(A Borne of Caution x Naruto "What If" Oneshot)

----------------------------------------

"Again, I apologize about the injuries to your ninja, Hokage-sama. My team can get a little jumpy sometimes, especially when things get dicey like that." The scarred man standing on the opposite side of the mahogany desk smiles apologetically. "I probably should have remembered Konoha's storied past with foxes, though in my defense, I did get a handful of throwing stars whipped at my face…"

To say that Sarutobi Hiruzen, 3rd Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, is having a stressful day is a bit of an understatement.

Earlier in the morning, he had a ninja from the gate burst into his office in a great panic, yelling: "The Kyuubi is loose!"

The old man's stomach dropped like a stone.

Without another thought, Hiruzen sent a squad of ANBU Black Ops to find Naruto, and another to follow the gate guard back to assess the situation as he prepared for a village-wide emergency. Once preparations were made, the Hokage looked from the window of the Hokage Tower only to see no giant fox ravaging the village. Befuddled, Hiruzen took his trusty crystal ball from its cabinet and scryed the Kyuubi's container, Naruto.

The boy was perfectly fine. He and his genin team were in the middle of a D-rank mission, reluctantly moving lumber for a construction site.

Hiruzen then focused on his ANBU, following them with his crystal ball.

The ANBU confronted a foreign-looking man holding a passport at the gate, who was looking at them with confusion. Someone else may have mistaken the healed wounds upon the stranger's face for claw marks, but Hiruzen recognized them as burns. He inflicted such wounds on other ninjas during previous wars with depressing regularity.

The second visitor made his blood run cold.

Next to the scarred stranger was a miniature Kyuubi no Kitsune. Its fur gold, and its form delicate, but there was no mistaking a fox bearing nine tails.

One ANBU, who participated in the defense of the village against the Kyuubi over a decade ago, made an overzealous decision to attack in a fit of old trauma. In a flash, he loosed a fistful of shuriken towards the intruders.

The fox was fast as lightning, and from its mouth came a searing beam of white fire to intercept the throwing stars. The beam did not melt the shuriken, but vaporized them.

On the belt of the human stranger, a pair of odd red-and-white spheres enlarged before bursting open. In a flash, there were two new threats. One a great green-scaled reptilian with leaves sprouting from his body, and the other a titanic raven bearing obsidian armor. Once they entered the field, the fight had been decided.

The reptilian was blindingly fast, moving from one place to another as if teleporting. Before two of the ANBU could react, scaly hands reached out and grasped each by their masks before smashing their heads together, concussing both and knocking them unconscious.

The raven cackled and threw a wing wide, kicking up a veritable typhoon that ripped another ANBU off his perch high in a tree. As the ninja twisted midair to get his bearings and land safely, the raven charged him with speed unfitting for a beast of such size, intending to use his whole body as a bludgeon. With a hollow clang and the cracking of bones, the ANBU was down.

The final ANBU clapped his hands together and formed hand seals for a jutsu, only for an invisible force to seize his wrists and ankles, dragging him to the ground and forcing him to kneel before the hateful face of the fox. Try as the ANBU might, even the supernatural strength of a shinobi could not match whatever devilry the fox was working.

In the span of seven seconds, a squad of Konoha's finest were incapacitated.

All three beasts were poised to finish their victims off, and Hiruzen tensed, ready to rush to the aid of his men... but then with a single word from the foreign man, the beasts calmed, and gently gathered the injured ninja so the stranger could treat their wounds.

Needless to say, the second squad of ANBU was told in no uncertain terms to use diplomacy. Against all odds… It worked like a charm. The stranger submitted to his arrest and complied with the orders of the ANBU without so much as a peep.

… Perhaps arrest is a strong word, considering it was a formality at best. The other beasts vanished back into their orbs, but the fox refused to leave the side of the stranger. They certainly received more than one pensive stare as they were escorted through the village and to the Hokage Tower.

Leading up to now…

Hiruzen steeples his fingers and clears his throat. His eyes are on the face of 'Henson Lee', but most of his attention is on the golden fox in his peripherals. "Worry not, Henson-kun," he begins. "Misunderstandings can happen. Your compliance and the first aid rendered to my ninja are most appreciated. Most would not so readily treat their foes with such kindness."

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

Henson waves Hiruzen off. "Think nothing of it."

With a nod, Hiruzen continues on. "If you would humor me, I would like to know what brings you to our fine village, and who your companions are. You are a unique visitor, to say the least."

"Well," Henson reaches up and strokes his stubble-covered chin. "I'm… I guess you could say I'm a scholar, and I travel quite a bit for my studies. I started off with just zoology, but recently I've been broadening my horizons and studying life in a more general sense. I was interested in getting first-hand accounts on the utilities of chakra and how its users approach their day-to-day lives. After thinking about it, I decided Konoha was the best village to travel to."

Curious.

"Your paperwork stated that you are not a shinobi, Henson-kun, so I assume your companions are for your protection?" The old Hokage asks, finally giving the miniature Kyuubi a look.

