A week had passed since Kushina's funeral had taken place and a few elders and council members had gathered to discuss what would be done about Naruto.

"We need some way to keep him close to the Hokage Tower so we can keep an eye on him. Perhaps one of us could begin training him as well; he's of no use to us as a civilian."

"We can move him out of his home and into an apartment, one in the complex right next to the First Conference Hall. He'll be in close range that way."

"Alright. Now who will we assign to train the boy? We must avoid anyone associated with the academy, ideally it should be one of the Council's connections."

"I know someone. His ties with the village are already loose and he's worked for us before. It shouldn't be a problem."

"Then it's settled. We will move the boy into an apartment tomorrow and his training will begin soon after."

With a nod of agreement, the six members stood from their seats and the meeting concluded.

Naruto lay on his bed, the house was silent as it had been for the past two weeks. He was slightly more active and seemed to be getting better. Of course, he still rarely left the house and only really got up to eat. His friends had stopped by earlier that week to check up on him, and while he was grateful for the gesture, he preferred to be alone.

He let out a breath and rolled onto his side, now facing the door to his room. Glancing over at his nightstand, he lifted an arm and slid open the top drawer. A shiny black kunai lay there peacefully. He hadn't gone to training since his mother had died, in fact, training was just about the last thing on his mind. Still, feeling a little guilty, he decided that he should go see if Nina was still at the field.

He stood up and stepped out of his room, went down the hall, and descended the stairs.

The house was too quiet.

Opening the front door, he warily stepped outside and started down the street.

The sun was high in the sky as Naruto approached the familiar field and, to his surprise, a white haired woman sat at the center.

"...sensei?" He asked, his voice uncertain.

Nina opened her eyes and blinked at the boy.

"Naruto, how are you?" She greeted.

He had to think for a moment before responding.

"Good... why are you still here?" He questioned slowly. It was nearly four hours after the time he would have begun training... did she wait for him the whole time?

"I thought you may try to find me, perhaps needing to talk. It seems I was right." She observed, patting the ground next to her.

He hesitantly walked over and sat down, unsure of what to say.

A long silence hung in the air.

"Sorry I haven't been coming." He spoke up, his spoke quietly, almost like a whisper.

"It's quite alright. Even shinobi need days off." She stared understandingly.

He seemed to shift slightly.

"Um... my... my mom-"

"I know." She interrupted, causing him to look up.

"Y-You do?"

She nodded.

His gaze fell to the ground, his hands clenched and he became silent.

"Would you like to hear a story?" She asked abruptly.

He looked up at her again and, after a moment, nodded despite his confusion.

She paused briefly before opening her mouth.

"Not so long ago, this village was nothing but part of a vast forest. This forest was a battleground for the many clans that lived in the area, all of whom were trying to out-do the others. Among these clans were the Uchiha and Senju. The Senju were a clan of many talents and many faces with all types of chakra natures among them. They were a clan with a strong sense of family and a desire for peace, their leader had the same values. Senju Hashirama was a most respectable man and an excellent shinobi. He was the one to first envision a hidden village. There was also the Uchiha, a powerful clan of soliders who were the only ones that could hold their own against the Senju shinobi. They were known for their crude nature and cold exterior, but never was there a clan who treasured love more than the Uchiha. Their family ties were even more powerful than their infamous fire jutsus, it was their love that made their visual prowess strong. Too strong. They believed getting rid of emotions was the only way to advance their Sharingan and therefore tried to lock themselves away, the more attached an Uchiha was to another person, the more they were pressured to break that attachment. This progressed to a point where the best of friends were pitted against each other and, in one way or another, fought until only one remained alive. During that time, their leader was named Uchiha Madara, a man who sought a better world through violence and power. He and Hashirama were childhood friends, and despite their different methods, they both wanted the same thing: a world without war or suffering." She paused to see his reaction: Naruto seemed completely entranced.

"Eventually, they resolved to put their differences aside and join together, they decided on a spot for the village they wanted to form and began building it. Soon, however, Madara became restless. He sought more than the village could offer him, more than anyone could offer him. So he left Konoha. Hashirama prayed for his friend's return, and Madara did return, though not in the way he had hoped. He came back with a great beast under his control and wreaked havoc on the village. He and Hashirama fought a terrible battle in a place not far from here, both parties perished."

Naruto was amazed. He had never heard this story before and he was more than a little fascinated by it. The first Hokage, the one revered as the god of shinobi, had been killed in a battle? This Uchiha Madara must have been a powerful opponent.

"What happened after?" He asked, eyes wide with curiosity.

"Afterwards, Hashirama's bother, Senju Tobirama, became Hokage and there was a period of peace. But that's not the point. I told you this story because the beast that Madara had used during his attack on the village now rests in you." She turned to look at him, the shock was evident on his face.

