“Demon!”

“Monster!”

“Get away from me, you freak!”

“You’re just a waste of space!”

“Get out of my shop, you filthy demon.”

A blond five year old boy was frantic, mumbling to himself as he rocked in the corner of his room. He could hear the echoes of villagers that yelled at him today. Tears streaked down his whisker-marked cheeks, bright blue eyes broken as he sobbed.

“Why? Why?! I didn’t do anything!” He shouted to himself, ignoring any of the sounds outside his room. The other children and orphanage workers didn’t care, they never checked on him anyway. That’s unless they kicked him out for one reason or another.

“I just don’t understand!” He howled, his tiny fist snapping out to punch the wall he was curled against. The hole that formed didn’t concern the boy; the room was already littered with damage.

His anger, sadness, and loneliness were assaulting his senses, causing memories of the villagers and even Konohagakure shinobi to pop into his mind. He didn’t understand what he did, and no one would tell him.

“Why can’t anyone just tell me?” He sobbed, curling tighter into himself and scrunching his eyes closed. He was ashamed of how he was acting. This wasn’t like him. He was usually determined, telling the Hokage how he would someday take the old man’s hat away from him.

Uzumaki Naruto was breaking down.

Insolent brat….

Naruto’s head shot up at the voice, shivering at the malice he recognized came from the people who always yelled at him. “Who’s there?!”

I’m in your head, you fool.

“Genjutsu? That’s what the scroll said, right?” Naruto muttered to himself, looking around warily. He had been able to steal a few scrolls from the library since the Hokage had refused to teach him because he’d be enrolled in the Academy in a year.

No, you brat. I’m in your head. I’m trapped here! The voice followed up with a threatening growl, causing Naruto to start shaking again and hold his head with his hands.

I’m going crazy, I’m going crazy. He chanted, more tears leaking from his wide eyes.

You little—fine, I’ll prove it, brat! The voice roared before Naruto saw black.

When he next opened his eyes it was hazy in dark, making Naruto squint in confusion. What happened?

Standing up after a few moments to allow his vision to clear, Naruto looked around in confusion. It looked like he was in a sewer with water a foot deep covering the floor. Hesitantly looking around, Naruto saw that it was one long hallway with several branching halls. Feeling as if he was compelled, Naruto headed down a few yards before turning down a hall on his left.

The small five year old looked around fearfully, his feet splashing at the water that was up to his knees. When the hall finally ended he was at a large cavern, a hundred yards wide in either direction.

Straight in front of the small blond was a barred door, a paper holding it closed with symbol for ‘seal’ printed on it. Naruto stared at the barred doors in confusion, hesitantly walked forwards.

“H-hello?” He questioned, his usually loud voice taking on a timid quality.

The boy gulped when he saw two blood-red eyes open within the cage. A sinister smile graced the creature’s features before it headed towards the doors, his body catching the light that somehow filtered into the cavern.

Blood red with nine whipping tails, the fox strode forward purposefully and powerfully. The demon looked down at the shivering boy, questioning how he had ended up with such a scrawny jailer.

“Surprised, brat?” The fox questioned, smirking.

“W-who are you? Why are you in my head? Where are we?” Naruto yelled, his timid voice and quivering expression transforming into the determined loud mouth he was.

The fox sneered. “Insolent human, I’m the Kyūbi no Yōko, the most powerful and feared of the Tailed Beasts!”

“Kyūbi…? No way! The Fourth kicked your ass!” Naruto denied.

The fox growled, glaring down at the petulant brat. “You should not believe what old fools say. I’m a demon made from chakra, I can’t die. If my jinchūriki dies, I reform later. It just takes time.”

“Jincher-what?” Naruto asked blankly, staring at the fox in confusion.

“Jinchūriki, brat. ‘Power of Human Sacrifice’, sealing a Tailed Beast within a human host.” The fox explained bitterly. Naruto stared at the fox for a moment before a strangled whimper managed to rip itself from his throat.

“So….so, this is why everyone hates me? Because you’re trapped in me?!” Naruto yelled.

“The Fourth, may he rot in the Shinigami’s stomach, sealed me in you to save the pathetic Leaf from destruction.” The Kyūbi growled, wondering why he was explaining things to the brat.

“Why me?! Why couldn’t it have been someone else?” Naruto demanded to know, cerulean eyes looking at the fox fiercely.

“He thought it cowardly to force the burden of my existence upon anyone if he refused to do it to his own son.” Kyūbi started to pace up and down in front of the bars, his tails whipping around in aggravation.

Naruto, however, was gaping at the fox. “H-his son?”

“Didn’t you ever wonder, brat? Why you didn’t have powers? That’s because they’re dead. The bastard Fourth died sealing me in you and your mother died while helping. She would’ve lived had it not been—”

Seeing the fox cut himself off, Naruto set to work encouraging him. “Don’t stop now! If you don’t explain it to me, no one will!”

The fox stared down at the boy, finding in amusement in the puny body’s attitude. Chuckling darkly, the fox continued. “Uzumaki Kushina used to be my jinchūriki before you. Namikaze Minato, her husband and the bastard Fourth Hokage, was forced to seal me within you after a….Uchiha interfered. Jinchūriki women are pregnant for ten months before they give birth, and when they do the seal containing one of my brethren weakens. The Uchiha took advantage of this fact and released me from my prison.”

“So….my mom used to be like me? And my dad….he’s the Fourth Hokage who saved the village….you’d think I’d receive better treatment considering I’m a Hokage’s son.” Naruto muttered bitterly, gaining a derisive snort from the fox.

“Jinchūriki don’t get ‘better treatment’, especially when their beast ravaged their village before the sealing. Besides, the foolish Third has decreed that no one mention I exist.” The Kyūbi chuckled at Naruto’s enraged expression.

“That’s why no one will tell me?! Because the old man created a law?! You’d think at least I would be able to learn about your existence!”

“Humans are stupid creatures. He probably figures he’s helping you or something.” The fox commented scathingly, sitting on his haunches in front of the boy, the large bars of the cave separating them.

Naruto narrowed his eyes, looking down at the water that flooded the area for several moments before speaking. “Where are we anyway?”

“Within your subconscious. You’d think it’d be better than the sewer.” Naruto blushed, glancing around.

“It’s not my fault….how would I even change it anyway?”

“Use your imagination; you’ve created plenty of dumbass pranks using it.” The demon muttered, laying down in a bored manner while resting his muzzle on his crossed paws.

“Imagination….” Naruto muttered, glancing around before the water suddenly drained, leaving Naruto with the ability to walk around normally. The Kyūbi held back a snort. Of course that’s the first thing he does.

The Kyūbi remained silent as he watched the small boy in interest. He didn’t know why he was answering the boy’s multitude of questions, but his instincts had demanded he did. Something was going to happen soon, and he’d most likely benefit from it.

And taking advantage of his jailer’s emotional breakdown only came too easy to the being of destruction.

“