Chapter Text
"Imaginarium, a dream emporium
Caress the tales and
They will dream you real
A storyteller's game,
Lips that intoxicate
The core of all life is a limitless chest of tales." -Storytime by Nightwish
A Very Foxy Fairytale
1. The Curse
"Dadda, Dadda!" a shrill voice bounced off of the palace walls accompanied by the quick pitter-patter of small feet. The door is slammed open with a bang, causing passing servants to flinch at the loud noise. Blue eyes under a mop of golden hair scanned the room quickly before setting their attention on his target. "Dadda!" The high pitched cry of excitement rang through the large study as the boy made his way over to his father who was hunched over his desk focused on his work.
Minato looked over to his son, his sky blue eyes crinkling at the edges as he smiled fondly. He watched the young prince stumble over the head of the lion rug that lay between his desk and the door, inwardly sighing in relief when the child caught himself before falling. Even though the small blond boy was a kind and gentle child, he would still scream his head off like any other two year old if he hurt himself. He waited patiently for his son to make his way around the large mahogany desk before stopping next to his chair. "Hello Kurama. What can I do for you?" he questioned as he looked into the eyes that matched his own.
"Book, book!" Kurama grinned and held up a thick book in his chubby little hands. The child paused in his bouncing seeming to remember something before shouting, "PWEASE!"
'Well at least he remembers his manners,' Minato thought as he flexed his jaw trying to get the ringing out of his ears. He looked over to the paperwork that littered his desk, then back to his hyper toddler. He really needed to get his work done… With a smile, he held his arms out to his son, bringing the boy up to sit on his lap. Once they were both comfortable he asked, "So what are we reading?"
Kurama dropped the thick book on top of the desk with a 'thud' and opened it to find the story he wanted to read. Once found, he slapped his little hands on the open book, straightening the pages.
"The Fox and the Raven?" the older blond asked as he looked at the words that were partially hidden under his son's fingers. "Again?" It was one of Kurama's favorite fairy tales and Minato had read it to him many, many times. Both males could most likely recite it word for word without the books aid, but children had a thing about repeating something they like over, and over, and over again.
The smile that graced Kurama's face would make even the coldest of hearts melt.
"You are so freaking cute," the King mumbled as he snuggled his cheek into the boy's golden locks, earning a squeal of delight. He cleared his throat and began reading, his kind voice drifted through the open door of the study, allowing anyone who wandered by to share in the old tale.
A scream echoed through the castle quickly followed by loud laughter that very well could have been louder than the scream. The loud slap of wet feet running through the hall caused servants to move closer to the white sandstone walls to allow a wide path for the feet's owner to run past them. A trail of water followed the small figure as his wild laughter bounced off the walls before growing fainter as he moved farther away.
As soon as the laughter died down, the sound of larger feet running could be heard. The servants stayed against the wall. Some were smiling in amusement, while others were sighing because unfortunately this was a regular occurrence in the Uzumaki household.
As the heavier footsteps grew nearer, a yelp of "shit!" accompanied wet stumbling quickly followed by the 'thump' of a body hitting the wall. The servants watched as the figure of a honey-blonde woman came into view, cringes of sympathy on their faces. "Damn brat!" the woman hollered while rubbing one of her large breasts that had taken most of the impact when she hit the wall. Her eyes narrowed as she looked down at the trail of water that she had just slipped in, following its path down the deep red marble tiled hall and around a corner. "I'm getting too old for this," she mumbled before taking off after the hyper child.
The door to the throne room was slammed open; causing the room's occupants to look up from the papers they were discussing. "Mama!" called the same shrill voice whose laughter had been filling the castle moments ago. The boy made his way over to a woman with long red hair who sat upon the large throne overlooking the rest of the room.
"What in the world?" Kushina, Queen of the Wind Kingdom, looked at her son in surprise. Her eyes quickly narrowed as she took in the child's nudity and wetness. "Kurama," she warned as she rose from her seat to scoop her child into her arms. "Did you run from your bath again?"
Kurama bit his lip, realizing that he had been caught. "No," he denied stubbornly, "I'm all done."
"Lies!" a voice roared through the doorway, startling everyone who had returned to their work. The prince's angry pursuer stomped into the room. She pointed an accusing finger at the young blond who was gripping his mother's neck in a choke hold. "We barely started the bath when he splashed me in the face, blinding me, and then took off running."
