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“Kurama…why don't the other kids ever play with me?”
Naruto asked while he sat in the sandbox, silently digging in the sand as the other kids kept a wide berth from him.
“Look at the company you keep.”
Kurama’s deep voice boomed throughout the park, his colossal frame laying right beside the playground he found himself and his Kit in.
“I don't understand…. you're just a big old Fox…why would they be scared of you?”
Naruto looked up at Kurama, the Kit’s blue eyes meeting the Fox’s crimson.
Kurama's face softens for a moment before that familiar snarl appears on his face.
“I was talking about the Senju woman.”
“She's terrifying.”
A sarcastic tone colors the Fox's voice, the snarl contorting into a smug smirk.
His Kit looks up at him, a confused look on his face.
“What’s wrong with Lady Tsunade? She feeds me and doesn't throw things at me.”
Naruto brings his attention back towards the sandbox, a moment passing until he looks back up at the Kyuubi.
“Can we go see her? Please Kurama?... I want to see her…”
The Fox grumbles to himself before standing up, revealing his massive stature to the entire village.
A few horrified screams are heard from far away.
“She's working.”
“But she said I can visit her whenever! Come on! Let's go see her!”
Naruto’s chubby face adopted a scheming look, something that Kurama reluctantly found adorable.
“We could even get some suckers she keeps on her…”
Kurama's barely hidden smile reappears on his face. His Kit was just too cute…
“Is food all you think about?”
Naruto shook his head rapidly, denying the Fox's accusation.
“No!”
A beat passed before his Kit continued.
“I think about you…Lady Tsunade…and then food.”
Naruto said with a heart melting smile.
The corners of Kurama's mouth subtly contorted upwards, the Fox turns his head to hide his own smile.
“Fine.”
“But when she chews you out, it won't be my problem.”
“Yay!” Naruto rushes over to Kurama, wrapping his small arms around the Fox’s leg. He nuzzles his face against the soft orange fur that adorns Kurama's body.
With surprising ease, the Kit climbs his way onto Kurama's back, grabbing onto the Fox’s fur as he does so.
Kurama grumbles in discomfort.
“Do you have to pull on my fur so hard?”
“I'll start balding soon.”
Naruto starts to bounce rapidly on top of Kurama's back, “ Let's go, let's go, let's gooo!!!!!”
“FINE!”
“Fine…”
With his Kit on his back, Kurama makes his way to the nearby hospital.
She let out a sigh, “These days just get longer and longer…”
She made her way to her office, as always, she had a nearly endless amount of paperwork to deal with.
But she supposed it came with the territory of being the head doctor…
She entered her personal office, taking a seat at her desk.
She rested her head on her hands, her eyes looking out of the nearby window, simply observing the bright blue sky.
“...I hope he's having fun…. maybe I'll cook ramen for him tonight. It always puts a smile on his cute little face…”
A smile of her own spread across her face, if there was anything that cheered her up…it was her boy…
She brought her attention back to the pile of paperwork on her desk, she let out a sigh once more as she began to check countless boxes, and sign nearly infinite signatures.
She lost herself in a trance, her smile replaced with a blank expression. In only minutes she had a small pile of paperwork done. And she would have kept going if the room hadn't become strangely dark.
Her eyes flickered towards the window, the bright blue sky replaced by a crimson eye.
A deep booming voice filled the air.
“The Kit wants you.”
She pushed back her office chair, placing her arms on the desk as she stood up. Her lack of emotion dissipated and was replaced by joy.
She opened the window, watching as the blue sky returned and her boy appeared to her on a bed of orange fur.
"Naruto..." She said with a smile, her face brightening even more by the sight of her sunshine.
When Naruto saw her beautiful bronze eyes looking at him, he felt a flutter in his heart and involuntarily extended his small arms.
“Lady Tsunade!”
Tsunade took him in, hugging him with delight...
"You are such a sight for my sore eyes…"
He doesn't understand why, but there is something about how Tsunade makes him feel, that he just loves.
“Lady Tsunade….” Her smile widens as she feels her boy nuzzle into her embrace, she buries her face in his golden hair, adoring it with kisses.
Her boy giggles at the affection, leaning back slightly to look up at her. His blue eyes meet the bronze of hers.
She sat him down on her desk, her tone became authoritative and a serious look colors her face.
Though that smile seems reluctant to disappear…
“Naruto, you know I told you that I'm working….I can't have you here all the time.”
As her words fill the air, the room darkens once more. Kurama's eye fills the window, his deep voice vibrating the entire building.
“You should have known he wouldn't stay away.”
Kurama's voice adopts a teasing tone.
