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The Canalized River	By : susanna Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 944 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 20
- 21
- 22
A/N
at the
end of the chapter

Chapter
Twenty-One: A Deal with the Nine-Tails

Naruto
followed the stranger to his room, still not sure whether he could
trust him. He checked the kunais in his holster and prepared himself
to fight at the smallest sign of danger.

“You
should have been more careful before”, the stranger said. “But
as I told you, you can trust me.”

He
unlocked and opened the door to his room, and there, on the plain
guests' room table, was a toad. Naruto had never seen it before: It
was neither one of the the house-sized creatures Jiraya called during
fights, nor one of the cute children of Gamabunta that turned up when
Naruto failed to mold the chakra he needed to summon one of the big
ones. It was middle-sized, and it gave the impression of being rather
serious, which made Naruto suspect the worst.

“Greetings
to you!” the toad said.

“Greetings!”
Naruto answered. “How is Jiraya? He is not dead, is he? He
cannot die!”

“He
was alive and fine when I last saw him”, the toad answered.
“But he was preparing himself to go into a fight: the worst of
his life maybe.”

Naruto
was silent: This was bad news indeed. He had been travelling with
Jiraya for two and a half years, and he had learnt to trust that
Jiraya was stronger than anyone and could not be beaten, except
perhaps by Tsunade when she was angry. It was simply unimaginable
that there might be someone who was too strong for Jiraya, and still
the toad made it sound like this. The opponent must be really
terrible... For the fist time since he had left his team Naruto
regretted his decision, not for his own sake – he did not
regret having given up the happiness of being with his comrades in
order to find Sasuke - but for Jiraya's sake: if Jiraya died, and if
he might have lived if Naruto had been there to help him, then Naruto
would never be able to forgive himself.

“He
sent me to you with a message because he knew that he might die in
this fight and because he wanted to make sure that you get it. He
would have preferred to give it to you in person when you were more
mature and had the wisdom to handle the information, but now he could
no longer wait.”

“I
am no child any more”, Naruto said. “I am fifteen.”

“That's
the point. Though wisdom has never been one of Jiraya's strong
points, so if he was wise enough to deal with it, you might be as
well.”

“Stop
insulting me! Give me the message?” Naruto demanded.

The
toad produced a ninja scroll from its belly. Naruto took it and
unfolded it.”

“It's
the key to undo the Yondaime's seal”, the toad explained.

“What
do you mean? The key to release the kyuubi into the world?”

“Not
into the world: Into your body. The seal separates your chakra from
the kyuubi's: Undoing it will allow them to mix. You could then use
the kyuubi's chakra at your will and finally be a true jinchuuriki.”

“It
cannot be done. The kyuubi's chakra cannot be controlled.”

“It
can. It has been done before.”

“All
former jinchuuriki went mad after some time, and I have been warned
that this will happen to me as well, and even earlier than to the
others, because I am so bad at controlling the kyuubi.”

“That's
because your chakra and the kyuubi's are not allowed to mix properly.
If you try to keep them separated and to keep the kyuubi's chakra in
control by force, it will seek to break out whenever you let your
guard down, and if it's only for a little bit. But when your chakras
mix, you will be able to remain in control.”

“And
why did nobody tell me that?”

“Few
people know. Knowledge about the kyuubi is rare, and the ones who
have some, are not ready to share it with people who are not able to
deal with it. Some knowledge has been passed on from Hokage to
Hokage, because the Hokage at least will have to know about this
demonic ally of our village, and there is some other knowledge about
it in the Uchiha clan, but this is even more secret, and I don't know
anything about it.”

“But
even the first Hokage went mad after some time, in spite of all his
knowledge.”

“The
Forth Hokage, who was your father, saw in you the talent to find a
way to get around this: To make use of the kyuubi's power and stay
sane until one day you die from old age.”

“But
I was just a day old then: How could he see the talent?”

“Your
unusual amount of chakra was discernible even then.”

“The
chakra maybe. But for such a deed one needs also wisdom and knowledge
and intelligence, and as you said they are not my strong points. And
I won't get any help from people who are more intelligent than I am,
because all they say is: Don't use this jutsu! Keep the kyuubi in
check!”

He
thought back in bitterness: So much advice, all well-meant and all
wrong. So after all not desperately keeping the kyuubi in check, but
letting it mix freely was the solution.

Then
he saw the point in the toad's speech that had first escaped him:

“Did
you just say that the Yondaime was my father?”

“He
was. Did you think he would have taken a random orphan child and
sealed the kyuubi into it?”

“Rather
would he sacrifice his own son?”

“That's
the Hokage's duty: Sacrifice his own life, or anything that is
personally important to him, if it is necessary for the safety of the
village.”

Naruto
did not listen. He had often indulged in daydreams in which he turned
out to be the son of the Forth Hokage, and in these daydreams he had
never been bitter. Often he dreamt that the Yondaime had never been
really dead, and that he would come to Konoha and seek him out and
welcome him as his beloved son, and he would say that he had never
meant to cause him any harm, and that now everything would be fine.
And then he would go into the street with Naruto at his side, and
people would welcome their long-lost Hokage, whom everyone had
believed dead, and they would apologize to Naruto for how they had
treated him, and he would generously accept their apologies.

Now
he felt nothing of the relief these daydreams had always given to
him, but just bitterness: Against his father, against the people of
Konoha, even against the toad though it had done nothing to deserve
it.

“Also
your father did not intend to sacrifice you”, the toad said.
“He saw in you the power to control the kyuubi, not to be
overcome by it.”

“And
what about all the suffering I went through when I was a child? When
I was lonely and everyone despised me?”

“He
did not mean that. He thought that Jiraya and Tsunade would be there
to look after you.”