Kushina frowned and looked down at her son, "Kurama, is that true? Did you splash Tsunade-sensei?"
Tears came to the blond's eyes, making their blue sparkle like gems in the firelight. He nodded slowly as his lip began to tremble.
Kushina's heart clenched. She took a calming breath, "What do we say when we hurt other's feelings?"
Kurama sniffed and turned his big moist eyes on the older blonde. "I'm sorry, Baa-chan."
Tsunade bristled at the name, she wasn't that old, and crossed her arms under her large chest. "Damn brat," she grumbled.
"Oh come on, Tsunade. He's only three." Kushina defended her child against the stubborn woman.
The older woman scoffed, "Three my ass," she ignored the looks of disapproval from the other occupants in the room, "No three year old I know can speak three languages and can read at a fourth grade reading level. He's just a brat."
"You must not talk about the crown prince like that!" someone scolded. He shrank away when a glare of annoyance turned his way.
Kushina suppressed a smile. She had been amazed when her son had started speaking French one day out of the blue, and could only credit Minato for their son's love of learning. "How many three year olds do you know?" She questioned Tsunade with a raised brow. "Would you rather have him throwing tantrums and seeing how loud he can scream for the fun of it? Would you prefer him to be so selfish that you want to strangle him? Be thankful for who he is." She wrapped her arms tighter around her naked bundle of joy and nuzzled his damp hair.
"I'm a doctor, dammit, not some babysitter!" Tsunade fumed. Anyone caring to look at the sulking doctor could see her anger waning. Everyone who knew Tsunade on a deeper level knew that she loved the child that she had helped deliver herself.
Kushina sighed at the other woman's stubbornness. "I told you, TenTen is sick so she couldn't watch him while I had these meetings," she gestured to the men conversing quietly as they waited for their leader to finish coercing the doctor to take her son back, "and you know how much he loves it when you watch him." She could see the blonde's tough shell cracking as she guilt tripped her. Tsunade opened her mouth to protest further, but Kushina interrupted her, "Besides, you have no patients today and the servants are all busy cleaning for the King's arrival."
At the mention of his father, Kurama finally spoke up, "Daddy! Daddy's coming home!" He started up a singing chant that surprisingly was in key. The King had been away for a month visiting a foreign diplomat in the Fire Kingdom. He was often away strengthening Wind's ties with their neighbors due to his likable personality.
Kushina grinned, feeling excitement bubbling up in her chest to match that of her son's. "Why don't you go with Tsunade-sensei and finish your bath so you're ready for Daddy's return. How does that sound, Kurama?"
"Yeah!" Without warning, the three year old flung himself towards the unsuspecting doctor, making his mother stumble so she wouldn't drop him.
"Baa-chan, Baa-chan! Let's go get baths!" Kurama said in excitement as he felt Tsunade's arms pull him from his mother's grip.
Tsunade sighed as the young prince wrapped his bare legs around her waist. She knew she wouldn't have anymore problems with the boy. Why hadn't she told him he had to be good for Daddy? That always worked. She turned and headed back to the doors they had entered, this time avoiding the water trail.
Suddenly the main doors to the throne room were thrown open and a messenger bolted into the room, running up to Kushina panting for breath. "The…the King…" he gasped as he tried to catch his breath. Kushina put a steadying hand on his shoulder, a crease coming to her brow. The man took a final large gasp into his lungs before he straightened, "There's been an accident. The King…he's been killed."
"Ne, Choji, can I help with dinner today?" Kurama wandered into the large kitchen and looked up at the large chef in question.
Choji paused in his vegetable chopping to look at the five year old prince. He smiled fondly, "Sure. How about you wash those veggies that you helped Ino pick yesterday," he gestured to the full basket that sat next to the sink.
Kurama grinned and rolled up his long sleeves before pulling a stool over to the sink. He quickly washed his hands before setting about cleaning the produce.
The two males started up a comfortable conversation as they prepared dinner. Kurama excitedly shared his adventure of helping around the castle, including collecting honey from Shino's bee hives, helping Kiba milk the cow and goats, and of course helping Ino tend the garden.
Choji smiled as he listened to the boy. All the servants in the castle loved the young prince who was always ready and willing to help them in their jobs whenever he wasn't spending time with his mother or studying in his father's old study. The child was kind and intelligent and everyone who had the privilege of knowing him knew that he would make a fine ruler one day.
