The days had passed, and Naruto had been traveling through the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation, although mostly staying near the border. It would be unwise to venture into areas filled with thousands of soldiers or, worse, that lightning-shooting crazy woman. He had promised Mio to be more cautious in his actions from now on.
"..." Naruto yawned lazily, sitting in front of a small campfire with a blanket serving as his bed. The new clothing Mio had provided him was a completely orange fabric jacket, a blue t-shirt underneath, and matching orange pants in a darker shade. It was nighttime, and the silence was occasionally broken by the subtle sounds of nocturnal animals in the area. Naruto figured if he didn't bother them, they wouldn't bother him, or so he hoped.
"*ghhrrr*"
A strange creature, a mix between a rabbit and a groundhog, let out a growl nearby. It cautiously approached the pre-adolescent, snatching a piece of bread that was near the fire with its front paws before darting back into the forest, where more of these hybrid mammals awaited.
Naruto observed this in silence, various questions swirling in his mind. He then gazed up at the endless night sky, filled with countless stars and a half-full moon illuminating the darkness.
How were his friends in his absence? Kakashi Sensei? Ero-sannin? Oba-chan? Sakura-chan and the others? Maybe they were searching for him and eagerly awaiting his return.
"Why is it so hard to remember how I ended up in this place?" he thought with frustration. The last thing he recalled was accompanying Oba-chan to tend to Kakashi and the teme. After that, he visited Sasuke, who was under Sakura's care. "What the heck happened next?" He groaned loudly, flopping down on the blanket behind him.
"Mmmm?"
Curiously, the blond boy felt a sting on his neck. Perhaps it was just a mosquito, but when he reached to the spot where he'd felt the sting, he found something unusual there – a dart. Growing sleepier than he could resist, he succumbed to slumber, unaware of two silhouettes emerging from the trees.
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...
"You again?" Kurama growled as he spotted the silhouette of his jinchuriki emerging from the darkness, finally standing before the cage.
"huh? I just fell asleep?" Naruto spoke with confusion, feeling a bit groggy, more than usual. With effort, his brain retrieved a fragment of memory. "Darn, they got me! With that dart!" He exclaimed in annoyance, clutching his head and growling. How could he let his guard down again? With a sigh, he dropped into the water within his tenant's cage. "And how are you doing?" He asked with a forced smile, looking at the colossal creature that snorted.
"I was baking cookies for your return, you know, just admiring the lovely scenery around me," the level of sarcasm employed by the massive beast was almost painful to hear for many. Yawning, the fox behind the bars seemed thoroughly uninterested in his jinchuriki.
"I think I detect a hint of sarcasm in your words," Naruto remarked, narrowing his eyes as he regarded the fox with annoyance.
"No, really?" Kurama replied with a mockingly arrogant smile. He relished seeing Naruto squirm, even if it was beyond the boy's awareness. Leaning back on his front paws, he fixed his bright red eyes on the preteen. "I thought you'd be wiser. You should have stayed hidden and simply focused on your own survival. But here you are, playing the hero in shining armor," he said, dripping with mockery, while swaying his tails from side to side.
"I did what I thought was right," Naruto growled, crossing his arms, his mind racing to find an escape plan. The last time he'd been in this situation, he had to wait for hours until his body woke up and his consciousness returned, but now, with the effects of the poison or drug clouding his thoughts, he had no idea what to expect.
"Saving a woman and a young thief, how heroic," the beast's simple words made the blonde boy look up, his eyes filled with pure anger. But the biju remained unfazed. "Do you really believe this is your path? Going from place to place, rescuing every poor soul that crosses your path? Let me tell you, you're even more foolish than I thought," it said, with a mocking smile.
Naruto clenched his fists, but remained silent, staring at the mighty nine-tails.
"Ever since you were a child, I've watched you make one mistake after another. In the Elemental Lands, and now in this sorry world," the fox continued, shaking its head and snorting, its gaze fixed on the ceiling of its prison. "How does it feel to fail at everything? To think that everyone who called you a failure was right? You've been a burden on missions with your shoddy equipment, you couldn't stop that snake from biting the Uchiha, you made a fool of yourself in those Chunin exams, you couldn't prevent the old man from dying at the hands of the snake... and most importantly, you failed to keep your promise to that brat by bringing back the traitorous Uchiha," Kurama hissed with pure hatred at the mention of an Uchiha.
"What do you mea—" Naruto's anger shifted to confusion and fear as he heard the last part, before feeling the biju's claws on his forehead.