Chapter 74 : Acceptance (2)

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Mei was the first to speak. "What have you done to Naruto, demon?" Was she the only one upset with him being possessed by the embodiment of hatred?

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Once again, Kurama roared with laughter. "You speak as if I could do anything to your precious angel even if I wanted to."

Mei and Anko's eyes widened. The Bijuu just very subtly announced he knew of their personal relationships with Naruto. "Naruto is far too powerful for me to take on and has been for years now." He became serious. "The Bijuu respect my Jinchuuriki.

He is the Child of Prophecy, and has sworn to save us. All of us." Hearing that was surprising. The Bijuu were supposed to hate humanity. "And I am not a demon. You humans are always so quick to title what you don't understand demonic. And as for your question, you are a few thousand years too young to give me orders." He looked to Hiruzen.

"Hiruzen, you may speak to me as an equal, but only because my partner has told me to do so. Ask your questions, but do not think for a moment that I have harmed Naruto."

Hiruzen nodded, already knowing Naruto's most important law.

The Hokage's word is absolute.

"What has happened to him? Why are you in control?" This was as good a place to start as any.

"The kit discovered a new form of Senjutsu." Hiruzen and Kakashi's eyes widened. He had found another? "He explained it to us that his Sage Dust was him converting Natural Energy into Yang chakra, bringing form to it in the impure world."

Everyone was trying to pay close attention. This was a breakthrough in chakra theory the likes of which haven't been done in years. "He viewed his Senjutsu as a number line, the positive side being Yang. He discovered that the negative side was Yin. Once he had that in mind, it wasn't long before he discovered what Yin Natural Energy could do."

He waited for everyone to digest what was just said. "We left the village last night for…" His red, slitted eyes flicked to Anko and Mei, "Personal reasons." Both women were glad the Bijuu held his tongue.

"When we returned, he felt Yugao's broken heart. When we found her, Gekko Hayate was dead."

The room went still. "Gekko Hayate is right outside this room." Kakashi announced. "Are you saying that he is an imposter?" He asked seriously.

"No. I'm saying that my idiot Jinchuuriki decided to risk his own life for his ungrateful sister's fiancé." He scowled. "The Yin half of his Sage Dust is life itself." Hiruzen raised an eyebrow. "Naruto was able to give form to the Natural Energy within the pure world and brought Gekko Hayate's soul back."

Everyone but Sasuke's eyes widened- he had already been told of this-, even the always calm Ookami's. "That's not possible, even theoretically. It's not possible to bring the dead back to life." Mei said.

Kurama snorted. "You are but a child, Mizukage. You have no idea what is possible in this world. And you should know better by now," he smirked again, "There isn't anything Naruto can't do."

Mei went to speak, but Hiruzen beat her to it. "What happened afterwards? Why are you in control?"

Kurama huffed. "That idiot used the new Sage Dust Technique prematurely. He had no idea what all was involved. You can't just bring the dead back to life without consequences." Kakashi, Anko, and Mei looked worried for the blond. "He didn't count on the power of his own will." He shook his head.

"He somewhat knew that his will was different than others when he created Tengoku Kurido. The Natural Energy made 'angels' are sentient, or that's what he thought. We now know that it wasn't the 'angels' that were sentient, but his own will."

"I'm afraid I don't understand…" Hiruzen admitted. Even the Professor was stumped.

Kurama sighed. Humans… "Take me for example," he began. "I'm a massive accumulation of chakra given sentience. I only have a form because I will it. Sentience is just another name for will. Unlike most humans, Naruto has the greatest willpower I've ever seen, stronger than my own.

When something that powerful exists, it's no longer, for lack of a better word, dead." The dimwitted humans still looked confused. Kurama shook his head with a sigh. "Okay, in simpleton terms, this Will of Fire you're so fond of speaking of is not figurative with Naruto anymore. His passion to protect, to love, is so great that it's alive.