"Ne, ne! Guess what?" Kurama suddenly exclaimed, "Mama's going to get married again." The smile on his face didn't reach his eyes, the fight between excitement and sadness clearly visible on his young visage..
Choji's eyes widened in surprise, "Really? Who's the lucky man?"
Kurama eyebrows creased as he strained to remember the man's formal title that his mother had told him. "Orochimaru, Duke of Wind and Sound."
Choji raised an eyebrow. "Oh? I haven't had the honor of meeting him. He came to the castle, what, a year ago?"
Kurama nodded and smiled, "He's really nice, and really smart, and he loves Mama, and that's what really matters. I want her to be happy." He was happy that his mother would finally have someone to comfort her, even though it hurt a little since he still had some loving memories of his father that he still missed dearly. Unfortunately, he only remembered what the man looked like from the large portrait that hung in the hall along with all the former rulers of Wind, but he had feelings of love and contentment when he thought of the man he had lost at such a young age.
He wouldn't throw a temper tantrum about his mother's choice to remarry. He knew she still loved his father, but something in her had died along with the late king, and he was hoping that Duke Orochimaru would help heal her heart. The dark haired man had only nice things to say when it came to Kushina and Kurama, and Kurama looked forward to forming a stronger bond with the man who would soon be his stepfather.
Choji smiled, proud of the boy who he had watched grow since birth. "That's what we all want. When is the wedding?"
"Next week," Kurama stated casually as he popped a green bean into his mouth as he finished washing them.
The chef's eyes widened in shock, a choked noise escaping his throat before he composed himself enough to respond, "Then we better get cooking, 'cause we have to put a menu together to celebrate the occasion."
"Baa-chan!" six year old Kurama ran into the doctor's medical room that also served as her office. Spotting the blonde woman, Kurama grabbed the sleeve of her white coat and tugged hard. "Come quickly! Mama says the baby's coming!"
Tsunade grabbed her medical bag and hurriedly followed the young prince into the queen's room. Seeing the queen laying prone on her large bed, covered in sweat and cringing in pain, Tsunade set to work commanding the frantic maids that were hovering around the bed to boil water and get other items that would be needed for the birth.
Kurama was forced to leave the room as his mother's cries of pain became louder. He sat against the wall opposite the door to stay out of the way of the rushing servants, not wanting to move farther away from the person he loved with all his heart. After waiting nervously for five hours, the prince finally slid sideways along the wall as sleep took him. It was not long after that a passing maid took up the small boy into her arms and carried him to his bed to sleep more comfortably.
"Come on, Kushina, you can do it. One more push," Tsunade urged as she gripped the slimy head of the baby.
Kushina let out a screaming grunt, pushing one final time before falling limp with exhaustion as the child left her body. A crackling cry was soon heard causing the once again mother to smile.
"Congratulations, your Highness, it's another boy," Tsunade announced as she handed the baby to a servant to clean and swaddle. She quickly pulled the placenta out of the exhausted woman, before checking her over for tears or excess bleeding. Once satisfied, she turned to wash her hands and quickly exited the room.
Hurrying to her private chambers, the doctor threw open her wooden chest and dug through it to find a green pendant dangling from a worn leather cord. Making sure that her door was securely locked, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Placing the pendant against her forehead, Tsunade focused and silently commanded, 'Come'.
A strong gust of wind filled her room, followed by a loud crack as a presence appeared in the room. Tsunade lowered the pendant and opened her eyes to face the welcomed intruder. She frowned as she pushed her bangs out of her eyes before looking up at the tall white haired man.
Amused eyes twinkled as a large grin stretched over his tan face. "You needed me beautiful?" the man's voice was smooth, a deep octave and laced with seduction.
Tsunade's eyes narrowed as the man reached for her with the intent to grope her. Maybe calling him was a bad idea. "Baka!" she called out angrily as she swatted his hand away.
The man held his hand to his chest looking offended. "That's not fair," he pouted, "I give you such a nice compliment and you just call me a mean name. The least you could say was 'Why, hello you strong, sexy, wizard you'."
Tsunade rolled her eyes at the wizard, "This is serious, Jiraiya."
The wizard sobered at the use of his name that rarely graced the doctor's lips. "What's happened?"
"Kushina just gave birth. It's a boy. A new prince has been born." Tsunade stated gravely.
Jiraiya frowned. "Does Prince(1) Orochimaru know?"
