Third person pov 

Their trip to Suna went on without a hitch. Naruto remained energetic throughout all of it, and he systematically charmed every single member of their platoon. Minato thought it was adorable, and Kakashi found the whole thing hilarious. It was hard to resist a child as cute and radiant as Naruto was. He had a natural charisma to him that most his age couldn't pull off. And hell if Naruto didn't know how to use his.

Ayumu learned a lot about Naruto through observing him. It only convinced him even further of how unusual a case Naruto's was. The boy hadn't retreated defensively into himself despite how many times he'd been hurt as most youth in his position likely would. He was open, and bright, and seemed to roll over his hardships instead of letting them hit him head on.

Children tended to be more resilient than adults, but Naruto was unlike anything Ayumu had ever seen before. He was honest to a nearly brutal extent, but kinder and more analytical than any kid Ayumu had ever worked with before. He was more in-tune with his own emotions than you'd expect someone his age to be as well, which was the last thing Ayumu had expected to see in Naruto's case, especially considering how isolated he'd been up until his father showed up.

The blonde's ability to connect and empathize with others was something to truly awe at. Naruto had a genuine interest in others, and a genuine talent for putting himself in their shoes. He could meet someone and immediately begin to resonate with them. It was a rare skill.

Ayumu thought maybe that was the real problem here, however. Naruto had been abused both verbally and physically his whole life, and in trying to see from other people's perspectives to better understand them, he'd unintentionally adopted their views of him. He was struggling not to look at himself through the eyes of those who hated him after having done so for so many years. Detaching oneself like that didn't happen over night.

It was tragic, but Ayumu was fairly certain that was the case. The good thing was that Naruto could bounce back from this. In surrounding himself with people who didn't look at him with vitriol, eventually he was bound to start discovering their positive emotions and comprehending their ways of thinking, and hopefully he'd begin to see himself as they did once it all clicked as a result.

"I have sand in places I didn't even know existed!" Naruto cheerfully announced as they marched into Suna. Minato laughed a little, and Kakashi ruffled the blonde boy's hair. As if to prove a point, a cloud of sand puffed up when he did. "The houses here look like big pots!"

Suna's rounded architecture was to prevent sand build up. There were no hard corners or angles if it could be helped. Even if the village was fairly protected from sand storms thanks to the massive walls surrounding it, that didn't stop breezes from naturally blowing the loose sediment through the streets. The last thing they needed were houses being buried for being too angular. 

"Pretty cool, right?" Minato grinned, his hand curled around his son's. The boy had insisted on walking himself despite the sand. If Ayumu didn't know any better, he'd say the boy was using chakra to keep himself from sinking, but surely that wasn't the case. Naruto was still pretty small. He was probably just too light. "All the buildings here look somewhat like this. You'll see very few square structures."

"I guess that makes sense. They kind of remind me of beehives!" Naruto chirped out, observing the odd windows as they headed for the Kage building. There were all sorts of people gathered up along the sides of the streets, watching them curiously. Whispers ran rampant, eyes following Minato's figure. Naruto waved happily at them as they passed. "Do you think they're staring because we're dressed weird?"

It wasn't that they were dressed particularly oddly, but the clothing here was specially tailored to protect from the sun and keep sand off the wearer. Headwraps and flowy, long clothing, airy but with optimal coverage. The people here sported healthy tans and lighter hair than you might expect to see most commonly in the Leaf. 

"I think they're staring because your dad, uh..." Kakashi paused for a moment, seeming to ruminate over his answer. Minato looked supremely unimpressed as the masked man floundered. "He was... gone for a while, and now he's back. So they're a little shocked."

"You can say dead. I'm six, not an invalid." Naruto pointed out. "I mean, I guess I get it. It's not everyday you die fighting the nine tailed fox and then come back six years la--"

Naruto stopped suddenly, squinting. Wait a fucking second. 

His dad was the Fourth Hokage, which yeah, Naruto obviously knew that. The Fourth Hokage had died defeating the Nine Tailed Fox. They'd learned all about it in history class, several times in fact, and far before his dad was ever back. The Kyuubi was the last of nine chakra beasts. Most hidden villages had one of these chakra beings to inspire 'balance' or whatever weird hippie crap Iruka-Sensei liked to blabber on about.

Tailed beasts couldn't be killed, so they were sealed. If they couldn't be killed... then what had happened to the Nine Tails? Because Naruto is pretty sure he'd remember seeing it like, hanging around. He'd probably have heard rumors about it at the very least. About it eating people, or destroying villages, or setting things on fire.