“He's like a cold; it keeps coming back.”
Tsunade's brow furrowed at Kurama's words.
“He's not a disease…. he's just a bundle of joy. And I'd prefer you refer to him as such.”
Her voice was filled with that same authority, but a hint of a smile bled its way through.
“He's a nuisance.”
“Our nuisance!” Tsunade shouted out, an affectionate note fills her voice as she looks at her boy.
She stares directly into Kurama's eye with a knowing look.
“I've seen how you get when he's in danger, remember that time we lost him and you couldn't stop freaking out?”
Kurama began to growl, the sound vibrating the entire room.
“Silence Woman!”
The Fox's voice was void of the teasing tone; there was nothing left but rage and embarrassment.
“That…”
“That was different…and you know it!”
You could almost hear the pout in his voice, Tsunade watched as he looked down, avoiding her gaze.
“Was it, Kurama? Why can't you admit that you care about Naruto?”
“...hush..”
The Fox’s crimson eye suddenly focuses on his Kit, his pupil contracting as he does so.
“Kit, since you can't seem to stay away from her, why not ask her for lessons?”
A cruel look fills the Fox's eye. You didn't even need to see him to know that the smug grin was on his face.
Naruto instantly turns around, looking directly at Kurama. A look of betrayal and shock on the boy's face.
“K…Kurama?”
The Fox falls back on his bottom, causing the entire building to shake. He lets out a deep mocking laugh that enrages Naruto.
“HAHAHA!”
A look of confusion colors Tsunade's face. She rushes to the window and looks down at the face of the Fox.
“Kurama! You tell me what's so funny, right now!”
“Our Little Kit tried to heal a bird that had a broken wing, but since he didn't know how to infuse his chakra, he ended up killing the bird!”
He had felt bad for the little bird. And although Kurama witnessed him try to heal it, he promised he would keep it a secret.
But now he had only betrayed him, teasing him not only in front of the woman he secretly admired but letting everybody in the hospital know his deed.
Naruto’s face wrinkled in pain, and his little eyes began to moisten.
He felt his silent tears spilling down his little cheeks feeling humiliated.
“K….Kurama….y...you promised!” Naruto sputtered out with a trembling lip, “ You said…t…that you wouldn't tell her!”
“Indeed I did!”
“Haha!”
“But what's the point in keeping your failure a secret if you can't improve from it?”
Tsunade couldn't help but empathize with her boy, he tried so hard to heal that bird, but his inexperience failed him.
But the way Kurama brought this up, betraying Naruto's trust, it filled her with rage.
She stormed over to the window and quickly took off one of her heels, with her chakra infused strength, she threw her heel right at the Fox’s nose. Causing the large beast to let out a whimper that echoed throughout the surrounding area.
“OW!!”
The Fox’s eyes focused immediately on Tsunade.
“What was that for!?”
“You should know better, Kurama! Look at him!”
She pointed towards the still crying Naruto, the young boy wiping his eyes as the tears fell.
“There's ways of helping him learn from his mistakes that don't lead to him sobbing!”
The Fox looked away, her words clearly affecting him more than he'd like to admit. He grumbled to himself before replying.
“...I just wanted to teach the Kit a lesson.”
“You know I wouldn't bring him to tears on purpose.”
Tsunade’s expression softened slightly at Kurama's words, for all he was, he wasn't purposefully abusive.
She let out a sigh and rubbed her eyes before looking back at him, “ Yeah…I know. Just…try to not make him cry again?”
He nodded in response, almost sheepishly so.
Feeling like she had properly chastised the massive fox beast that was also raising her child for some reason, Tsunade brought her attention back to her boy.
He had stopped crying at this point, but his cheeks were still stained with tears. Tsunade felt her heart ache at the sight, she immediately brought him into her arms, resting his head on her breasts as she gently caressed his hair.
“Naruto…” She whispered gently, her tone soothing him as she spoke. “...I know you're upset…but it's all ok…. I'm not mad at you.”
She positioned him in her arms so she could meet his eyes, “ I'm proud of you for trying to help that bird, and the fact that you attempted to save it shows that you're growing up to be a good person.”
She watched as his eyes lit up, a hesitant smile creeping across his stained cheeks, “ R…really?”
She returned his smile, nodding as she spoke. “ Really.”
She just stared at him, observing the innocent smile on his face, ‘he’s so stinking cute…’
After a few moments, she let out a sigh and sat him down on the windowsill, keeping her hands on his sides to ensure he doesn't fall.
“ Well…I've still got work to do hon’, why don't you and Kurama go home? I have a few more hours of work left, and I promise to make ramen for dinner tonight.”