Tsunade sighed as she sat on the edge of her bed and rubbed her temples in exhaustion. "By now? Most likely. Though whether he found out now or later, it wouldn't make a difference." She turned tired eyes to the man standing stiffly in front of her, "Can you watch Kurama for me? For everyone?"
Jiraiya nodded as he sat beside the doctor. He really wished that Minato was still alive. "If you don't mind, I'll give him the pendant so I can always keep track of him and go to him whenever I need to."
Tsunade wordlessly handed him the necklace that was still dangling loosely in her grip.
"My lord?"
Prince Consort Orochimaru looked up from his three week old son to see a servant practically stumble into the nursery. He scowled, "What is it?"
"Th-the Queen," the servant's voice cut off as his throat closed in grief, "she's dead."
Orochimaru calmly turned and laid his small babe in his bassinet. "I see… Tell no one. I will be the one to share this terrible news. Look after Kabuto for me while I say goodbye to my wife," he ordered as he left the room.
The dark haired man made his way through the castle, searching. He knew that at this time of day the bedrooms would be empty. He peeked into the empty study, the playroom, the dojo, and ended at the kitchen. Seeing it devoid of his target, Orochimaru headed outside to the gardens making sure no one saw him leave.
He silently made his way deeper into the garden, paying no mind to the colorful flowers or luscious vegetable and herb beds. He fast paced steps followed the small pathway under the arch covered in grapevines, and into the orchard that stretched all the way back to the property's surrounding wall that made up the lusher part of the desert kingdom's small oasis. His steps momentarily faltered when he heard gentle humming coming through the trees off to his right, and quickly adjusted his course.
Orochimaru spotted a tuft of golden hair that belonged to a young boy sitting at the base of large peach tree. The blond was happily humming as he pet a cat that sat on his lap, a small smile gracing his lips as he looked down at the small creature that was covering half of his legs.
"Kurama," Orochimaru called out as he approached.
Kurama looked up, his bright blue eyes wide in surprise, "Oh! Lord Orochimaru, I didn't hear you come." Kurama smiled fondly at the man who had made his mother happy over the last year. He had never been allowed to call the man 'Father' (Orochimaru preferred the use of his title), but he had grown closer to the man in their time together. "What can I do for you?"
Orochimaru stared down at the glowing youth. "Stand up, boy," he ordered a little sternly.
Kurama complied, gently moving the cat off his lap before rising and dusting his pants off. He looked up at the tall man, his head only reaching the man's waist.
"Your mother is dead," Orochimaru stated. He watched as Kurama's face turned to confusion before draining of color as dread set in. He grabbed the boy's arm as he made to run to the castle to see if this news was a lie. "There's more," Orochimaru yanked on the thin arm, gaining Kurama's attention once again. "You will not be king."
"Huh?" Kurama's eyebrows wrinkled in confusion. He didn't know what Orochimaru was talking about; all he cared about was finding his mother. Nothing else mattered, just her. Before he could say anything else, Orochimaru placed his pointer finger against Kurama's forehead and mumbled something that Kurama didn't understand.
Orochimaru watched as his magic flowed into the small prince. A slow smile spread over his face as Kurama suddenly started screaming in pain as he dropped to the ground. He watched as Kurama clutched at his head as his ears shifted to form points. The man silently took in how Kurama's canines elongated and sharpened even more.
Kurama hugged himself as his nails grew faster than humanly possible and formed into short claws which left long scratches along his upper arms as his fingers curled. He arched his back, his scream intensifying, as a searing pain grew at the base of his spine.
Orochimaru's smile grew as nine orange tails sprouted out of the prince's tailbone. His golden eyes met Kurama's pleading blue eyes as the blond looked up to him in the hope that he would take away the pain. Black pupils shuddered for a moment before elongating as red bled into the blue. The pain subsided, causing Kurama to take one final gasp before falling unconscious at Orochimaru's feet.
Orochimaru looked down at the sleeping child. He tilted his head a little to the side as he took in the boy's new features. "Hm," he contemplated, "You still look like you when you're asleep." Kneeling next to the boy, the dark king produced a small twisted dagger from his sleeve and applied it to a chubby tan cheek. He slowly dragged the blade through the soft skin, leaving three thin gashes on each cheek so they looked like bleeding whiskers. Satisfied, Orochimaru stood up again. "Now you're appearance matches your name, little demon," he smirked.
