Naruto: Dark Beginnings Original

Chapter 11

Chapter 10: Of Trails and Tribulations

Kitsune laughed as he helped the drunken Kurenai home. She and Anko went out drinking and somehow Kitsune and half the population of Konoha that were nins got dragged into the fun. It was amusing to see that Gai took everything as a challenge, and had struck up a competition with Kakashi about who could down the most Sake and still remain fully sober or 'have their flames of youth still burn fiercely' as Gai put it. Needless to say both ended up completely plastered and unable to remember who had won. When Gai asked Kakashi merely fixed Gai with a single eye and said, "Sorry, would your repeat the question...and since when did you become a master of the Bunshin no Jutsu?"

"I am never drinking that much, ever again," Kurenai groaned as they reached her house.

"Remind me why I'm bringing you home?" Kitsune grinned.

"Because you love me," Kurenai slurred, "Unlike Anko who is off flirting with god knows who..." Kurenai hiccupped, "You're my best friend you are..."

"Oh gods, we have reached that stage have we, a few more drinks and you might have hit the 'It's you and me against the world buddy' stage or maybe even 'My life is bleak and miserable' stage. You are going to hate the world tomorrow." Kitsune chuckled.

"I don't care," Kurenai slurred and reached into her pockets searching for her key, "I lost my key!"

"Kurenai-sensei...it's a blood seal, you cut your thumb..." Kitsune sighed inwardly; something must have been weighing heavy on Kurenai's mind for her to end up in such a state.

"Oh, right," Kurenai bit her thumb and pressed it on the seal, opening the door. "Well I should go inside, do you want some coffee?"

"Coffee...sure why not?" Kitsune nodded and followed Kurenai inside. In truth he wanted to make sure she was alright, seeing his sensei so...completely out of it was worrying. Her room was the generic room of those who realise that they have to sleep somewhere, but much prefer to be outdoors. There were a few indicators that she lived here, the kunai scattered on the table, the pictures of her as a Genin and Chuunin. In a frame on her fireplace was a picture with a golden frame, making it stand out from the others. In it was a picture of her team. She was stood smiling at the camera, one arm on Sakura's shoulder, the other one Hinata's. Sat between them, was Kitsune himself, who had an arm from both Sakura and Hinata resting on his shoulders. Although the camera didn't show it, Kitsune knew he was smiling on that picture, and not a fake one which he seemed to use so often nowadays.

'Well...this isn't suspicious.' Kyuubi chuckled, 'in the house of your 'hot sensei' while she is completely drunk. And you yourself are feeling tipsy so...'

Kitsune grinned as he activated one of the hidden functions on his seal.

'You're my besht friend...' Kyuubi slurred.

'Whoever decided to have an alcohol transfer on my seal was a genius,' Kitsune thought to himself. It allowed him to instantly sober, whilst the Kyuubi got hit by both the drunkenness and the hangover. Thanks to this ability, Kitsune was able to drink people under the table with ease, although he had to put up with Kyuubi's rants afterwards, which were far worse than a hangover.

"Here," Kurenai smiled as she handed Kitsune a cup of coffee and collapsed onto her coach with a cup in her hands. "Man...I wonder how Kakashi feels right now. He and Gai were having quite the contest."

"Probably trying for find keys for a blood seal, like another sensei I know," Naruto chuckled as he removed the mask.

"Ah, shut it," Kurenai laughed.