It has a mind of its own. It's Naruto, but it's his passion, his desire. And all that kid desires is to save the world and everyone in it." Hiruzen began to understand.

"It's like his subconscious mind takes over, and all it thinks about is to protect and serve." Kurama nodded.

"Yes. Usually this doesn't come of anything, but Naruto… I've never seen or heard of anything like him before in all my years. There was only one man in existence who was ever supposed to wield power like this."

Hiruzen had to ask. "And who was this man?"

The Kyuubi was silent for a moment. He had only ever spoken to Naruto about this before, but his first friend, his only friend, trusted these people, so he would as well. "My father, the Rikudo Sennin."

"The Rikudo Sennin is just a legend, isn't he?" Anko asked. She had only heard about the Sage of Six Paths once or twice before. He was supposed to be a man turned god who gave people his chakra and saved the world from a great evil.

"My existence proves that he was very real." Kurama replied. "He had the power over life and death. He could create anything out of nothing." He smirked. "He created the moon." Anko decided to shut up.

An ancient-old Bijuu was giving them the secrets most people would kill for. "My father had told us someone would come and reunite us Bijuu," he gave the Hokage a look. Hiruzen knew what that look meant. "Naruto is that person. That's why I never worried about his ridiculous strength and impossible accomplishments, but now…"

"What is it?" Hiruzen asked.

"The Rinnegan is supposed to be the only thing that can give back life. The fact that Naruto's done it with nothing but Natural Energy…" He shook his head. "It worries me. He's far too powerful for a mortal.

He already has more chakra than me." That was news to everyone… "At the rate he's going, he's going to surpass the raw strength of my father in a couple of years." Even Hiruzen was shocked. The Rikudo Sennin was hailed as an actual god. "Of course, my father had strength beyond his raw power, such as creation, but Naruto is slowly making his way to that plain of existence. He's about to reach divinity.

It took my father years to truly ascend, but Naruto is almost there now…" He paused.

"This wouldn't bother me except…"

"Please, tell us." Hiruzen pleaded at the Kyuubi's silence.

"The prophecy… it states that a blue-eyed boy that played with the Bijuu would save the world… or destroys it…" The people in the room froze. "Right now there's no doubt in my mind that Naruto will save us all… but there are too many things hurting him right now.

He's too selfless. He's… he's lonely and confused." Mei and Anko saw the red eyes of the Bijuu meet theirs. "This village that he loves so much has broken his image of himself.

These ignorant villagers have hated him since his birth because of me, and he's been able to understand that the whole time." He paused, making sure Anko and Mei were looking at him since this applied to the two of them the most. "He hates himself." Mei and Anko's hearts hurt. "You can only tell someone they're a monster for so long before they start to believe it." He looked at Kakashi and Hiruzen.

"His mind, his will decided that if everyone saw him as a monster, than that's what he was. He was able to embrace that, turning it into a way to protect his home, his Heaven, but that was just by chance. It could have gone the opposite way and, well, Konoha wouldn't be here anymore."

Sasuke chuckled. "It's not just chance, and you know it."

Kurama looked at the Uchiha from the corner of his eye. The brat could already feel it then... "Maybe not, but the fact still remains, he needs the only thing he's ever craved for, ever wanted for himself."

"And what's that?" Hiruzen asked.

Kurama didn't speak, but everyone saw him look at Anko and the Mizukage. "Back to why I'm in control," he started again. "He underestimated his own conscious will, and when he brought Hayate back, his chakra converted itself to healing chakra."

Kakashi spoke up. "Naruto doesn't know Medical Ninjutsu, though."

The Kyuubi nodded. "No, he doesn't. But he's lived in a village where the best Medical Ninja practice it every day. Once again, he underestimated his will, because his subconscious mind was able to use his empathy as well. Everything he didn't pay attention to, his subconscious decided to do it for him." He looked at the door.