So if the Kyuubi wasn't free, it obviously had to be sealed up somewhere. But where could his dad have sealed it in the heat of battle? The fight had happened on Naruto's birthday. As in, the day he was born. He knew because there was always a festival to celebrate the defeat of the Nine Tails on the day. Surely his dad couldn't have just sealed it into any old object.

Abruptly, Naruto flashes back to the dozens of times Kurama has insisted that he is, in fact, the Nine Tailed Fox. Feral chakra beast and demon, feared by The Land of Fire and all the nations beyond it. Thinks about how Kurama insists destroying things is his favorite hobby. Thinks about how he hates the Uchiha Clan and humans, and about how they locked him away for being a monster.

Naruto thinks of the piece of paper that holds Kurama's cage shut, so flimsy looking at first glance, but apparently enough to hold the doors shut. He thinks of the swirl on it. Damn. Maybe Naruto is an invalid. 

Pursing his lips, he slowly turned to look down at his own stomach, suddenly suspicious. This is either a very large coincidence or Naruto is very, very wrong. He has a gut feeling it may be the latter, which is... awkward. Maybe he should just pretend not to know to save himself the embarrassment? 

He'll investigate his options later. Ayumu has been telling him to take things a step at a time and to not stress out. It's not like Kurama is suddenly a chakra beast or something. If he is one, then he's obviously been one this whole time, so nothing has changed. Thus: he can totally agonize over it later, when he's not taking in all the new sights and sounds and smells of Suna.

"You okay, Naruto?" Kakashi asked when he noticed the little boy squinting, his expression twisted. Naruto gave noncommittal hum. Kakashi and Minato exchanged mildly concerned looks.

