Naruto Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Demon Flux ❯ A Demon is Revealed! ( Chapter 4 )

A/N:

In case some of you are still having trouble with the whole "Kurama" thing…. if you want to, think of it this way…. Koenma just had to kick his butt a little to reawaken his portal sensing power, eh? He's feeling a different aspect of his power, one he hasn't felt before. I promise you, you'll want to read the next chapter….because I have been hinting about Kurama for a reason, eh?

Disclaimer: Enjoy the story…it's all here in black and white. It's all I have; you can't squeeze out any money here!! Well, wait! Here's some pocket lint!! There you go! Don't spend it all at once!

^(

(Kakashi half face) no? Oh, well, I tried!!

ONWARD!!!

Kurama knocked on Yusuke's door the next morning, to receive no answer.

He tried again.

"Yusuke?" it's me, Kurama." "Are you guys still asleep?"

This time the door was opened, by Hiei, who looked him up and down and stepped aside so that he could enter.

"They went to eat ramen, of all things; I stayed here to wait for you."

Kurama nodded and sat down, but he started feeling uncomfortable and noticed Hiei was giving him that "something is off" look.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing."

Just then voices resounded outside, the knob turned and the door opened. Naruto came in first, fingers linked behind his head, a comfortable, self-satisfied look on his face. Yusuke came after him, talking up a storm, something about street fights and martial arts fights and knowing the tricks, his face was scrunched up and he was jabbing the air with his fists as he talked. However, when he saw Kurama, his face lit up into a grin and he said,

"Hey, Kurama! We'll be with you in a minute!"

The two walked into the kitchen and brought in tea a few minutes later. Soon, everyone was gathered and comfortable, and Kurama was ready to begin talking when Yusuke suddenly asked,

"Didn't Hiei go with you?

Kurama was confused. He looked at Hiei for help and noticed that he was staring at Yusuke like a flower pot had fallen on his head.

"Fool!! I already told you! I didn't go with him."

Yusuke smirked and looked him in the eyes, "So where'd you go?"

"I don't have to tell you, it's a private matter."

"Private my foot." Yusuke yelled.

Kurama was astounded, both of them were now standing up and glaring at each other, and Naruto, seemed to just be amused.

"You had better tell me where you went!"

"No, the matter is closed."

"Damn!"

Yusuke dropped to the floor and pouted.

Hiei resumed his position as well and glowered at Yusuke.

Kurama waited a bit and then cleared his throat,

"Koenma is sending information with Botan, he couldn't really tell me anything, except that it'll take a lot of ki to find and open the portal to send Naruto home."

Yusuke grunted, "And where are we supposed to start looking?"

Kurama shook his head. "I am not quite sure, he said something about fox demons being able to sense it and open it, but I didn't understand that very well."

As expected, Hiei and Yusuke both looked in his direction, but it was Naruto that caught Kurama's eye.

The boy suddenly seemed to withdraw into himself. Kurama decided that it was the perfect opportunity to ask him some questions.

"Koenma was interested in how someone like Naruto could come through the portal." he paused "Naruto, is there something you want to tell us?"

With all eyes turned on him, Naruto suddenly found himself wishing he wasn't the vessel of the nine-tailed fox demon. `How can I explain?' `What will they think of me?' `Will they even trust me?' Naruto shuddered and shrunk further away from the other boys.

It was Yusuke who came to save the day, he had been observing Naruto carefully over the past two days, and he concluded that the boy would respond, if given any form of passive nudge. It would not be necessary to become violent or start an inquisition, as long as they remained reasonable.

"You know" he started, "I've already died once, and frankly, it made me realize that I had been wasting my time." "Naruto, you've gotta jump in and just do things, that way you get through them quicker and you've got more time to enjoy life." The tense silence of the room had been effectively broken by this remark and so Yusuke added, "And when you are afraid, you waste a helluva lot of time."

Naruto looked up at Yusuke and swallowed, "I'm a demon fox."

Shock was evident, and eyes had widened considerably at this admission, especially Kurama's.

Naruto was scared, but he felt that it was important to get it out, after all, wasn't it important to his being able to return home?

He continued.

"In the days of old and up till very recently, villages were attacked by a demon fox with nine tails, it was very powerful and killed lots of people." Naruto swallowed again. "But, one of the most powerful men in our village, the Hokage, became a hero at the cost of his life twelve years ago, when he sealed the demon fox, in me."