Naruto's entire face lit up, “Ramen!? Really!?” He started bouncing on the windowsill in excitement, “ Yay! Did you hear her Kurama!? We're having ramen!”
Kurama sat back up and brought his face close to the open window.
“Yes brat…”
“I heard.”
“The entire village heard.”
“Especially with how loud you're being.”
“Oh Kurama come on…he's just excited. Besides, we both know you think it's cute when he gets like this.”
Despite wanting to deny Tsunade's words, the Fox knew she was right. He grumbled to himself before speaking again.
“...be quiet.”
He brought his attention towards Naruto, bringing his nose up to the kit so he could climb back on.
“Come on kit, let's go home already.”
“You've already gotten me chewed out today and I'm exhausted from it.”
Not wasting any time, Naruto climbed onto Kurama's head, clinging onto the Fox's thick fur tightly as the Fox began to walk off.
Before the pair made it out of view, Naruto turned back to wave one last time at Tsunade.
She couldn't help but smile and wave back to her boy.
‘he's sooo stinking cuteee…’
As soon as she couldn't see them anymore, she sat back down in her chair and glanced at the clock on the wall.
‘my shift can't end soon enough…’
After what had been way too long of a day, Tsunade finally made her way home.
She made her way down the forest path she took every day.
The setting sun’s light scattered throughout the trees, casting a speckled pattern of light that resembled the path of light through a prism.
The sight of this beautiful display of nature filled Tsunade with a new sense of energy, one that she would need to make sure she could keep up with her energetic boy.
As she made her way along the forest path, the house she had made into a home slowly came into view.
It wasn't a large or extravagant abode, but it wasn't a poorly made shack in the woods either.
It was a two story house, the outside was painted white and had a plain wooden door.
The front of the house had four windows, two for each floor. The bottom two allowed a peak into the living room, and the top windows showed the pair’s windows, the right being Naruto's, and the remaining window showing her own room.
Her sight was drawn behind her home.
Nine bushy orange tails swayed lazily in the air, the body they were attached to wasn't visible, but they were accompanied by two fluffy fox ears that peaked out from the side of the house.
It never stopped amazing her at the sheer size of the Fox that had connected itself to her boy. He easily dwarfed the house, and was the reason why the home was so deep in the woods.
Like it or not, the village doesn't exactly want to hear a giant Fox snore every night.
As she continued to approach the house, she could only imagine what her boy and his Fox were doing at this moment.
“What are you doing Kit?”
Kurama asked as he laid down across the expansive back yard, his colossal body sprawling across the grass.
There was an indent in the ground, a marker of where he laid the most.
He watched as his little kit ran around in front of him, the little boy holding a stick he had found in the yard, acting like it was a sword a ninja would use.
“I’m fighting away the ninja! They put you in a Genjutsu, so you can't see them!”
The Fox had to struggle to not smirk at his kit’s words.
“Is that so?”
“They must be powerful to trick me of all beings.”
Naruto nodded his little head as fast as he could, “They're very powerful!”
Kurama watched as the boy did his best to imitate a tactical roll he must have seen while sneaking around the training fields.
“How agile…”
“You're just like Matatabi, with those cat-like reflexes.”
The Fox said dryly, a smirk spreading across his maw.
Naruto stopped his actions to look up at Kurama, the curiosity obvious on the boy's face.
“Matatabi? Who's that?”
Kurama just shook his head, mostly at himself. ‘of course this kit wouldn't know…’
“Do you remember how your friend from Suna has my single tailed brother with him?”
Naruto nodded fervently, “Yeah! Gaara and…S…Shuu…shuuk…”
“Shukaku.”
“Yeah! Him!”
“I have eight other siblings.”
“Each with their own number of tails.”
“Matatabi is my sister. The Two Tails.”
Excitement and intrigue filled Naruto's eyes, he jumped up and down in place. “Really? What's she like? Can I meet her?”
“She's a cat.”
“A big blue fire cat.”
Kurama goes silent for a moment, his mind filling with memories from long ago.
“She's very…playful.”
“Playful!?” Naruto said with pure excitement, “I wanna play with her!”
“Maybe one day you will.”
“Maybe…”
Kurama’s ears suddenly perked up, his eyes flickering towards the house.
A feminine voice yelled out, “ I'm home!”
And as soon as the voice hit Naruto's ears, he rushed into the house, going through a sliding glass door as he ran faster than a boy his age should be able to.
He jumped up at her, the woman just barely able to catch him.
She stumbled back against the door, trying to steady herself after the force of Naruto jumping into her.
