Naruto awoke in a sewer, the foul-smelling waste floating around him. He scowled at seeing the waste. "Geez, now this is just too far.." He muttered, frowning at the fact that it went to his chest, as he was short, only being of age 4. He then noticed a sort of red glow in the distance. He swam towards it, hoping that it was just the sunlight or the paper lanterns he had seen from earlier. At arriving closer to the object, he noticed there was something in front of the red glow, which had become two red glows. In front of the glow, were bars, like a jail cell. Naruto shivered, looking at the red glow came closer to the cell. Eventually, there were two red eyes staring at him. 'This is scary..' Naruto thought, soon wishing he could get out of the sewer water, wanting some sort of platform to appear, in which one did. He swam over to it, and crawled on top of it, wiping the foul waste off of his clothes. He looked at the red eyes. "What are you?" He asked aloud, but was talking to himself: or so he thought.

The red eyes moved closer, and a muzzle could be seen. "My jailer has visited in his time of need, eh?"

Naruto stumbled backward at the mighty and deep voice emitting from behind the cage. He squinted his eyes a bit, a giddy smile appearing on his face. "I can't believe it, it's a puppy!" He exclaimed.

The 'puppy' gave a low growl. "I am the almighty Ninetails fox! Not a puppy." He retorted with a snarl. Naruto tilted his head, taking a closer look. "A fox? Aren't you rather large for a fox?" Naruto asked, astounded by the fox, who was 50 times larger in comparison. "I am the Kyuubi, you brat!"

Naruto tilted his head a bit more. "Kyuubi? That's just another name for ninetails. What's your real name?"

The fox was silent for a moment, before laying down. "You've got guts brat. I'm Kurama." He snarled. "Not like it'll matter if you know my name or not. Today you'll die!" He exclaimed, reaching a claw through the bars, swiping at Naruto.

Naruto didn't budge as the claw headed towards him. "Are you wanted?"

Kurama stopped mid-swing. "What? Are you an idiot?"

"So you're not wanted? That means we're alike! " he exclaimed, a small smile forming.

Kurama growled. "Did you not hear what I just said?!"

Naruto reached up his small hand, touching the claw. "Yknow what? Let's be friends. I'm Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki. I'll become Hokage one day, that way everyone in my village will have to respect me as the strongest ninja. "You've got it all wrong, brat. I'll kill you!" "Then why haven't you?"

Kurama hesitated to answer.

Naruto smiled some. "Let's be friends... then maybe one day, I can come after all the hatred in you. "

Kurama growled indifferently. "You'll wake soon you brat."

Naruto felt a sense of dread. This place... it as gross, dark, even scary. But this was nothing compared to what he experienced in the outside world. The abuse, the torture, the hatred. His smile faltered, and Kurama noticed. He snarled. "You have no right to feel sorry for yourself, kid. Everything you've ever been through is NOTHING. Friends, family, you've never needed any of that. You let people walk all over you... you let people see your fear. You should NEVER show anyone your weaknesses, your fear, your uncertainty. A smile is the best way to hide what is beneath, and to gain the upper hand on your opponents. If you are to learn ANYTHING from this, it is to never let anyone see your flaws. Not even me."

Naruto hesitated, fear creeping into his senses. He nodded, taking in the large, murderous fox before him. But he plastered on a smile, regulating his breathing as Kurama's claw pierced a small part of his chest as in reminder that he could kill him. "Thank you... for everything." Naruto woke up with a figure standing before him.