"Having an existential crisis, but it's okay! I can continue it later." Naruto looked up after taking a breath, grin bright. He gave his father's hand an insistent tug. "Now lets go! I wanna heavily compare this kage dude to you and then judge him when he doesn't measure up, believe it!" 

~~~

Suna's dry air has a perpetually gritty quality to it, hot and stagnant. It's a vast difference from the thick, sticky humidity Naruto had grown to expect from Konoha's hotter days. It's not so bad once you get used to it, but Naruto's always been pretty adaptable in regards to the surrounding environment. It's a good thing, too-- who knows how long they'll be staying here.

The creepy old stalker guy with red stripes trailing down from his eyes lingers at the back of their little group, looking like a kicked puppy. Naruto is pretty sure he deserves it, even if he doesn't have the exact details of why. His dad is too nice to be mean to others without a solid reason. He gives as good as he gets, same as Naruto

Suna's Kage office is in the center of the village, and it's... well. It's a ball. It looks kind of really stupid, but Naruto doesn't want to accidentally offend anyone's delicate sensibilities so he keeps the comment to himself for the time being. 

He can tell Kurama about it later, and he'll surely agree. He loves to rag on stupid looking stuff. Which is great, since he finds most things to be stupid looking. That means Naruto can complain about whatever he wants and find solidarity! Probably not healthy to feed into Kurama's negativity, but you know. Details. 

"Why's the old guy have to come in with us?" Naruto asked, eyeing the white-haired man with disdain, now perched in his father's arms. He was going to meet with the Kazekage, since he counted as an 'esteemed guest', which sounded fancy and not at all befitting of him. Kakashi was coming too just on the basis that he's a badass. Why the Pervert gets to tag along, though-- Naruto's at a loss there. "Can't we just invite Ayumu? He can psychoanalyze and other therapy stuff."

Minato looked like he'd sucked a lemon, but Naruto could see the agreement flashing in his father's eyes. He gave him a consoling half-hug, leaning into his chest like Pakkun did for him. Did this make Naruto an emotional support animal? Has he been brought along to improve morale? Maybe he's fine with that. His dad looks more relaxed already.

"Sorry, Naruto. Unfortunately, Jiraiya has a very particular set of skills that are needed here." Kakashi said placatingly. Minato pursed his lips but didn't say anything, nodding stiffly instead. "He and your father are two of the only seal masters in the world."

Naruto brain did a full stop at that, even though he'd heard it mentioned before. He just hadn't thought about it until it was being brought up again. This was practically stone cold proof that his dad had been the one to seal the Nine Tails after its defeat, which had been presumed, but now it was confirmed. 

This is also proof that Kurama probably doesn't have identity issues. Yikes. Not the point right now-- why does Suna need seal masters of that caliber? The obvious deduction is that they need something sealed. What if... What if they have a tailed beast of their own? One that they fucked up trying to seal themselves?

Someone give Naruto a private investigator's license. He's great at this. The tailed beasts create balance and the core hidden villages all have one, as he'd thought on before. Well news-fucking-flash, Suna is definitely one of the main ninja hovels scattered about the great nations. Give the boy a cookie, because he's cracked the case. There's totally another tailed beast here! And it's probably exactly why they're here!

That means one of Kurama's siblings is around, right? Kurama doesn't really talk about his family. Naruto knows he has them. He hadn't known they were like, real, but you know. He'd also assumed Kurama was a rat. Wow, was that stuff really not pee? Never mind, he couldn't afford to get distracted right now, no matter how juicy all these realizations were. There might be someone like him here! 

But... if there's someone like him, what if they're... you know. Being treated badly. Because the Leaf absolutely despises Naruto. Clearly everyone else is in the loop about the fox thing, which makes literally so much more sense than just assuming they hated him for existing. He'd thought maybe they were offended over his love of the color orange originally, but Sakura's fashion sense is like, ten times worse than his is and nobody throws shit at her. 

They could have the tailed beast in an object that's just not strong enough to hold it, or their current seals could be breaking, or any number of things. Just because one is here doesn't automatically mean it's in a person. Just... what if it is? Or-- Or what if it's not, and it's stuck in some dusty cage somewhere with no friends, alone?

If there's someone like him here, he has to make sure they're okay! What if they're being abused? What if they don't have an Ayumu to tell them they're worth at least two mini goats and a sizable plot of land?! Well-- okay, Ayumu hadn't said that specifically, but it felt really implied.

And even if the tailed beast's not in a person, he'd want to check on them either way. One must be here, and Naruto's going to find it no matter where it is or who it's in. A tall order for someone as short as himself, but Naruto thinks he can pull it off. He deals with Sasuke's imbecilic tendencies day in and day out, after all. How much harder can this be compared to that?

"Don't worry, Naruto. After this we won't have to see Jiraiya ever again." Minato reassured, pressing a kiss to the top of Naruto's head and drawing the boy from his train of thought, blissfully unaware of the scheming going on right beneath his nose. He shot the white-haired man a nasty look, adjusting his grip on his son almost defensively. "You don't have to talk to him at all, and after all this is over, he'll leave for good."

So Jiraiya was his name. Naruto sized him up, not for the first time. He looked regretful, but regretful enough? Who's to say. Not Naruto considering he's got absolutely no idea what the hell the guy did, but you know. His dad's a pretty capable dude, and Kakashi doesn't seem like the type to hold any serious grudges. Just petty ones. 

Not Naruto's problem. He's got a new mission now: find the tailed beast holder of this place so they can compare notes and be best friends forever, OR find the object it's in and... be best friends forever also? Naruto has no friends aside from the doggies and Kurama. Sasuke doesn't count because he's fucking stupid, and Kashi's more like a brother or uncle than anything. Ayumu's sort of a friend too, but he's being paid so he loses points.

"Sweet. Probably." Naruto decided, because if they are bullying Jiraiya unjustly he's gotta cover his bases. Plausible deniability. Jiraiya silently shuffled his feet, looking like he wanted to say something but knowing he shouldn't. "After this can we go get ramen for dinner? I'm starving." 

"Of course, Naruto." Minato cracked a fond grin as the door swung open, the ambassador who'd traveled to get them in the first place ushering them in. "Whatever you like." 

Naruto could live with that.

~~~~

Naruto's first impression of the Kazekage is that he's a dick. His second impression is that he's a super dick. Can you guess what his third impression is?

He's a gruff guy, which there's nothing wrong with. There's just... something slimy about him. It's all in the eyes, Naruto thinks. Naruto peers into them and feels like a vat of cold, sickly oil has been poured over him. The Kazekage has a stormy and jaded disposition, the same one he'd seen in so many of his attackers back in Konoha.

The introductions are brief and sharp. Naruto doesn't say anything. Just squints, head cocked as he observes. His dad is polite and open, donning a casual but respectful demeanor like a second skin. Kakashi is mostly silent as well, and what the old Pervert contributes is slow and mellow. The air is tense, taught like a guitar string. Naruto wonders what sort of noise it would make if plucked. 