Her arms instinctively wrapped around him, one hand on his back, another in his hair.
“You always do this!” Her voice was a mix of frustration and a reluctant affection that always seeped its way in when she reprimanded him.
He looked up at her with wide innocent eyes that had just a hint of apology in them, his voice was quiet and meek.
“....sorry Tsunade…”
Her heart couldn't help but clench painfully at those words.
She leaned down and gave him a quick peck on the forehead. “ Aww…. it's alright honey…you just really need to listen to me from now on…ok?”
He nodded in response, before resting his head on her shoulder. The action effortlessly making the woman melt.
With her boy in her arms, she made her way to the kitchen.
She sat him down on the counter, leaving him there as she began to take out pots and pans from the nearby cabinets.
He watched her gather what she needed, his eyes never leaving her form.
He was filled with awe as she moved with a grace he had only ever seen from her, her hands moved quickly as she found the ingredients she needed, as she prepared the pots for the broth and noodles, he thought to himself.
‘she’s so different from Kurama…’
The Fox was always…bold, for lack of a better term.
And how couldn't he be? He was a giant, nine tailed beast, that talked loud, and intimidated anyone in a mile radius with a single stare.
But Tsunade…it wasn't that she wasn't bold…she absolutely could be. Sometimes she outshone even Kurama.
But she handled herself with such grace…it was almost like she was Kurama, refined.
‘maybe that's why they get along so well…’
Naruto's thoughts were cut off by a sudden feeling of weightlessness, before a warmth against his chest.
Tsunade's voice filled his ears, “ Come on…why don't you tell me about your day?”
She brought him over to a chair positioned near the sliding glass door, the view of the large backyard, and the massive beast they called family.
She sat down into the chair, plopping him down on her lap, positioning him so that they could look at each other.
“Well…what did you two do today?”
She watched as he looked up at her, excitement coloring his face as he got to speak.
“ First me and Kurama ran around the woods! We went to the river, the big rock and even the cave!”
“Oh? The cave?” A hint of worry creeps into her voice, “ Did you go into the cave?”
He nodded fervently.
“And…what did you find in the cave?” She asked hesitantly, almost wishing she hadn't asked.
“A bear! But it's ok! Kurama ate it!”
She froze.
“Honey.” Her voice dropped, “What do you mean….Kurama ate it?”
“There was a bear, and Kurama ate it! It was cool!”
She stilled again, just…. trying to comprehend what she heard.
A moment of tense silence.
“Kurama?”
She could have sworn she heard him stiffen.
His deep rumbling voice came out with an uncharacteristic stutter, a hint of something unfamiliar in his voice….fear?
“Tch…T…the Kit was in no danger.”
“The bear was…gone before the Kit even saw it.”
Even without seeing her face, he could feel those eyes on him…only this woman could chill him so easily…
“Why….in Kami’s name….were you anywhere near…a damn bear?”
The barely disguised fury in her words was capable of even shaking Kurama.
She was one bad answer away from a screaming match and he knew it.
“....the…the Kit enjoys exploring….”
“Besides…..that cave never had any bears in it before…”
“Is that so?...Well maybe you shouldn't be exploring caves if bears live in-”
Tsunade’s beginning rant suddenly stopped as the stove’s timer suddenly rang out.
She let out a sigh and gave Kurama one last withering stare, “ You are lucky…. we're discussing this later.”
She stood up, clutching Naruto to her chest as she brought him over to the kitchen table. Placing him down in a kiddie chair she had bought for him.
Naruto watched as she walked over to the stove, taking two bowls out of the cupboards and ladling ramen into them both.
She brought the bowls of ramen over to the table, setting one in front of her boy, and one in the seat next to him.
Out of her doctor’s jacket, she produced two pairs of chopsticks, seemingly having carried them all day.
“Here you go hon’...” She gave Naruto his pair of chopsticks.
Before she could break apart her own pair, Naruto was already scarfing down his bowl, slurping up noodles and various toppings she had thrown into his bowl.
She could only giggle to herself at his enthusiastic eating, ‘always so eager…’
She began to eat her own ramen, keeping an eye on her boy as she ate.
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Kurama watching them both, the Fox immediately averting his eyes as he was noticed. Seemingly embarrassed at being caught being so observant of his…. whatever this was.
She let out a loud snort, very amused at the sight of a flustered Kurama.
“It's not bad to keep an eye on us, you know!” She yelled out teasingly, causing the Fox to turn his head away.
She could hear him mumble to himself, saying something she couldn't quite make out.
“What was that!?”
He grumbled a bit more before finally speaking up
“....hungry…”
“...h…hungry!? You're hungry!? You ate a fucking bear!”