Naruto uttered the last two words very quietly.

"An Ancient" Kurama breathed.

"Eh?" said Yusuke.

Kurama shook his head clear and continued, "It's entirely possible that this demon fox is an ancestor so to speak, the very raw and absolute demon fox form." "Somehow he made it through the portal, was trapped, I don't know."

He paused and almost whispered to himself.

"No wonder Naruto was able to pass through unscathed."

"Are you dangerous?" Yusuke asked Naruto, who just bowed his head and said nothing.

"Is he dangerous?" Yusuke asked as he looked at Kurama a second later.

Kurama became thoughtful. "I shouldn't think so, he said "it" was "sealed", and I take that to mean, that it is locked away and kept from hurting anyone." "In fact, if Naruto dies, it is highly likely that the demon is destroyed as well."

"Yes" said Hiei "but what keeps it from hurting others through Naruto?"

Yusuke looked at Naruto.

"I am almost afraid to say it, but could it possibly be Naruto himself?"

They all looked at Naruto who was still closed in on himself and Yusuke decided that he himself didn't like the way the conversation was going. Even if Naruto had this hanging over his head, it wasn't for Yusuke to judge him, not this soon.

Yusuke decided to change the subject, "So until Botan gets here, we still know nothing, that is to say, about how to find the portal and send him home, right?"

"Yes" Kurama replied.

Kurama and Yusuke fell into an ambling discussion of the way portals worked, and Naruto looked up and watched. Aside from them registering shock upon first hearing his admission, none of them seemed to be otherwise panicking or worried about the "demon fox" Naruto.

It was then that he noticed Hiei was looking at him and he chanced a glance at the dark haired boy. Hiei nodded to him and Naruto stood and followed him out of the room.

Hiei was sitting against the wall in the adjoining room, his arms across his chest, when Naruto found him.

"Do you fear the demon inside of you?"

Naruto blinked and sat down as well.

"Sometimes."

"Do you fear it because it could destroy you?" "Do you fear death?"

"Yes."

"Then that is the first thing you must overcome, if you want to become stronger."

"Or else your fear will be your weakness, and you will die."

"I don't really care what happens to me." Naruto grumbled. "I may fear death or what the demon might do to me, but I am also afraid of hurting others. I am afraid of hurting, my friends." "I don't want to hurt Yusuke or you or Kurama or even Iruka, because I-"

Naruto didn't finish and looked down again

Hiei was mildly surprised, and his eyes widened, but Naruto didn't see it.

"They hate me, the people of my village, because I have the demon sealed in me." Naruto continued.

"I didn't even know why they hated me for a long time, that it was because of the demon, that their eyes were so cold." "I found myself wishing I was stronger, and doing anything I could to get their attention, to get them to acknowledge me, to see me or to look at me with or without that hatred in their eyes."

"Naruto"

It was Yusuke, he had overheard.

"What about your parents?"

"I've never known them."

Yusuke's fist impacted with the wall, making a rather large hole.

"Damn!" "I hate that, it's just not right!"

Then he blinked.

"Oh, man, she's going to be so mad when she sees this."

"Naruto" Yusuke sat down as well. "You've been lonely, huh?" "No friends, no family." "Everyone treating you like you are a loser, and making you think that you amount to nothing."

Naruto nodded.

Yusuke sighed. "I've been there."

"You want to become stronger to gain acknowledgement, but Naruto; although you may gain acknowledgement or respect for your strength, people will also judge you on how you use that strength."

Naruto's eyes widened and Yusuke grinned.

"But, that is something you have to work out yourself, no one can help you, it's a path you have to walk alone!"

Naruto understood somewhat, "Hey! Hey! That path, that's my ninja way!"

Yusuke nodded and stretched. "In the meantime, waiting for Botan is going to get awfully dull, awfully fast." "I know about an arcade and a pastry shop around the corner" He placed his finger to his face and mused. "It's possible that after doing that, it will be lunchtime." Yusuke scratched his head as he walked towards the door and opened it. "Do you think we'd be able to eat ramen again?" Naruto jumped up running after him yelling "Yes! Yes!" Kurama and Hiei looked at each other and followed.

What else could they do?!?