Chapter 1

Like domino pieces lined together, the first one to fall and start a great number of consequences and changes occurred on a sunny morning. One perhaps would say, quite vocally, that it started long ago, before the War Clans and just a couple of years after the birth of the Sage of Six Paths. But it was just one person and, even with the loud proclamations, it was easy to overrule. Because every event that shaped the future away from the original script started thanks to that morning.

If one looked at it from a detached point of view, it was clear that everything about the day suggested it was going to be a normal one. It started like all, with shops opening their stores, kids running towards the Academy, and adults preparing for the start of their respective jobs, all of it accompanied by the not-quite-noise of ninjas running across rooftops that was always a background sound in every ninja village.

That day even seemed to be more peaceful than others as there wasn't any joyful cackling that signaled a well-done prank made by Konoha's personal trickster. It would have made the people more cautious but one look at the calendar was enough to make many shop stores owners sigh in relief; today was exam day at the Academy.

Everything was normal and it seemed to stay that way.

Until it was not, of course.

It started in a classroom. The teacher was talking so the kids were paying attention, some perhaps sleeping while others talked in hushed voices. When the teacher was almost over with the explanation he suddenly stopped. Then a sigh followed. He grabbed the ruler that was on top of his desk and slapped it against the board with enough force to make it tremble. The sound was so loud, the distracted and sleeping kids jumped to attention.

"Today's physical exam is preparing you for your lives as ninjas. It's not time to sleep and talk!"

"But you say the same thing about every exam, Iruka-sensei," a kid with blond hair whined from the back of the classroom before shutting up as soon as a piece of chalk collided with his forehead.

Some kids snickered. Others, knowing the lecture that would soon come, groaned.

Iruka's grip on the ruler tightened. The vein on his forehead was almost visible as he opened his mouth, most likely to give the mentioned lecture.

Not that it happened, of course, because that was when the day deviated from its normal path.

It wasn't even gradual, something one could prepare for. It was more like a stumble, in the way it just… happened. And like a stumble, one was lucky if they didn't fall off on their faces or possessed the grace to recover fast. One moment there wasn't anything; the next, it was as if a sudden weight had been added to their backs, making the kids bent over their tables, cheeks pressed against the wood. Even the teacher's knees buckled - his arm on his desk stopping him from continuing the same path the kids' heads had done. Then, a power, unlike others, followed, wild and untamed but still concentrated and very much deadly.

Killing intent? some ninjas close by wondered, before soon realizing that they could still think—there weren't images of their deaths flashing through their minds. The power that only the closer ones and the sensors in the village felt was just that, powerfully oppressing. There wasn't even an intent and perhaps that made the fear greater. If one asked for a description, they would only answer with the word 'might', perhaps even 'warmth', a sliver of desperation being the only emotion it could be felt clinging to the power like a virus. Even so, the ones capable of feeling the emotion, were who recovered first from the surprise and acted, shouting commands as they ran to the place where it all started: The Academy.

Not that they would be able to stop anything. Those five seconds in which the ones with the power to do anything spend being surprised was enough for the power to stabilize until it condensed into a ball of glowing yellow light that slowly but surely started taking form.

Two seconds later, the glow flickered before completely dying, showing the glowing orange-yellowish fur that lay underneath its brilliance; spots of scarlet red laying on some parts while white bones clearly appeared on others. A soft, tired hiss sounded from time to time from them, followed by trails of smoke that rose from the wounds of the being.

The kids, who by now could lift somewhat their heads, and the teacher, were only able to see its crouched back, easily the height of a tall adult as it lay curled. But then, the head that had been hidden looked up, making visible the snout and long ears accompanied by half-lidded eyes. The ninja inside the classroom all felt their insides go cold as the being turned to look around because even if none had seen it face to face before in person, it was impossible to mistake the fox curled near to the far-away corner close to the board and the doors as no other but the Nine-Tails, even in the smaller form that it currently held.

All of them wanted to stand up, step back, run, and hide. But in front of such a terrible creature, it didn't matter much about the obvious weakened state it presented, they couldn't think clearly. Panic numbed their minds. A couple of them let involuntary sobs of impotence as terror settled. They were just kids, after all.