Pulling a thin whistle from under the collar of his loose shirt, Orochimaru blew it and waited. A moment later, a figure dressed all in black stepped out from behind a nearby apple tree. The figure dropped to one knee, placing one fist on the ground, "My Lord?" A low voice asked, slightly muffled through the thin mask covering his face.
Orochimaru looked down at the captain of his personal guard. He gestured to the small limp form at his feet, "This monster is trespassing onto royal grounds. Take it far into the desert and execute it, leave the body where it won't be noticed."
It's true that Orochimaru hadn't needed to use some of his dark magic to change the prince into a demon since he was planning on having him killed anyway, but he had so enjoyed seeing the boy writhe in pain. The brat had always annoyed him; he had just seemed too good for Orochimaru's liking. But now he wouldn't have to deal with him anymore, and if anyone happened to find his body in the future then there would be no connection to the missing prince.
The guard silently picked up the small, bloody bundle and threw it over his shoulder, quickly moving through the trees and out the hidden door in the back wall.
Orochimaru smirked and quickly made his way back into the castle.
"Tsunade-sensei!" a servant crashed through the open doorway into the medical room, startling the doctor who was quietly discussing something with Jiraiya. "Come quick!" the servant cried, "It's the Queen, she's dead!"
Tsunade's heart stopped. Her eyes snapped to Jiraiya who had his eyes closed in concentration. His dark eyes snapped open and looked at her, "He's left the castle grounds," he announced.
"Go!" Tsunade ordered as he grabbed her medical bag. She exited the room as a crack filled the air accompanied by a mini whirlwind as Jiraiya disappeared.
The doctor ran to Kushina's room, hoping that what the servant said was false, but deep down knowing it wasn't. Kurama was already gone. She just hoped that Jiraiya wasn't tracking a dead body. She approached the Queen's private chambers and burst through the doors. She was met with Orochimaru kneeling next to Kushina's pale and unmoving body, clenching her limp hand in his.
Orochimaru turned his tear streaked face towards the doctor, looking all the part of a grieving husband. "Tsunade," he choked out, his raspy voice scratchier than normal, "I don't know what to do." He was proud of himself for sounding so helpless.
Tsunade frowned at the crying man; she was a little confused to see him here. She had honestly expected him to be with Kurama, but his presence proved that he couldn't be responsible for anything that may have happened to the boy. She pushed the thought of the young prince away as she rushed to the bed to check Kushina's vitals. The Queen's skin was cold and an unhealthy pale grey, she wasn't breathing and Tsunade couldn't find a pulse. Tsunade checked her mouth, eyes, and skin to see if there was any sign of poison. Finding none, she had no choice but to say that there was no foul play in the Queen's death.
Jiraiya popped back into time and space to land gently between two tall dunes, whose height did little to block the hot sweltering sun beating down on the scorching sand. His sudden appearance caused the dark guard to freeze in his steps. Jiraiya didn't recognize the man (though it would have been hard to since most of his face was covered), but he did notice the dark sack slung over the man's shoulder. Since he had followed the aura of the pendant and he didn't see his young charge anywhere, than there was only one thing that could be in the bag. "Give me the bag," he ordered.
The guard bit his lip. He knew who this man was. Jiraiya the wizard had a reputation for not only being a woman lecher, but also a very powerful mage. He had to wonder how much he wanted to be killed or turned into some creature by this man. His job was to kill the thing in the sack and dispose of the body, so what harm would come from giving it to the wizard? What could the man possibly want with some beat up demon, and was keeping it from him worth risking his life over? Decision made, he dropped the sack with a 'thump' and took a step back.
"Freeze," Jiraiya stated and suddenly the man was rooted to the ground unable to move a muscle. The wizard slowly approached the sack, his heart rate picking up as he started to dread what he would find. Opening the bag revealed golden locks, the shade of which could only be passed down from Namikaze Minato.
"Dammit," Jiraiya breathed out in anguish in anguish as he reached into the bag and grabbed under Kurama's arms to pull him out. "What the hell?" he frowned as he caught sight of the nine orange tails coming out of the back of torn bloody pants. He turned the boy's face towards him to make sure that who he was holding was actually the prince and not some monster. What he found was a blood covered face. 'Kami,' he thought with a wince.
Turning the unrecognizable boy over, he pulled up the back of his shirt to reveal a birthmark that resembled a fox's head on the left side of the boy's lower back. The birthmark had been the reason behind the prince's name and had been cataloged in the archives along with all other royal birthmarks throughout history. There was no mistaking this creature's identity as Uzumaki Kurama.
