A Different Life

First Meeting

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. All rights go to the respected authors and tv companies. In no way am I profiting off of this. I'm simply writing for my own and others pure enjoyment.

Pain.

The world I lived in was filled with nothing but pain.

A child's cry striking sadness into an adult's heart, well what said is said usually. However, no matter how much pain I had endured the villagers weren't sad, no. They were filled with joy. I didn't get it. I never did.

I questioned myself why the villagers would accept this kind of brutality and turned a blind eye to it, every day. Watching me struggle, with obvious sadness and pain that I try to plead for their help. None was given.

I also questioned why they named me "monster" and "freak". Kicking me and scarring me for something I didn't do, or having any recollection of. No matter, how much pain was inflicted my wounds would automatically heal. It was a conundrum to me. Yet, I always felt that the villagers were hiding something important. The obvious signs of name calling of "monster" and "freak" and hushed whispers for whenever I casually walk through the village alerted a flag within me.

Even with the many red flags and questions I knew that they would never be answered. Cause, who would ever listen to a monster like me? I didn't have any influence. I was just a demon-child that was unwanted since birth. Yeah – the villagers said my parents died because of me.

I lived alone so it was nice place to be in when I was like this. I was currently lying still on the wooden floor. I could smell and taste the metallic liquid of my blood. I was attacked recently- the strange thing was the wounds weren't healing.

I didn't panic, though. I was happy in a weird sense. Knowing that all this pain would be over the minute that I gave up hope for a future that looked way too bright to be real. Coincidently, my life was not just my life.

From deep within my body I could always feel the presence of another. I always thought of it as my guardian from death. Death, such a powerful word. And, I had been the master of that word every day since. I wanted to die, to give into a death that would free myself from all the pain and hurt that had been inflicted onto me through the years of my youth. Death was supposed to be easy, so why was it so hard?

I am not letting you die like this, kid. If you die, I die and it is not my time.

I jerk my body in surprise. I could barely move it at this point. "Who are you?" I knew however it was my guardian I always knew was there. So I closed my eyes accepting the warmth.

The warmth I haven't felt for the whole span of my life.

Hours pass. Until the light of the day was drowned out by the night sky. Blue eyes blinked open: curiosity, bewilderment, and warmth. The feelings spread through him until he could only smile for once at it all.

Of course, he couldn't give up or die just yet. Concern soon overtook the smile as it faltered. He wondered who his guardian was. The deep a tuned voice that lifted his body up from the clutches of death.

Kid, don't you ever think of dying again. You must become stronger. Much stronger if you want to continue to live. The voice spoke from within his mind.

He sat up, getting his body into a sitting position. Once he was sitting he closed his pale blue eyes – concentrating on where the voice within came from; he saw a sewer-like room filled with water as the water filled and met with bars from a cage.

The farther he walked the dimmer the light became. Hot steam wafted through the center. He continued to walk further into the room. Noticing a seal that contained the presence within him. He didn't fear death. So it didn't take much to walk that final step until he was eye to eye with the creature.

"What are you?" he hears himself asking.

The red eyes of creature stares back menacingly. Trying it's best to frighten the boy, however he saw it wasn't working. I am the nine-tailed fox, I would think it would be rather simple.

"Oh, well how am I supposed to know that I had a huge- fox living inside of me?" The fox laughed a haunting laugh eyeing his container from top to bottom.

You are an interesting human. One that I would wish to know more about. This shocked him to the bone.

Here he was standing in-front of the creature who had destroyed his village. For some bizarre reason this creature, the nine-tails wanted to know about him. This was the first time in forever when he was presented with someone actually wanting to get to know him. It made him feel warm inside almost thinking that maybe life wouldn't be so bad from this point on.

"Can I ask you a question?" he asked determined.

You just did, Idiot. The nine tails return jokingly.

However, he ignored the response and asked a simple question, yet it was the most shocking question of all. Especially to a fox that hasn't known of companionship ever since the sage of the six paths created him.

"What's your name? Your real name?" The nine-tails heard him ask.

He couldn't believe this kid. Yet, he answered him. "Kurama." The nine tails uttered.

The boy jumped in cheerfulness.

Finally, he had a friend to talk to. Hopefully, Kurama could teach him a lot about the Shinobi world and how he could finally achieve his dream. To finally be acknowledged. To finally know what it meant to be cared for and loved.

He had returned to his reality shortly after finding out Kurama's name. He felt joyful if he couldn't really believe it. He glanced down to his body finally noticing that the wounds he had prior to meeting Kurama had now healed fully. The pain was gone, which was a nice addition.

He glanced up at the night sky through his window. Taking notice of how much time had went by. He started the academy the next day. Wanting to get a nice sleep before the big day he made up his bed and covered himself with the many blankets that made up his bed.

Finally, closing his eyes he dreamt a dreamless sleep. Although, a bit excited for the next day. Wondering what the day would bring him.