Nine-Tailed Fox did not show it on his face, he was thoroughly surprised to hear a human talk about other humans in that way.

"But like with any other species, there are good ones and bad ones among us." Alfonzo continued. "and Naruto here is one of the good ones."

"Hmph! Do you really think I'd believe that?" The Nine-Tailed Fox asked with a scoff. "Someone who is hated by the majority of the village he grew up in can't be one of the so-called 'good ones,' as you put it."

"I guess that means you can perceive the world around Naruto then, huh?" Bedlam asked with a cocky grin on his face. "in that case, you're no better than all the humans in the village that hate him for no reason."

Being compared to the humans he despised so fervently; the Nine-Tailed Fox stood up in the cage while glaring at Bedlam angrily. What was even worse, is that he could not refute those words. He had seen everything Naruto had been through since the moment he was [Sealed] inside of the infant. So, he knew the villagers hatred was unjustified.

"Oh, I guess I hit a nerve.' Bedlam said without losing his cocky grin.

"*Growl!*" The Nine-Tailed Fox growled in anger. Though, he did not try to defend himself.

"Look, dude, I get it." Alfonzo said in a placating tone. "You were created by a mad man who wanted to create life in an attempt to bring back his dead little brother. Then, when you were deemed too powerful to control, he cast you aside. And after that, you were hunted down for centuries, even though you had done nothing wrong. And eventually, that never ending hunt finally comes to an end. But it was for no good reason. Instead, it was because some guy who only thought from the human perspective captured you and your siblings to give them away like presents in an attempt to bring peace."

"Hashirama! Senju!" The Nine-Tailed Fox shouted angrily while putting extra emphasis on both the First Hokage's first and last name.

"Yeah, him." Alfonzo continued. "Anyway, after he hunted you down, he forced you to be [Sealed] in his wife. Then, just before she died, you were [Sealed] into Kushina, without getting a say in it at all. And finally, you were [Sealed] into Naruto. On top of that, you were split in two because your power was too much to [Seal] into an infant. And all the while, you probably hadn't spoken to anyone in years because they all thought you were just a mindless beast designed for the purpose of destruction."

Hearing his whole life story in a nutshell was enough to surprise The Nine-Tailed Fox. From as far back as he could remember, no one seemed to know anything about him other than the fact he was dangerous. But this human, who could not be any older than twenty-five, knew everything about him.

Alfonzo, on the other hand, despite his confident tone while speaking, was thinking something totally different.

'I knew that the Tailed-Beasts were created by Zeref.' Alfonzo thought to himself. 'But I could only guess about the rest. I mean, since there was no Sage of the Six Paths to try and make them more human, I had no idea what their personalities were like. But judging from Kurama's reaction, I hit the nail on the head.'

Meanwhile, Naruto, who had come back to his senses after Alfonzo blocked the killing intent from slamming into him, was dumbfounded to hear the Tailed Beasts' story. Like all the other people who were familiar with them, he thought they were just mindless, destructive beasts. But his whole outlook had changed after hearing Alfonzo's speech.

"I don't know how you know what I've been through, Human." The Nine-Tailed Fox, or rather Kurama, said in an even tone. "But that doesn't matter. Why should I trust a human?"

"Oh, stop acting like a little pussy!" Riot shouted, finally reaching the limits of his patience. "You know good and damn well that Naruto hasn't done anything to fuck with you. He wasn't even given a choice to be your host like his mother was. And because of that, he was forced into isolation from the day he was born. Something that I'm sure you can fucking relate to. So, why don't you shut the fuck up with that woe is me bullshit and try using your god damn eyes for a god damn minute."

Hearing Riot's angry outburst, Naruto was terrified. He was the one housing the giant, powerful, demon fox, after all. And he had no idea what the fox would do to him if he was angered.

 Meanwhile, Alfonzo and Bedlam could only smile wryly. Both of them had asked Riot to let them do the talking, knowing his explosive temper. And to their surprise, Riot had agreed. However, neither of them were naïve enough to think that was not a temporary agreement. They were only hoping that they could come to an agreement with Kurama before Riot lost it.

Kurama, on the other hand, was immediately angered by Riot's first sentence. However, before he could flare up in anger, Riot had already continued. And he could not help but agree with what the silver-haired young man, who looked like a human but gave off a different feeling altogether, said.

In fact, Kurama felt the same thing about the tall, purple-haired young man, as well. But he did not have the time to give it much thought.

And after Riot finished his little rant, Kurama still did not flare up in anger. Instead, he started contemplating what Riot said.

It was true that Naruto had not perpetrated any of the wrongs he faced over his long life. And it was also true that Naruto did not decide to become his host. He was only a newborn, after all. Nor did he have anything to do with the other half of him being [Sealed] away somewhere else. And finally, he had, indeed, witnessed how Naruto was isolated because of his own presence. And he felt even more that Bedlam was right. He had been hating Naruto for no good reason, just like the villagers of the Leaf.

"Look, I'm not saying that you should trust Naruto on our words alone." Alfonzo said as he finally lowered his hands while watching Kurama think. "Like I said, I don't really trust humans either. But I don't usually write them off without giving them a chance. Because if I did, I would miss the few good ones among their numbers. So, all I'm saying is… Just give the kid a chance. Get to know him. And if he's as bad as all the other humans, then treat him like all the other humans. Simple, right?"