"...what?" He asked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"The Nine Tailed Fox. That is what he's called. He continues to reside in you at this very moment." Nina explained, a small smile on her lips.

Naruto did not respond, he seemed to be frozen with confusion.

"Are... are you sure?" He questioned doubtfully.

"I am. Your mother wanted to protect you from everything to do with the shinobi world and so she never told you. If you want to become a shinobi you must learn to cooperate with the beast, get along with him and he will lend you his power."

There was another silence before Naruto spoke.

"How am I supposed to get along with him? You said he was a beast, right? Like a monster?" He had never heard of anything like a nine tailed fox beforebut it didn't sound like something he wanted to be friends with.

"A beast, yes. A monster, no. He is not only sentient but also has morals and conscience, though he doesn't always like to show it." She explained.

He seemed to become even more confused, pausing to think again.

"Can... can I talk to him?" He asked hesitantly.

Nina raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"I see no problem with that, but are you certain you want to? He may not be friendly at first." She warned, and with a newfound confidence, Naruto nodded firmly. "Very well. However, there are a few things you must remember: he is not extensively hostile unless he is provoked and you must try not to offend him if you wish to become allies."

Naruto nodded, mentally taking note of these reminders.

"Ok, I'll try." He nodded again.

"Then let's begin. Close your eyes."

He did so and she placed a hand on his forehead. In a split second, he felt a strong pull and stumbled back.

An oddly dark room surrounded him and there seemed to be something resembling thick iron bars in front of him. He turned around and heard a swishing at his feet, looking down, he saw that a shallow layer of water covered the cold floor. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Nina standing next to him.

"We're here."

A deep growl sounded just as she spoke.

He looked up instinctively and could have sworn he saw movement behind those tall metal bars.

"W-Where is this?" He stammered, suddenly feeling on edge.

"This is where the Nine Tails resides." She stared up into the cage as if expecting something to appear. "Kurama, come meet your host." She called.

Another growl was heard, this time it was angrier. A huge paw emerged from the shadows, shaking the room as it connected with the bottom of the cage-like structure. Another paw soon grounded itself next to the first, then came the head of the enormous beast, a sharp face of angry features, the fox leered at the boy.

"So you're the human I am locked inside of..." His voice sounded scratchy and was dripping with hatred.

Naruto was paralyzed in fear, a bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face.

A menacing chuckle came from the creature.

"What? Afraid of me?" He mocked, baring his pointed teeth in another growl. "Pathetic."

"Kurama, please." Nina's voice broke through Naruto's panic and he turned to look up at her. Her usual calm demeanor was unshaken which greatly surprised him.

How was she not afraid of such a monster? He began to inch behind her but a firm hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"So you've taken the boy under your wing, have you?" The fox chuckled. "Can't say he looks like anything special..." He mused, keeping an unnervingly cold stare on the blonde.

"Naruto," Nina ignored the fox's comment. "This is the Kyuubi, his name is Kurama. Kurama, I'm sure you know Naruto."

"All too well." The Kyuubi glared.

Naruto gulped and his hands began to sweat.

Nina noticed his anxiousness and knew it was time to go.

"I'm certain you two will have future interactions, but as for right now, I'm afraid he has something else to attend to."

With that she put a hand on his head and the boy disappeared.

Nina turned to the beast with a displeased expression.

"Kurama, you haven't changed much." She spoke.

The fox chuckled.

"It hasn't been long since our last talk, has it?" He asked. "What is it about that boy anyways? He looks rather pitiful honestly."

Nina sent him a sharp glare.

"Do not speak out of line." She shot back. "He is the reincarnation of Hagoromo. His chakra is strong, you of all people should know that."

Kurama closed his eyes and scoffed.

"Their chakra may be the same but that says nothing of his ability. Anyways," He thought it best to change the subject. "What have you been up to?" Kurama inquired, lowering his head to rest on his paws.

"Nothing on him yet." She saw the beast cringe at her words. "I'm starting to wonder what his true intentions are." She remembered the look on the Kyuubi's face when she had first told him that Madara was still alive: disbelief morphed with disgust.

"I doubt he'll do anything drastic until he's fully prepared, at that point it may be all up to you to stop him." He reminded.

Nina breathed out slowly.

"I hope to fully train Naruto before it comes to that, he will be able to defeat him. But whatever the case, rest assured that I am ready to take care of it." She stated.

The Kyuubi stared at her, as if questioning her words.

"I do hope so." There was another pause. "Time has softened you, Nina. Just a century ago you wouldn't have spared the boy a second glance even if he begged you to train him." He commented snidely.