The wizard's lips pursed as he stared at the birthmark and then let his eyes travel along the small boy's crumpled form. His heart aches for him. Releasing a breath, Jiraiya gently placed Kurama on his back on the black sack, not wanting the hot sand to burn his delicate flesh, and hovered his hands over the boy's small chest. He was glad to see Kurama's chest rise and fall gently in sleep as his hands began to glow. The wizard mumbled his spell as he watched his magic flow into the unconscious prince. He frowned when nothing happened. He tried another spell…still nothing. 'This is one hell of a dark spell,' he thought grimly.
Coming to a decision, Jiraiya quickly stood and faced the still frozen guard. He put his hand over the man's eyes and cast a spell, "You never saw me. You killed the boy and dumped the body for the vultures and the winds to cover. Go now."
Free to move, the man turned in a daze and made his way back to the castle to tell his lord that the task was complete.
Jiraiya gently scooped Kurama up into his arms and disappeared in a swirl of sand and leaves.
Jiraiya came back into being in the middle of a thickly wooded grove on the eastern border of Wind Kingdom, hundreds of miles away from Kurama's home. "IRUKA!" he shouted into the trees. He waited impatiently for a few minutes, but received no answer. He scowled and yelled again, "Don't make me set this whole damn forest on fire!"
"Keh, you're not a fire mage," came a tiny voice close to his ear.
Jiraiya turned and squinted at the tiny ball of blue glowing light that was hovering at eye level. As his eyes adjusted to the glow, the figure of a little man with wings became visible. The wizard frowned, "Raidou, where the hell is Iruka," he asked the fairy.
Raidou scratched his scarred cheek seeming thoroughly annoyed that he had to converse with the wizard. "Around," he stated as he crossed his arms over his chest.
Jiraiya took a deep breath before yelling, "IRUKA!" He felt smug satisfaction as the tiny fairy before him clasped his hands over his ears in pain.
Raidou uncovered his ears and glared at the giant of a man. "Dammit you stupid toad! Why I outta-!"
"I'm here!" A gentle voice cut off the blue fairies rant. Both males turned to see a blur of green light shoot through the trees towards them. The light stopped next to Raidou and hunched over in midair to catch his breath. "Sorry," Iruka panted, "I was- bandaging a squirrel's- injured paw when I heard you calling." He looked into the older man's face once he caught his breath, "What can I do for you, Wizard-sama?" The bundle in Jiraiya's arms caught his attention and he quickly flew to brush his hands through the child's golden hair. "Who and what is this? Poor thing. What happened? Wha-?"
"That's why I'm here," Jiraiya quickly cut off the green fairy's frantic rumbling.
"What does that thing have to do with us?" Raidou questioned as he cautiously approached the unconscious creature.
Jiraiya sighed and lifted Kurama's shirt to expose his birthmark.
"Kurama!" Iruka exclaimed, "But, how? What happened?"
Jiraiya shifted the child in his arms as he lowered the shirt back into place. "Orochimaru's work I assume. Kushina has died and this is the result."
Iruka's eyes filled with tears. He had been friends with both of Kurama's parents and had even blessed the child soon after his birth. Not many humans knew of the fairies existence, but the Uzumaki clan had had a close relationship with them for centuries and knew they would keep the fairies secret from those outside the royal family. He pushed his face into the soft hair under his fingers.
Jiraiya continued, "I tried to cancel the curse, but it's no use. I need him to stay here with you until I figure out how to break it."
Raidou lifted an eyebrow as he gently pet one of Kurama's many tails. "Why here? He has the birthmark, so why not just take him back home?"
"And have Orochimaru declare him a demon that needed to be killed before I could convince everyone otherwise? Besides, what's to stop Orochimaru from trying to kill him again even if people do recognize him as who he is? Kurama's still just a child and can't properly defend himself. Therefore, I'm asking that you," he looked pointedly to Iruka, "raise him in the safety of the Enchanted Forest. No human dares venture into these woods, so it's a perfect place to keep him safe."
A look of determination came over Iruka's face, "Of course I'll do it."
Jiraiya nodded and opened his mouth to continue their conversation when he suddenly felt a pin prick in the side of his neck. He winced and shifted Kurama into one arm to pull the small object out of his neck. He frowned when he noticed it looked like a really tiny toothpick. "Oh lord, not now," he grumbled as he looked around for the source of his mild injury. His gaze landed on a ball of glowing red light that lay on a nearby tree branch.