He knew Hayate and Yugao were behind it. "When he brought Hayate back, Yugao had done something Naruto never thought she'd ever do." He growled. "She expressed hatred towards him."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Why would she do that? They're like siblings, she loves him."

Once again, the Bijuu's red, slitted eyes met Anko's and Mei's. "She blamed him for his death. She thought he should have felt the battle between him and whoever killed him and stepped in to save him. But like I said, we were not in the village." He sighed.

"This only strengthened his hate for himself. It made him feel like his own desires were a bad thing." His expression darkened. "I've never felt pain from him like I did last night…" The Kyuubi was honestly worried for his Jinchuuriki.

"It brought out his hatred for himself, and that fueled his selfless desire to help people, and more specifically, help Hayate. He wasn't prepared for the switch to healing chakra, so it took almost all of his chakra in one go.

He barely had enough to survive before he asked me to take over." He chuckled. It wasn't a happy chuckle. "Even on the verge of death, he thought about the village first. He knew that his body, and more importantly, what's within his body, was something too valuable to fall into the wrong hands. He wanted to make sure his body stayed in Konoha."

Hiruzen was silent for a moment before he sighed deeply. "How long will it take for him to recover?"

"He already has." Kurama admitted. "I'm keeping him asleep so that I can explain this to all of you. If it was up to him, he'd push it down. He'd sacrifice the only thing he really wants," again, Mei and Anko were within the Kyuubi's gaze, "And went back to selflessly living for nothing but the protection of Konoha."

"Is there a way to help him?" Kakashi asked.

"His relationship with the Uchiha runt is already helping him." Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the Bijuu. "He views him as a brother. And he feels like their relationship will better Konoha since he's training him to be the next Uchiha Madara." He growled. "Very stupid idea, but he won't listen to me…" He sighed.

"Other than that, there's really nothing anyone can do except for two certain idiots to open their eyes and accept what they already know is going to happen."

Mei and Anko looked at each other, still able to feel their memories, their souls.

"Where do we go from here, then?" Hiruzen asked.

"Naruto is going to take Sasuke on some super-secret elite training camp for the mentally insane for the month. They'll be back the day before the Chunin Exams." Hiruzen nodded. That was the day they were going to decide what to do with their… sake problem.

"In that time, I suggest you make up your minds on what you want from Naruto." He laughed. "He's going to be pissed that I told you all of his little secrets, but this had to happen. You need to know that the only thing that's hurting him is all of you."

Everyone was silent. They knew he was telling the truth, especially Anko and Mei.

"Now, I need to speak with the snake lover and Son-wannabe in private." Kurama announce. No-one got his joke about the Yonbi since no-one knew his name. Nevertheless, everyone except the two Kunoichi stepped out. "Alright ladies, we need to talk."

"And what exactly do we need to talk about?" Mei asked.

"The fact that Naruto loves the both of you, and you both love him, and yet, neither of you are willing to compromise."

"It's not that simple…" Anko whispered.

"Mortals and your idiotic views on love..." He shook his head. "You've seen his heart, his soul. What else does he have to do to show you that he loves both of you equally?"

"You're suggesting we share him?" Mei asked angrily. "I don't know what you think love is, but I'm not interested in giving anyone a Harem. I'm a woman, not a slut."

Kurama sighed. "A Harem, little girl, is not what I'm suggesting." He smirked. "If Naruto wanted a Harem, there are multiple women out there that are more than willing to give him that." He shook his head. "That's not want Naruto wants.

You look at love like it's only possible between two people." Anko and Mei nodded their heads. "My father has eleven children, and he loved us all equally." Mei opened her mouth to counter, but Kurama held up his hand and stopped her. "Before you say it's different, truly think about it. All love is the same. You're thinking about intimacy. The two are completely different."

"How are they different?" Anko asked.

"Love is the feelings of affection one feels towards another. Intimacy is a kind of relationship. It's something you do, not feel. A man loves his wife just as much as he loves his mother. That love, believe it or not, is the same. All that's different is the relationship between the two."

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