Dysfunctional - 6

Jiraiya nodded pleasantly while lighting his pipe, "Damn! Not bad! Now for the next step. Same idea, but this time your chakra will be focused on a rubber ball."

"A rubber ball?"

His master pointed to a cardboard box settled inconspicuously next to a training post which was, as expected, filled with rubber balls borrowed from the Academy.

Naruto gave his instructor a questioning look, "Ero-sensei, what's with all this stuff? Do I really need this many?"

"No. I just figured you would get frustrated at one point and start breaking or throw things at me," Jiraiya paused and regretted his words, "Uh, not to give you any ideas that is!"

His student shook his head, "Why would I waste a perfectly good water balloon on you?"

Jiraiya frowned at his smart-mouthed student while taking a long drag.

The second stage of his training was by far shorter and more productive. As Naruto and his Shadow Clones proceeded to spin chakra into rubber balls, their chakra began to dwindle. Eventually, clones that had spent all of their chakra poofed out of existence, letting their once chakra-filled items drop to the dusty ground.

Nearly fifteen minutes after beginning the second stage of his Rasengan training, Naruto noticed that each of his clones had spent all of their chakra leaving only him with beads of sweat rolling down the side of his face, 'I don't know if I can...keep this up...'

He really knew better, but he was simply too stubborn to give in and rest. In his heart, Naruto had always felt that Gaara and Haku had somehow been stronger than him, even when they were young. It had been difficult to accept their natural gifts. It wasn't that he wanted to be superior, but he wished to be on the same physical level as them, 'I want to be a match for Haku-kun and Gaara-kun, not just with knowledge but in ability! I may not have powers like they do, but I will be Hokage! I will!'

It hit him like a ton of bricks and he hadn't even realized what had happened.

Naruto, for a moment, wondered why Jiraiya had attacked him. The throbbing pain in the back of his head wouldn't subside. It took the blonde a moment to realize that he had not been physically injured at all. The pain was strictly from his lack of chakra, 'I used it all up? That quick? Well, I have been training all day...'

He had been warned many times in the Ninja Academy that using up all of one's chakra had catastrophic repercussions. Although he himself had never been pushed to such limits, he had always had a healthy fear of going over the edge. After all, chakra being directly linked to a shinobi's stamina could result in the death or crippling of the ninja. Naruto and Gaara never paid the thought much mind, seeing that they had never had a problem with their stamina once in their entire lives. Unlike them, Haku held a better understanding of the concept, due to his limited (if not pathetic) reserves of chakra. His warnings and advice however, did not fall on deaf ears.

'Does this mean I'm...dead?'

His vision returned to him surprisingly quick, 'Maybe I'm not dead just yet!'

Naruto looked ahead, seeing a strange light. He was in a dim, echoing place. He frowned to himself, 'I thought it was daytime. Why is everything so dark all of a sudden?'

Rising to his feet and brushing off his pants, Naruto went ahead, curiously observing the faint, glowing beams ahead of him, 'I guess I hit my head pretty hard.'

The blonde haired boy paused and looked up, regarding a strange sign mounted halfway up on one of the beams. It was plain, save for an old, elegant character painted onto it, which from his line of sight was unreadable in the darkness. Naruto scratched his head, wondering how he had ended up in such an eerie place after he had been trying to master the Rasengan.

He wanted to have a look around the dusky expanse of the place until he heard something.

It started low, but grew in volume; a thundering, rolling purr, which shook the ground beneath his feet. The hair on the back of Naruto's neck was on end as the growl abruptly ended, and he jumped several feet back as something emerged from behind one of the ghastly beams.

An enormous set of claws thudded down with tremendous force, directly where he had been standing moments before. The boy was sure he could hear his palpitating heart in his mouth as he stood, watching as the great paw dragged back slowly into its place of origin, followed by another resonating growl.

A few moments helped him assure himself that he was beyond the creature's reach. The beams he had seen before were in fact bars, 'This is a cage...'

Naruto strained his eyes to see in the cloudy dark, but saw no movement, 'How am I going to get out of this place? This must be where…'

His thoughts were interrupted as a deep, amused-sounding voice sliced the air like a knife, You've made contact. You certainly took your time.