"Changes in circumstance call for changes in behavior, wouldn't you say?" She replied without a hitch.

The fox laughed and gave a teeth-baring smile.

"Whatever. We'll see how things work out." He stood up straight and yawned. "I'm going to sleep for now." He stepped back and disappeared into the shadow covered portion of his cage.

Nina watched him for a moment.

"I'll talk to you soon." She said finally, giving a small wave and disappearing from the room.

Naruto was suddenly jolted into consciousness and shot open his eyes. In a split second of panic, he had forgotten where he was and why he was there.

"I hope that wasn't too unpleasant, he can be rather rude." A voice pulled him from his confusion and he quickly remembered what had happened.

"He doesn't like me, does he?" Naruto thought back to that glaring face of the menacing beast.

"He just isn't fond of humans." Nina explained.

Naruto nodded understandingly but paused again, seeming to have just realized something.

"Sensei, did he... did he know you?" He spoke very slowly, unsure if he should ask such a question. "I mean, it sounded like you've met him before, you even knew his name." He stated, it seemed ridiculous to think that she knew such a terrifying creature and he couldn't imagine why she would... but the fox seemed to recognize her.

"Our paths have crossed a few times before." Nina said simply, clearly not intending to elaborate. "I suppose there is nothing further to discuss for now, you should go home and rest." She patted him on the head and stood up.

"Wait!" Naruto shot up from the ground, causing Nina to blink in surprise. "Do you know... what's going to happen to me?" He asked quietly, eyes downcast. "I don't want to stay in my house anymore but I can't move out on my own. I don't have any relatives left either."

Nina was sympathetic; she understood why he didn't wish to stay in that house, the house he had shared with his mother.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you can do in this situation. Do keep your eyes open to opportunities though." She offered. "I should be going now, stay safe." She nodded a goodbye and disappeared behind the entangled shrubs of the untended field.

Slowly, Naruto began to make his way home, his steps were sluggish and his mind distracted, anything to prolong his arrival at that house.

He eventually stopped in front of the familiar front door. With a heavy sigh, he opened it and dragged himself up the stairs.

Plopping down on his bed, he suddenly found it very difficult to keep his eyes open and it wasn't long until he drifted into a restless sleep.

Knock knock

Naruto groaned and rubbed his eyes, he rolled over and tried to fall asleep again.

Knock knock

Naruto sighed tiredly and glanced at his clock. 12:01. The warm light bathing the room confirmed that it was about time for him to get up.

Knock knock

Having slept in his clothes from the day before, he slid out from under his blankets and sleepily hurried down to answer the door.

"Hello?" He asked upon seeing the unfamiliar man standing at his door.

"Hello. My name is Yori and I'm here to show you to your new apartment." The man smiled.

Naruto blinked, not understanding what he was talking about.

"Um... I think you have the wrong person..." He spoke the only words that came to mind.

The man laughed.

"You're Uzumaki Naruto, yes?"

He nodded.

"Then I do have the right person! So you must not know. Well, the council has decided that, since this house is going to be repossessed, they would offer you an apartment in one of the big complexes near the Hokage Tower." Yori explained with a grin.

A smile spread over Naruto's face, that was just what he'd wanted!

"Really! Let's go then!" He exclaimed, earning a laugh from Yori.

"Someone's excited. Alright, let's go! And don't worry about your things, they'll be brought over later."

As they wove their way through the busy mid-day market, Naruto did his best to not lose sight of the man's green vest.

The two soon arrived in front of an enormous building. There were plants resting on windowsills, clothes drying on clotheslines, and children running around outside. This must be the apartment complex Yori was talking about. They entered the building and the man at the front desk handed Yori a key ring and mumbled something to him. Naruto followed the shinobi up the stairs and they stopped at a particular door. It was identical to all the other doors and could only be distinguished by the numbers above them. 393 hung above this doorframe in bold black lettering.

Yori held out the key ring and dropped it in Naruto's hand.

"Here we are. I think your stuff will get here later this evening so just try to settle in for now. I'll be back to check on you in a few days, enjoy your new place." He waved and sped away in the direction of the Hokage Tower.

Naruto smiled and unlocked the door, pushing it open to reveal a simple, plain apartment. White walls, a bed, and a nightstand in the first room. Next to it was the kitchen with a stove, microwave, and two chairs on either side of a small square table. The last room was a small bathroom attached to the bedroom through a door next to the nightstand.

It may not have been anything special but Naruto thought it was absolutely perfect.

When the boxes of his belongings arrived that night, he began unpacking and setting things up. Soon enough, the rooms were starting to look more like home.

By midnight, he had begun drifting to sleep on his bed amidst the boxes. Only one thought was on his mind as he drifted into a dreamless night.

'Things are finally starting to work out.'