"I know you're not thinking about leaving me out of this," the red fairy stated casually as he placed a new toothpick between his teeth.
"No," Jiraiya deadpanned. "There is no way in hell I'm letting you influence this kind boy in any way."
"Oh come on, let him help," Iruka defended his friend. "I will need as much help as I can get and Genma is good with children." He received a skeptically raised brow from the wizard and shrugged, "Probably. Besides, Raidou can help rein him in when needed."
Genma smiled in triumph as Jiraiya sighed in defeat and Raidou sputtered in protest.
"We'll have to use magic to make ourselves big enough to take care of him," Raidou pointed out sounding very annoyed that he had been pulled into this ridiculous situation. "Besides, won't it be weird having three full grown men raising a little boy in the middle of the forest?"
"Don't forget that the little boy is now part…fox?" Genma piped up helpfully. He eyed the nine limp tails that were tucked between the prince's backend and the wizard's arm. He shrugged, "I don't know."
"No, it will be fine," Iruka stated confidently, "right?"
"Right!" Genma cheered, "Completely normal."
"Are you two fucking insane?" Raidou once again protested. "How is that-?"
"We'll take him!" Genma and Iruka cut him off.
Raidou sighed, "Whatever."
"Fine, whatever," Jiraiya grumbled. "So, do you know of an old hunting cabin or something where you can raise him?"
Iruka shook his head in the negative, Genma laughed, and Raidou scoffed. Jiraiya could have sworn he heard a mumbled "moron" come out of the tiny man's mouth.
Jiraiya pinched between his brows, 'Right, enchanted forest where no one dares to enter. Stupid question.' He looked around and spotted an acorn on the ground. Gently setting the still bloody blond on the ground, he grabbed the brown nut off the ground and moved to the edge of a small clearing a few feet away.
The wizard closed his eyes, holding the acorn in his open palm he said a quick incantation and blew onto the nut. Releasing the acorn from his palms, it dropped to the soft earth like a stone and lodged itself into the ground at his feet. Keeping his eyes closed, Jiraiya started a new longer spell as his hands began to form quick symbols as they lit with a pale glow of magic. Finishing the incantation, he crouched down and laid his palms on the ground on either side of the acorn.
Light spread along the ground as the acorn sunk deeper into the ground until it disappeared completely into the soil. The ground rumbled and steadily rose to form a small hill. Jiraiya's brows creased in concentration as the hill hollowed out and became stable as tree roots pushed up to form walls within the cavern. A simple floor plan formed as parts of the hill crumbled into a door and windows, along with a chimney on the top. Satisfied with his work, Jiraiya opened his eyes and stood, brushing off his hands on his green robes.
He scooped Kurama's limp body off the ground and entered the new dwelling.
"What, no furniture?" Genma asked as he flew around the mostly underground house.
Jiraiya scoffed, "Brat, at least I gave you running water," he motioned over to a polished stone sink that had a water pump over it. "Get someone to go into town to get what else you need. I don't have much magic left to spare." He walked through an open doorway into a small room and set Kurama down on a low mossy bed that he had made.
He rested his large palm on Kurama's small forehead, frowning as the heat of a fever seeped into his hand. He wasn't too worried about the boy's injuries or fever since Iruka would be here to look after him. Iruka was the most skilled fairy in healing that he knew, the kindest too, which was why Jiraiya had brought the prince to him.
He took a deep breath as he looked down at the child that he wasn't able to protect. "Sorry kid," closing his eyes again he started a new incantation, this one low and sorrowful, taking all of his concentration. Once done he stood up again.
"What did you do?" Raidou asked as he landed on a built in shelf on the wall.
"I took his memories," Jiraiya grumbled, "He won't remember who he is or where he's from. But he'll maintain his personality and interests, the skills he's learned over the years. It's better that he doesn't remember everything that's happened for now." He paused as he looked at the boy's blood covered face and then down to the necklace hidden under his shirt. "He's wearing a pendant that lets me track him," he told the fairies, "make sure he never takes it off."
"What should we call him?" Genma asked as he landed on atop the pile of tails lying limply around the prince's legs. He took a moment to feel their plushness with his bare feet, before grinning in satisfaction and flopping down comfortably on his back.
Jiraiya shrugged.
"Naruto," Iruka stated as he looked at a swirl pattern that had formed in the wall above the prince's head. "We'll call him Naruto."