Alfonzo's words were enough to snap Kurama out of his contemplative state. Then, he turned his gaze to Naruto, who was still standing behind Alfonzo before nodding his head minutely.

"I suppose I can do at least that much." Kurama replied. "Though, I don't have high expectations."

With that, Kurama finally retracted his killing intent. And as soon as he did, Naruto, who was no longer completely suppressed, stepped past Alfonzo with an angry expression on his face.

"Hey, I have a question for you." Naruto said.

"Hmph! I don't like your tone, little human.?" Kurama said with a scoff. "But since I agreed to give you a chance and because I can guess what you want to know, I'll tolerate it… for now. Now, ask your question, little human."

"Why did you destroy the village twelve years ago?" Naruto asked. Then, he clench his fists and gritted his teeth as he continued. "And why did you kill my mom and dad?"

"*Sigh* That old man already answered the first question. Though, not in detail." Kurama replied. "It was because of the man who extracted me from your mother. With that disgusting Sharingan of the Uchiha, he put me under a [Genjutsu] and controlled me to do so."

Hearing that, Naruto was thoroughly surprised. Then, his expression began to turn wrathful. And once again, Alfonzo could tell exactly what he was thinking.

"Chill out, Naruto." Alfonzo said in a soothing tone. "Although it's true that a Sharingan user was the reason for the fox's rampage back then, don't start hating Sasuke because of it. In fact, when the fox attacked the village, all the Uchiha were ordered to stay in their clan compound. So, it couldn't be any of them. On top of that, Sasuke is only a couple of months older than you. So, he definitely had nothing to do with it."

Hearing that, Naruto took a deep breath to calm himself down. He had heard about the man who attacked his mother right after he was born. So, he knew that man was the reason why his parents died and the village was attacked. And he vowed that he would find out why he did it. And if necessary, he would make him pay for it.

"And to answer your second question." Kurama said, completely unconcerned with Naruto's internal conflict. "When I was eventually freed from that man's [Genjutsu], I realized that I was no longer [Sealed]. However, I was in the process of being [Sealed] again. So, I attacked you to distract them, your parents, I mean. But they jumped between me and you, getting themselves killed in the process. I actually had no intention of killing either you or them. I just wanted to get away. But my plan failed on all fronts."

And that explanation completely took the wind out of Naruto's sails. He can't say that he would have done the same thing in the fox's situation. But he could understand why he did it. And if the fox was to be believed, it was an accident that his parents died. Still, he did not know what to do with all the anger he was feeling.

Noticing Naruto's state of mind, Alfonzo decided that they had stayed long enough.

"Anyway, We'll give Naruto some time to process everything he heard." Alfonzo said as he grabbed Naruto and started walking him away from the cage. "But I'll teach him how to come here and talk to you. And you two can spend some time getting to know each other every day. And maybe, you'll even deem him worthy enough to tell him your name."

While Naruto was not in the right state of mind to pay attention to what Alfonzo was saying, Kurama was flabbergasted. Most human's did not even know he had a name. In fact, only one human should know that, and that is Zeref, his creator and the one who named him.

However, Kurama was even more surprised when Alfonzo looked back and mouthed the word, Kurama, to him. However, he was brought out of his state of shock when Riot spoke.

"Oh, and if you start to get out of pocket, just know…" Riot said in a threatening tone. "… I'll find a way to drag Alfonzo to kick your ass and make you act like a good little puppy again."

Once again, Kurama washed the room with his killing intent in anger. As a result, Naruto fainted because he was not ready for it. Meanwhile, Alfonzo and Bedlam looked at Riot with deadpan expressions.

"Seriously, he had agreed to play nice." Bedlam said while shaking his head and wearing a grin. "And you had to go and piss him off again. This is only gonna make things harder for the kid, you know."

"So what?" Riot shot back. "He needs to know where he stands."

In fact, Alfonzo, with Riot and Bedlam's first seal released, was more or less on par with Kurama. And with Kurama having such a big body, meaning such a large area to attack, Alfonzo was fairly certain that he could win against the Nine-Tailed Fox. However, the collateral damage a battle between them would cause would be catastrophic.

"*Sigh* Don't pay him any mind, Kurama." Alfonzo said, using the fox's name now that Naruto was unconscious. "If I ever come here again, I'll leave him in my inner world."

"Hmph!" Riot snorted in disdain.

That caused Kurama to calm his anger and once again retract his killing intent. However, his expression was now filled with confusion.

"Human, how do you know my name?" Kurama asked. "I've never told a human my name before. And as my siblings and I were deemed failures, I'm sure Zeref never passed it down. So, how?"

In response, Alfonzo and Bedlam only smiled mysteriously. Riot, on the other hand, walked out of the room without even looking back. Then, Alfonzo, while carrying Naruto over his shoulder, spoke. Though, he did not answer Kurama's question.

"I know a lot of things I'm not supposed to know." Alfonzo said in a mysterious tone. "Unfortunately, the reason why is a secret I'll take to my grave. If people found out, it would cause a lot of trouble for me, my family, and my guild. And I don't want that. Oh, and if you could stop leaking your magic power and messing with the flow of Naruto's that would be great."

With that said, Alfonzo, Bedlam, Naruto, and even Riot, who was still walking towards the entrance to Alfonzo's inner world, vanished from Naruto's mindscape, leaving Kurama to contemplate what Alfonzo last said. He also decided to grant Alfonzo's request and stop disrupting Naruto's magic power flow. Until he determined whether or not Naruto was worth trusting, at least.