Neither
of them had been present during his early years. After losing their
loved ones during the Great ninja war and the kyuubi's attack on
Konoha both of them had dealt with their sorrow in their own way:
Tsunade by drowning it in alcohol and gambling, Jiraya by being
constantly on the move, by engaging in mindless and soulless sex and
by writing sentimental erotic romances.

“And
why did nobody tell me? Why did I have to grow up as an orphan, not
only without parents, but without any family at all? Why was I
treated as a stranger who is indulged because no one has the heart to
turn him away, but whom nobody really likes? Why was it not made
public that I was the son of the Yondaime himself so that I would
have been treated as it becomes the son of the Hokage?”

“You
should have been treated as it becomes the person who has to pay the
price for the villages salvation. But people only saw the kyuubi
inside you. Besides, only few knew that you were the Hokage's son.
Just Jiraya, Tsunade and the Sandaime himself, who chose to keep it
secret. Your parents have never been married.”

“What
about my mother?”

“She
was a refugee from the Whirlpool country, which was devastated during
the Great Ninja War and then annexed by the Fire Country. She had few
friends besides your father, and having a child without being married
did not exactly make her more popular. She died when you were some
eighteen months old.”

Naruto
had always thought that his mother had died during the kyuubi's
attack, just as his father. Now not even this was true. He might even
have some relatives who were still alive.

“My
mission is now completed”, the toad said. “I had to bring
you the scroll with the key and tell you what it's for. But though
all I have to tell you from Jiraya is said I still want to tell you
something of my own: Don't think too badly of your father! He did
everything he could to make your life easier. He only sealed the
light half of the kyuubi's chakra into you, so that you don't have to
deal with the complete demon-fox.”

“I
have heard that already”, Naruto said. “I just wonder why
I have never noticed myself. This light half is strong and fierce
enough and not in any way nice and friendly or easy to deal with, but
all malicious and cunning.”

He
could not help but admire the Yondaime, who had been ready to face
the complete kyuubi.

“I
will leave now”, the toad said, “and return to my people.
I wish you luck: Make wise use of the key!”

And
within one second it had vanished.

Going
through the door to his room Naruto again found himself in the place
in the front of the kyuubi's cage.

“Now
you know”, the demon-fox said. “The Yondaime who is
responsible that we are stuck with each other was your father.”

“Yeah.
He thought that we might get along better. Without you getting out of
control all the time, and without me having to beg for chakra when I
need it.”

“You
mean that he wanted my chakra to be all yours, and the control over
it all yours as well.”

“Indeed.”

“And
after having been split into two parts I should dissolve altogether
and be free only when you die.”

“It
seems so.”

“And
he also expected me to be happy with it and try to get along with
you.”

“He
did not expect you to be happy. Yet it cannot be helped: You had to
be confined after your attack to Konoha as it showed that you are
evil and malicious. You will destroy everything that's in your
way.”

“Oh, will I? How do you know`?”

People
had told Naruto about the kyuubi's attack on Konoha. People had told
him how he had attacked Sakura when the kyuubi was in control.

“I
saw the wound in Jiraya's chest”, he finally said.

“And
you are sure that this was caused by me? Don't forget that I am the
ligth half: Day, not night; warmth, not coldness; summer, not winter:
Joy, hope and laughter instead of sorrow and despair. How could I be
evil?”

“Why
should I distrust Jiraya?”

“You
don't have to. He tried to attack me and to subdue me, that's all.
Would you not fight a person who tries to take your freedom?”

“He
wanted to give me back my freedom”, Naruto replied.

“So
you see, we are stuck with each other; each of us can only be free at
the price of the other's destruction.”

“Maybe.
And I will see that I am the one who survives.”

“Until
you die of old age, or in some fight. You are not immortal, contrary
to me.”

“I
have never longed for immortality”, Naruto answered. “And
if I stay in control for all my life it is enough for me.”

“Anyway
I don't want to discuss the Yondaime's actions with you. I called you
to propose you a deal: You don't use the key and I will help you find
the Uchiha boy.”

“Sasuke?”

“Neither
of us wants to face Itachi at the moment, do we?”

“So
how are you going to help?”

“I will lend you my
sense of smell.”

“And
why should I trust you that he really is where you tell me?”

“You
won't have to trust my word. I said that I would lend you my sense of
smell, meaning that you will be able to smell him yourself.”

“Deal!”
Naruto answered. “You lend me your sense of smell, and I won't
use the key.”

There's
no problem with such a deal, Naruto thought. I could not make use of
the key anyway, as I have not yet worked out how to use it.

A/N:
I wrote the story while the fight between Pein and Jiraya was still
going on. Not answering the question about its end seemed to make
most sense, and it still does, even though I know not the outcome.

Dkf:
Thanks for your comments! I am glad that you like team Hebi – I
like them too. (Well, I guess that this does not come as a surprise.

But
what is “Wild Car Hebi”?

Lexjamandme:
Thanks for your comments on yesterday's and today's chapters! I am
glad that you came to like Sakura again. ;-)

For
the rest: Just wait – it won't be long any more.

LadyRonin:
Well, we see now in the manga that following Itachi's „invitation“
without considering that Itachi might have some plans of his own was
indeed a bit rash. Still he is a resourceful fighter and good at
keeping a clear head so I hope that this week's chapter is not the
last word.

Being
technically stronger in a fight is not everything. Meeting Sakura has
been difficult enough for Sasuke – Kakashi would be worse.

Sakura
has never been very courageous, and everyone is scared of the kyuubi,
and of the Akatsuki as well.

But
you are not the only one to complain – I realize that there is
a plothole, but at the moment I have not the energy to mend it.
- 20
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- 22
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The Canalized River