She heard a gasp right next to her, she turned to see a shocked Naruto with noodles halfway into his mouth.
“Lady Tsunade! You said we're not supposed to use words like those! And why does it matter if he ate the bear or not!? He's hungry! Why won't you feed him?”
“...he's got you there…”
She shot Kurama with a look that could have killed, but as she turned back to Naruto and saw the determined look on a boy so young, she knew she had to accept defeat.
“Fine! I'll feed you! But next time you eat a bear, you're not getting dinner….no matter how much you get him to plead for you.”
Tsunade got up from her chair, walking back towards the kitchen to bring Kurama his own bowl of ramen.
As she walked away, Naruto turned around in his chair to look at Kurama through the glass door. He whispered to the Fox, his large ears flicking towards the boy.
“I don't understand why she's being so mean to you…all you did was eat a bear…”
Kurama couldn't help but grin at his Kit's words, ‘...still so innocent..’
“She's just worried about you…”
“Even if you're safer with me than anyone else.”
Tsunade walked past the table, opened the door and placed down a rather large bowl of ramen on the porch.
She looked up at Kurama, the look in her eyes saying ‘go ahead, eat.’
Kurama stood up, approaching the porch, he leaned his head down and took the entire bowl into his mouth.
A moment passed, and he spat the now empty bowl onto the grass.
Tsunade lifted up an eyebrow, “Are you full now?”
Kurama laid back down, the tip of his snout only a few feet away from the porch.
“...yes…”
“It was good…”
“Isn't it always?” Naruto shouted out from the table, a smile on his young face.
A smile of her own crept across Tsunade's face, “Well at least you both like my cooking…”
…
“Well,” Tsunade spoke up, breaking the silence, “It's getting late,” She said as she turned towards her boy, “...and you need to get to bed.”
“Aww…do I have to Lady Tsunade?” She watched as he put on the biggest puppy dog eyes he could, resulting from a snort coming from Kurama.
“Don't argue with her…”
“...it is your bedtime, and she has the last say so.”
Naruto pouted, before reluctantly putting up his arms to be taken into her arms.
She picked him up, taking him up the stairs, and into her room. She glanced at the door of his own room, ‘...spent all that money for his own bed, and yet he just won't sleep in it…’
She laid him down on her large bed, tucking him into the covers. She bent down and kissed his forehead, before pulling back to look at his bright blue eyes, “ I'm gonna go get dressed for bed, ok?”
He nodded in response, he watched as she gathered pajamas from her drawers, and walked into the connected bathroom.
Before she even returned, he had already fallen asleep. The events of the day and the feeling of a full stomach being enough to pull him into rest.
As she entered the bathroom to change, she spotted a crimson eye peering through the window.
“Are you perving on me?” She said teasingly, “ Well I'm sorry to disappoint, but you're not getting a show tonight.”
Kurama grumbled, his pupil flicking away in embarrassment before looking back.
“....I was just checking up on the Kit…”
“Is he asleep?”
“He's about to be,” She took off her shirt as she shut the blinds, taking off her jeans afterwards.
“Why? Got something to tell me that you don't want him to hear?”
She put on her pajamas before reopening the blinds, looking at his eye once more.
“I just wanted to say…”
“You're doing better with him than I ever was…”
She stilled, and she could have sworn she was blushing slightly, something she wasn't used to.
“Wow…I wouldn't have ever expected to hear that from you…”
He bristled slightly at her words.
“Tch…don't get used to it..”
“.... thank you.”
It was his turn to freeze,
“...what?”
“Thank you….really...I…I try to do everything I can for him, why do you think I work so long hours?”
“I'm aware of why.”
“I…didn't expect thanks for stating a fact.”
“... you're good with him too, you know. Even if you do take him too bear infested caves.”
He let out a scoff,
“Of course I'm good with him…”
“He is my kit after all…”
“And he's my boy….our boy.
“Hmm…our boy..”
“That's not a bad name for him..”
…
“Good night, Kurama…and really, thank you.”
He simply nodded and then trotted away from the window.
She left the bathroom, walking towards her bed once again, seeing an already asleep Naruto passed out on the bed.
She couldn't help but smile, ‘so stinking cute…’
She slid into bed next to him, pulling him against her chest as she closed her eyes.
Despite needing her boy to eventually learn to sleep on his own…she would never get tired of holding him in her arms.
Her breath slowed as she felt his own heartbeat against her, one of her hands going up to play with his blond hair.
Sleep was quickly catching up with her.
And right before she let sleep claim her…
She realized that bowl was still outside.
The end.