It was perhaps fortunate for them that before the fox started to growl and caused more anxiety and horror, a human hand appeared from someplace behind the fox, dainty fingers curling around its raised fur in a clear soothing manner.

"Calm down," a croaky voice said, a head following the hand, cheek resting on the tailed beast's side. Crimson flaming gold hair with specks of red; bruised purple bangs under blue, weary eyes; faint whisker marks on the cheeks that twitched with each labored breath on pale skin.

The jaw was more defined and soft, the baby fat is almost gone, the fingers sturdier though surprisingly delicate, and the eyes were slightly dull and tired but not harsh. The ruined yellow, glowing coat that covered a shirt of the same color with strange black marks was unexpected but the weirdest thing about the flaming person was probably the two horns that sprouted from the forehead, clearly visible because of the giant fox that hid most of the body, made unmistakably the identity of—

"An alien?!" a blond boy squeaked, his high-pitched voice making the others wake up from their stupor.

Iruka glared at Naruto. "Silence, Naruto. Now is not the time."

"Beware how you talk to a Sage," said Kurama as tired eyes moved to meet their younger counterpart and they lightened, a small smile playing on chapped lips, so different from the usual wider grins others in a faraway future were used to seeing.

"Hi, you," the Sage-look-alike whispered, his grip on the orange fur tightening as the hacking started, an ugly throaty sound that was soon followed by blood and saliva, turning more of the fur into the red. A tremor that didn't seem to stop shocked his body, making the person seem frail. The tail that curled around the young body appeared to be the only thing holding the horned person in place. Though it did nothing to stop the way their hands patted absently the bloody spot. "'m sorry, Kurama."

"Don't talk, brat," the fox said, the voice managing to startle the others more than its appearance did.

"But you love your stupid fur, you bastard fox."

The nine-tailed beast didn't have a face to read expressions from but despair was clearly written on the frown between his eyes, the ears flattened against the skull, and the slight tremble of his lips.

"Just shut up," the fox growled, voice holding more emotion than someone who once attempted to destroy the village should. "Please."

Iruka's grip on his kunai slackened for a second. And perhaps the Sage-look-alike was also surprised by the word and the real worry behind it because they blinked dumbly for long seconds before slowly and tiredly nodding, answering with a weak, "Okay."

But that didn't stop the retching. More globs of red blood continued coming from the look-alike's mouth, turning everyone uneasy with the sad picture they made.

The fox didn't seem to care about the blood covering his form, he helped the horned person so they wouldn't be sprawled on their side any longer, adjusting them up to its back with gentle tails, until the Sage-look-alike could rest comfortably near its neck. The fox then bore its inhuman gaze, once again hard and dangerous into Iruka's before sliding it to Naruto's. "You, brat, come here."

The tremors in the older's body didn't stop as they looked up. The person tried to push their body up from where it rested. "Kurama, you can't—"

"Yes, I can."

"The plan wasn't that," the teenager rasped, their head falling for a second against the fox's side.

"A young Naruto is fucking there." Then in a louder, more commanding voice, the tailed beast said to the boy, "Now if you don't want to see… this 'Sage' dying, you better move, brat."

Naruto, being Naruto, didn't really think of the consequences as he stood up and jumped. It wasn't as if he was unafraid, because he was clearly terrified. One look at the way his legs trembled was enough to confirm it. And that was without considering the pale face and shaking hands.

But it was perhaps that frightened determination in his eyes that made Kurama's snarl soften. One of his tails extended more than it should be possible, curling around the kid's waist to stop him from stumbling.

However, Iruka was also fast and more used to burying fear and acting, unlike his students. He moved, grabbing Naruto's arm and with some application of chakra on the sole of his feet, he keeps him away from the tailed beast.

"All, move back! To the windows!" he yelled, plunking a kunai covered in chakra into the tail. He obviously hoped it would be enough to make it recede but it didn't relent. "Now, move!"

It startled the kids, though the order put them into action. Soon they were in the opposite corner, close to their only exit. They opened the windows just in time for the ANBU to enter, the Hokage not so far behind. His widened wrinkled eyes said all about the situation, but as any good Kage, he controlled his surprise, eyes trailing to the Naruto hovering in the air thanks to the tail, before meeting the tailed beast's red eyes.

"Tiger, help the kids."

An ANBU nodded before going to his task, fellow members forming a circle around the creature.

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