The Legend of the Kyubi

After leaving a disgusted Kiba and a happy Tsume, Kurama was heading home, but as he passed the Commercial Area, he felt a familiar presence following him in silence, and to the surprise of many, this time it was not the Hyuga sisters.     

Kurama quickly walked to a deserted area and waited for his tracker to show up.     

"I guess I was right... you discovered me almost immediately..." - said the boy as he walked from his hiding place - "I thank you for not attacking me"     

"You don't have to thank me" - denied Kurama - "Although I am curious... why are you following me, Kankuro?"     

Indeed, the boy in front of Kurama was not another Kankuro, Temari's younger brother.     

"Could we talk about it somewhere more private?" - asked the boy from Suna - "This is serious and I don't want anyone to find out that I am talking to you, especially Baki sensei"     

Kurama frowned when he heard this but nodded when he felt the boy had no bad intentions - "Ok... follow me"     

That said, the two boys disappeared from the scene.     

* * * * *     

"I think this is a good place," said Kurama seriously. "I am surprised that no shinobi from Konoha could detect you"     

"That's because I used a Puppet to camouflage myself... not only did it block my chakra signal so that the sensor Ninjas couldn't detect me, but it looked like another one of the Hotel's inhabitants" - answered Kankuro calmly - "But I think we should leave this conversation here because what I came to tell you, is something of the utmost importance..."     

"Ok..." - Kurama quickly put a seal of silence around it so that no sound would come out, and then put an illusory seal so that no one would see them - "You may begin"     

"Ok... but first of all, I want to ask you two questions" - said Kankuro seriously.     

"Speak" - the redheaded man nodded.     

"Are you Sekkusu Kami-sama?" - Kankuro asked in surprise.     

". . ." - Kurama's eyebrow trembled slightly as he nodded.     

"Ok... I want to ask you for some advice when we are done with this." Kankuro nodded. "Now, the question that matters to me... What do you think of my sister?"     

"Temari-san?" - Kurama raised an eyebrow in surprise when he heard the boy's question.     

"Yes," Kankuro nodded as he gave him a serious look.     

"Hmm... I'll be honest... it wasn't the best 'date' I've ever had..."- replied the redhead - "It was because of her that all of Konoha discovered that I am Sekkusu Kami-sama and now I can't even go shopping without a mob chasing me to evangelize them, although I have to admit that it was fun to escape with her"     

"That's not what I meant, but I can understand that you are trying to express" - sighed the boy from Suna as he shook his head - "Well, I think it's time we started with the serious issues"     

Kurama's expression also got serious when he heard this because he could feel how the boy in front of him was struggling to speak or not.     

"First of all... I want to confess that Suna... is about to join Oto for an invasion..." - said Kankuro as he clenched his teeth. He wasn't happy about saying this but it was the only way to save his village.     

Kurama only opened his eyes in surprise. He had deduced this but to hear it directly from Kankuro, it was something completely different as it proved his hypothesis - "I am surprised that you would say something like this to me, especially since it makes you a traitor"     

"I know... but if it is for the stability of Suna... I do not regret becoming one," said Kankuro with a look of conviction.     

Kurama had to admit that he respected the boy for having heard how he had made such a risky decision to protect the village he loved so much.     

"It is admirable that you are willing to do so much for your village... but that does not change the fact that you should not be talking to me, but to the Hokage," Kurama said seriously.     

"I would... if I didn't know that Hiruzen-sama would arrest me so that the IT would get all the information that is in my head" - answered Kankuro seriously - "After I have no more value, they may kill me..."     

Kurama nodded at this, after all, he would do the same if he were in Hiruzen's place.     

"I am talking about this with you because one, you are an ambassador so Konoha has no legal power over you, that is why if you give me your protection, they will not be able to do anything to me" - continued the boy from Suna - "Two, if you come with me to talk to Hiruzen-sama, I will be able to negotiate some conditions"     

"That makes sense... although it doesn't explain why I should help you" - said Kurama seriously - "I can very easily, knock you out and give you to Konoha"     

"I know... but that wouldn't do you any good" - said Kankuro seriously - "Because if you do that, Suna will only become even more violent when they find out that you kidnapped not only one of the participants of the Chunin Examinations, but also one of the sons of an allied leader"     

"It does not matter if Konoha reveals that Suna is trying to support an invasion because the other villages will not care," the puppet boy continued. "After all, the other villages will only care about the fact that Konoha captured one of their test participants. Now I just wonder if the other 3 big shinobi villages will want to send their shinobis to a village that captured an 'innocent boy'..."     

A big smile appeared on Kurama's face. He had to admit that Kankuro had a good brain behind all that make-up - "Not bad... ok, you convinced me... I'll help you"     

"Thank you" - sighed the boy from Suna. Despite all he had said, he was still afraid that the redheaded man in front of him would ignore everything and give him to Konoha, but at least now he could get a break.     

"Don't thank me because I haven't done anything yet," replied the young Uzumaki. "Not to mention that you haven't settled with Sarutobi yet, though I can't help you there"     

"I know... but for you to accept, it's already a weight off my shoulders," sighed the boy as he shook his head.     

"I feel you want to ask me for something more..." - said Kurama as he squinted at the discomfort of the boy in front of him.     

"Although this is something more personal," said Kankuro as he scratched his cheek, "this is about my sister"     

"What about Temari-san?" - Kurama asked in surprise.     

"I'll be honest with you, she's not very well... - sighed the boy from Suna as he shook his head - "Temari will kill me if she finds out I told you this but it is necessary... she likes you"     

"Really?" - Kurama could not hide his surprise and confusion. He had felt the girl's interest during his 'date and run', but only that, interest, and this were normal because the two had only met 3 times, 4 if you count the time they were in the first exam room, that's why he was confused.     

"I am also surprised by this" - said Kankuro - "She had never shown so much attention and concern towards someone... I guess it is because the only people who approached her, were idiots who went towards her for her identity and not for her person, although I cannot assure you because I am not her".     

". . ." - Kurama was only silent as he shook his head. This did not change anything, after all, he was not in any kind of relationship with the girl and although he considered her beautiful, it was just that, finding her beautiful. He simply had an aesthetic interest in the girl.     

"Anyway, what I wanted to say was that I wanted to ask you to help me with Temari" - said Kankuro - "Tomorrow I'm going to try to get her out of the hotel and I want you to protect her until the mission is over... and in case something happens to me..."     

"Don't say something like that" - the redheaded man snorted as he interrupted him - "Don't you know that those kinds of flags are lethal? Didn't your parents ever teach you to say things like... 'What could go wrong'?"     

Kankuro didn't know how to respond to the outburst of the boy in front of him - "I'm sorry?"     

"You should be" - snorted Kurama - "I just saved your life without you noticing"     

". . ." - Kankuro just kept silent as he shook his head while thinking maybe that was some kind of Uzumaki ritual to ward off bad luck - "As I was saying, I want you to protect Temari until this shit is over"     

"I don't have a problem with that... just don't say you want me to take care of her if something happens to you" - answered the redhead.     

"You already made it clear that I didn't have to say it" - said Kankuro with annoyance - "Anyway, tomorrow I will come with her and we will meet in this very place"     

"Time?" - Kurama asked as he looked at the boy.     

"2 PM" - replied the boy from Suna - "I think that would be all for now... I'd better get back before Baki sensei starts wondering where I've been"     

"Okay, good luck," the redheaded man nodded as he watched Kankuro disappear from the scene.