A huge face appeared ahead of him inside of the cage; grinning fangs and eyes the color of blood.

"You're-!"

There was another thunderous purr of amusement ahead of him, Oh yes. I am your exalted prisoner, the greatest of the tailed beasts, I am the Nine Tails.

Naruto watched in grim silence, wondering how he should handle this situation. It wasn't everyday he was able to speak face to face with the demon fox sealed within him, 'Was this how Gaara-kun felt when he was little? Some giant thing growling in his head whenever he closed his eyes?'

Do you know why you're here, Naruto?

The blonde boy looked up at the fox, startled, "Huh? Why I'm...here?"

You're as good as dead, boy. You have utterly spent your chakra. You are only alive because I provide you with my chakra.

"You...you're keeping me alive?" Naruto gave a disbelieving look to the biju, "Why would you want to help me?"

The once flashing grin set into a thin line of annoyance, I don't have a choice in the matter. If it were up to me, I would tear your scrawny limbs off one by one.

There was a sudden shudder from within the cage and Naruto strained his eyes to see the huge fox disappear again, as if he were interrupted. There came a string of frenzied growls for a long moment before it quieted down. The blonde haired boy cringed as the fox reappeared, smirking at him.

You'll have to forgive that disturbance. Unfortunately I am not alone in here.

Naruto frowned again, warily edging closer, but keeping out of Kyuubi's reach, "What do you mean you're not alone?"

Spare me your pathetic questions! The fox seemed touchy about the subject, The truth of the matter is that if you die, then I shall die with you. We have been bound together in such a way that I cannot break free from this seal. As a result you and I coexist, keeping one another alive. Though I wouldn't really call this living...if I had been in a host with a seal just the slightest bit less complex…I would have torn free by now. Count yourself very fortunate.

To emphasize his point, the fox gave a fierce head-butt to the bars, only rattling them.

"So if I die, you die with me?" Naruto looked intrigued, "I didn't know that."

I'm sure we'd enjoy life more without each other, Kyuubi growled bitterly, In exchange for you being my vessel, preserving my spirit, you receive my chakra...all of it if necessary, He smirked, You should let me out more often. I enjoy the fresh air.

"Eh...sorry, no can do." Naruto replied, "The way I see it, I'm the one who's calling the shots here, Fluffy."

INSOLENT LEECH! Naruto stumbled backwards, knocked off his feet by the demon's roar, You will show the proper respect! Do not think you are the only one who is in control... The fox's eyes narrowed, I can make your life contemptible, boy, I have nothing better to do with my time.

Naruto felt some of his sass return to him, despite the looming beast in front of him, "I bet you could, Fluffy, but you see you're stuck in my body, so you have to do what I tell you! If you make my life miserable...who's to say I wouldn't choose to end it?"

...surely you are not a fool enough to threaten me, whelp? You're too much of a coward.

Again there was stirring from deep within the Kyuubi's cage and he roared in annoyance to end it.

"You're gonna give me some chakra right now," Naruto folded his arms and smirked, "It's not like you have anything better to do, right?"

The Kyuubi glared at him, It's quite possible that I do.

"Look, I can't stay and chat. I've gotta get back to my training so I can learn the Rasengan!" Naruto snapped, fed up with the fox, "Give me chakra now and I'll...I'll leave you alone for a while."

I doubt that.

"No, seriously! I mean, well...if I pass out again I guess we'll see each other soon..." The blonde scratched his head, "I got it! The next time I see you, I won't ask stupid questions and I'll even be more respectful!"

The fox gave him a bored look.

"So what do you say?"

Deal.

Naruto watched a surge of red chakra escape the bars and meet him; fiery and exhilarating. He smirked to himself, glad that he could get the fox's cooperation through bribery. The blonde stretched his arms over his head as he felt energy return to him, grinning, "Thanks a lot! Now I can get back to work!"

The Kyuubi sniffed, See that you master this technique and... The fox's smirk was broad, Don't embarrass me.