Ruby eyes filled with fire stare back.

Hiruzen is no proper sensor, but he doesn't need to be to feel the hot, prickling chakra practically rolling off the fox in waves, saturating the room and making it feel several degrees warmer than it truly is. The chakra lacks the nauseating, miasmic hatred of the Kyuubi, but it's just as overwhelming.

'It's like the Kyuubi was condensed down into a regular fox… And it's here within my village.' The thought is chilling.

Henson smiles and looks to his side, down at the fox. He reaches a hand down and strokes the beast, who smiles and leans into his side, making a warm purring sound in its throat.

The Hokage can see several of the ANBU hidden in the room watching the scene in disbelief.

"That they are," Henson smiles, his tone fond. He schools his face and turns back to Hiruzen, an apologetic smile on his face. "I'm no good in a fight, so my friends have to do so in my place."

"I see…" Hiruzen sorely wishes that he was retired as he ponders his next question. Turning his eyes to spheres on Henson's belt, he frowns. "Are they all of comparable strength?"

Henson nods, confirming the Hokage's worst fears. "Ninetales here is my strongest, but the others are always on her heels."

Nine tales? Did he really make the name of his pet biju a play on words? This is swiftly becoming insane.

"Interesting, interesting..." Hiruzen sighs and tries to stem his mounting dread. There's not one, but six creatures that might be comparable to the Tailed Beasts, all serving at the whim of a random scholar.

Many questions come to the aged ninja's mind. Where did they come from? What are they, truly? Summons, perhaps? But most of all, why would they serve a man who is thousands of times their martial inferior?

"Thank you for indulging me so far, Henson-kun, I promise I am nearly finished with my questions," Hiruzen nods. "Your companions, how do you control them, if you don't mind me asking?"

Ninetales' eyes narrow, and Hiruzen tenses, ready to defend himself at a moment's notice.

"Control?" Henson seems mystified, his brows furrowing. "They're just as intelligent as you and me, so there's not really any 'control' involved. A little love and compassion go a long way in building permanent friendships."

A little love and compassion go a long way in building permanent friendships.

The Hokage was ready to hear anything but that. Mind control jutsu, some sort of slave seal, or even something as mundane as bribery or contracts, but never love and compassion. Hiruzen stares intently at the foreigner, scanning his face, his body, and his stance, only to find no trace of deceit. He replays the words within his head, only to hear no warble of dishonesty.

The man speaks nothing but the truth.

Henson fidgets under the stare, and without a word, Ninetales moves to stand in front of him protectively, guarding the man behind her with a fan of golden tails. Her narrow eyes burn with a fearsome, willful fire.

For a scant second, Hiruzen sees a phantom face beside the fox, one bearing the same firm visage and burning eyes.

Hiruzen sees Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, founder of the village, and the man who brought an end to the warring clans era with The Will of Fire, his philosophy of… love and compassion…

Both Hashirama and Ninetales share the exact same expression.

Hiruzen's eyes widen. Oh, it's so obvious now!

Within Ninetales' eyes is that same Will of Fire.

All at once, the mysterious being before the Hokage is no longer quite as unnerving, and he smiles, his fears draining from his body.

"Thank you for indulging this old man, Henson-kun. One moment, if you please." Hiruzen allows himself to relax. Leaning back slightly in his chair, he opens a drawer and withdraws his wooden pipe. Taking a minute to stuff it with fresh tobacco, he hums and feigns looking for a lighter before looking down at Ninetales. "Might I trouble you for a fire jutsu, my dear? I seem to have misplaced my lighter."

The kitsune raises an eyebrow and gives Hiruzen an unsure stare. Without her moving at all, the tobacco in the Hokage's pipe begins to smolder, seemingly of its own accord.

"Remarkable…" The elderly ninja breathes, looking at the embers in his pipe. No seals, no words, nothing. Just pure chakra manipulation. 'What other wonders can you manage, O Kitsune?'

Hiruzen takes a calming drag from the pipe, then exhales a small cloud of smoke, smiling once more as he does so. "Well, my boy," he addresses Henson, "we've been rather rude hosts so far, so please allow me to be the first to welcome you to Konoha. If it is chakra you wish to study, then perhaps we can accommodate you."

"Oh?" Henson leans forward in interest. "I'd certainly be grateful, but there's no need to go out of your way for me. I understand that I can commission the ninja mission office after doing a bit of paperwork to confirm I'm not a criminal or saboteur, right?"

Hiruzen nods. "Indeed you can, but you see, our Academy recently graduated a number of genin teams, and these children are beginning their advanced training alongside their respective jonin teachers. Some of these children are quite brilliant, and I believe that interacting with them will provide you with a wide and rich data set to work from. If you wish, I can have inquiries sent to the jonin-sensei of a few teams to see if they would mind an academic observer."

Henson's smile lights up the room. "Sounds like an excellent start to me."

If friendship is what Henson and his beasts desire, then friendship they shall have. Konoha shall not turn away such powerful allies.