Another point in the designated 'Kazekage Sucks' box is the fact that he's butt ugly. Seriously, he's the plainest looking guy ever, with fucked eyebrows and an even more fucked hairline. Genetics have done him no favors. Naruto's willing to give up his invalid status to this guy since he clearly deserves it more. He wonders if Kurama is gleaning any of this from through his eyes, as he's been doing more often as of late. He hopes so. Then they can call him ugly together.

The Kazekage gives a short thanks for their coming and agrees that he, Minato, and Perv will dish out the details of why they came in the first place tomorrow morning after they've gotten some rest. The sun is rapidly sinking outside, and the days of travel had left all of them a little heavy. Except for Naruto, but he was a child and had been carried half the time, so you know... non-applicable.

"That was... unexpected. I knew Rasa would be different-- six years have passed, but that..." Minato trailed off, looking troubled. "I'd prepared myself and tried not to expect too much, but that was way worse than I thought it'd be. He used to be looser and fairly genial."

"His wife passed not long before Naruto was born, if you remember the rumors." Kakashi pointed out. Suna's streets were beginning to flicker with lantern lights, awake even as dusk fell. "Could be why he's grown so harsh. I've heard it was particularly hard on him. She died in childbirth and left him with their three children and a village to lead."

"That's not an excuse to be a bitch." Naruto inserted, still in his father's grasp. Minato choked a little at the blunt words. "Why's he get to be mean to others just because he's upset? It's not like we did anything. It would be like me knocking Sasuke-teme's ice cream out of his hand just because I dropped mine. Which I would like, totally do, but only once. This guy sounds like he's just being mean to be mean at this point."

Minato looked stuck between reprimanding him for his language and agreeing, opening and closing his mouth a few times like a fish out of water, brows drawn slightly. Kakashi just nodded widely, single visible eye crinkling with amusement. Naruto's touched and flattered but he's not joking. Genuinely, that guy was a total douchebag. Not the type of person you'd want leading a village at all! 

And if he'd reproduced and had kids out there? Sucked to be them. Naruto was feeling incredibly grateful for his dad all of a sudden. His dad's soft and warm and has never once snapped at him or raised his voice. He doesn't make Naruto feel bad about himself, even if he accidentally breaks something or makes a mess. He's the epitome of dad-ness and of Kage... also-ness. You get it.

"You... are incredibly adorable." Minato decided that was a safe bet, nodding to himself. Sometimes it was easiest to just stick to the obvious facts of life. "Let's go get you some ramen so we can crash. We've got a long day tomorrow." 

"Believe it!" Naruto agreed, beaming. Minato grinned back and held him closer.

~~~~~

Naruto tilted his head left. Tilted it right. Tilted it left again. The expression of focus on his face was met with one of disdain on Kurama's. The creature did not look amused in the slightest, head resting on his paws and eyes watching. Neither of them had said anything yet. Naruto had just popped in here and had immediately taken to observing him.

Now that he was asleep, he could finally process and try to come to a solid conclusion about the whole nine tails thing. Looking at Kurama and trying to tell himself that he was a fox, Naruto could... sort of see it. Like if you told him originally before he came in that he was a fox, Naruto might be able to shrug and vaguely nod. 

The vision is there is what he means to say. The snout he gets, and the general shape of the head. Foxes are also orange, right? Appearance aside, the influx of evidence Naruto's received today make connecting the dots pretty obvious. Kurama having claimed from day one that he's the Nine Tails is the biggest tell, because believe it or not, Kurama doesn't lie.

Not about things that matter. Not since he'd tried to trick him during Naruto's first time here, calling him Kit-- another nod at the, very obvious in hindsight, fox theory-- and beckoning him close. He had never tried to coax him forward with false promises after that, tried to trick him into opening the cage for any reason. He hadn't pretended to befriend Naruto just for his own gain, or anything of that sort.

So, Naruto's best friend is a chakra being that's killed thousands in the past. Who's done terrible things, and destroyed lives. That's feared by the masses, who's powerful enough to level Konoha if he's ever let out, strong enough to destroy even the most powerful of ninja. He is what most would call a monster, and Naruto is his jailer. 

That should be the end of it. He's the nine tailed fox, a demon, a murderer, heartless. Naruto should turn his nose up. Maybe get mad, or try to leave. Naruto knows those would be normal and expected responses, but he just... can't muster it up. There is no hate there to feel, no disappointment, not when Kurama had been trying to be honest about who he was this whole time.

There's also the fact that Kurama has every right to hate him for being the one trapping him and he... doesn't. He's grumpy and snappy and a little mean, but he doesn't hate Naruto. Naruto's completely sure of this fact, and he thinks it's the most steadying thing of all. He thinks this certainty is the basis of why he's not afraid, and of why he's not going to be afraid.

Kurama told him what love was in simple terms. Took the time to teach Naruto how to stand on the water using chakra, and let Naruto talk about his day night after night. He feels things. He gets angry, and he cries. He needs hugs just like everyone else. He is intelligent, sentient, with a real personality, likes and dislikes, a whole life's worth of experience and stories he shares in bare, grudging scraps.

Kurama is kind in his own way, and Naruto's... he's not sure anyone's ever taken the time to see that before. People call Naruto a monster and an abomination all the time, but Ayumu says that isn't true. Naruto doesn't think that's true for Kurama either. He isn't a demon, or a wild beast. He's hurt and trapped, and he's angry about it.

Naruto thinks he's allowed to be. He thinks about what Kurama has told him, and what he already knows. Everyone deserves a second chance. Naruto isn't sure anyone ever gave Kurama a first. Trapping him over and over again-- when was the last time he was free? Has anyone ever gotten to know him, even tried to trust him and gain his trust in return?

Kurama's funny, and a little weird. He let Naruto climb and lay on his tail and didn't try to drag him in and kill him for it. Kurama is his friend, and he's not going to hurt Naruto. Naruto also knows this with certainty, solid as stone. There is not a doubt in his mind even with this revelation, because like he'd said before, it doesn't change much. Kurama was the nine tailed fox yesterday too. Naruto'd just been too stupid to see it.

He can't-- won't-- condemn Kurama when he's been trying so hard. He's accepted Naruto despite being trapped, taught him, befriended him, and hasn't tried to trick him. Kurama's hurt and Naruto refuses to let him hurt anymore. Kurama can come back from whatever he's done before. It's not his fault he was locked away originally all those years ago, or manipulated, or used like he's some kind of tool. Him defending himself-- how could Naruto hate him for that? 

How can anyone? 

If they just met him and talked to him, they'd know. If they thought about what it must be like for him, to sit alone in a cage day in and day out, scorned and confined-- they'd emphasize! Naruto knows anyone with a heart would. He swallows, hands curling into fists and determination lighting up in his chest. 

He's going to make sure Kurama knows he's loved and that's he's worth something, and that it isn't too late to be good. That he already is good, and that now he has the chance to be. He won't let anything happen to him. Naruto will be different, Naruto will care. And that... that means that for right now, nobody can know. If Naruto's dad ever found out-- he might redo the seal, and Naruto would be separated from Kurama forever.

Kurama's worth it, though. Naruto loves him. He wants to know him more, wants to see him happy, thinks he deserves peace for once in his life. He doesn't care what anyone says or thinks. He made a vow to himself to befriend Kurama and give him a better life. Even with Naruto's incessant blabbering and ignorance, Kurama has not been cruel in the same way the villagers have. That means something.

"Why the fuck are you staring at me like I shit in your cereal, brat?" Kurama snapped out, yanking Naruto back to the present abruptly. He blinks rapidly, staring up at his friend as he raises his head to glare disdainfully down at him. He looks imperious as ever. He suspects nothing. "Did you lose your voice? I was hoping this day would come." 

Naruto blinks again, turning to look down at the flower at his feet. It's a little bigger, he thinks, and now has little leaves beginning to sprout from its wiry stem. It's bright and bouncy. It's Kurama's flower, Naruto knows. It's a hope-- it's proof. If Kurama were truly evil, there's no way he'd produce something this soft and pretty.

Naruto took a breath, shaking his head and looking back up with a grin. Joy and warmth rushed through him all of a sudden, love bursting through him unbidden. Kurama's entire snout crinkled at the abrupt shift in his expression, his eyes narrowing and ears flicking irritably. One of his tails snaked out from between the bars in a way that was probably supposed to be subtle, and a laugh bubbled out of Naruto, high and bright. 

"Nothing like that, Kurama!" He chirped out, feeling energized. Kurama is his friend. He's his friend and he's doing so well and Naruto loves him. He bounces towards the tail happily, chakra-coated feet only causing the barest of ripples in the water. "Did you see the Kazekage earlier? He's so ugly!"

Kurama snorted a bit, lips twitching. Naruto felt his resolve harden. Naruto's going to save Kurama, and if that means he has to lie about his dreams? That nobody can know?

So be it.