Kitsune let out a shuddering sigh, her knees drawn up to her chest. Recollections of yesterday danced in her mind - feral whispers had egged her on as Katan taunted her friend Biri. Her nails were long and sharp as fist connected with jaw, and even just murmurs from a foreign, purring voice filled her with energy.

She unfurled herself, and trotted towards her father's office. He knew the answer to everything. When she found him she hesitently went over. Just how was she going to bring this up? "Hey dad..."

Naruto looked up to find Kitsune with a troubled look on her face. It was adorable, but he liked her better when she was happy. "What is it? You okay?"

Kitsune bit her lower lip. "I don't know... Somthing weird happened yesterday..."

Naruto drew her close to him with a fatherly hand, and kissed her on the cheek. "It's okay hun, you can tell me anything." Though inwardly, he was cursing himself. Pyre was supposed to be around for this puberty stuff!

Kitsune nodded and took a deep breath. "Well..." she quickly told him what had happen when she punched Katan, and about the whispers and voices that were in her head at the time. She looked at her dad."....Is there somthing wrong me, dad...?"

Naruto was completely stiff, and he mechanically looked up at his daughter. He- he knew what is was... but he didn't see this coming. Did he explain now...? Or pin it on exhaustion... he wasn't even sure how to start. "Kitsune... When I was little, a newborn, the Kyuubi attacked our village." He looked straight at her, confidence building. He knew this story well. "A very great man, my father, though I never knew him, sealed the fox in me to keep everyone safe. The jutsu took his life, but it was successful. The demon's chakra and being was infused with me... And... I think... Since it became a part of me, you inherited some of him." He bit his lip, thinking. Was that possible?

Kitsune's eyes widen and she backed away slightly. "...Why didn't you tell me this before dad...?"

Naruto flinched at Kitsune's hurt look. "I didn't think it was necessary... I have it under control now, and I didn't want any of your generation thinking I was monster like mine did..." He sighed, and smiled apologetically. "Especially you."

Kitsune gave him a slightly annoyed look. "You should've known me better then to think that of you dad! I mean, I'm friends with people that others consider monsters or freaks after all!"

Naruto chuckled at her bluntness. "I guess you're right... ha, maybe being a monster's not such a bad thing. They're certainly awesome kids!" Kitsune nodded solemnly, glad that her father had at least told her the truth. But she wasn't happy he had kept it from her, and she still didn't feel like she understood what was going on with her body any more. "Key Kit, why don't you go do something? I can tell you're getting restless."

Right then, Airu came running in. "Hey daddy! Guess whats! I's turn the floor in the other room intos a ice rink!" He said excitedly, grinning huge.

Naruto smiled warmly at his younger son. "I'll bet you did! Did you slide around on the hardwood with your socks?"

"No I's really did turn the floor intos a ice rink!" Airu tugged on his father's arm. "Comes see!"

Kitsune rolled her eyes. "Riiiiiiight..."

Airu frowned at his older sister and stuck his tongue out. "I dids too! Comes look!!!" he whined, yanking on Naruto's arm.

Naruto laughed lightly, and humoured Airu. And then the floor slid out from under him and the back of his head connected with cold, hard, ice. "Seeee?!" Airu chirped proudly, and glided easily across the room like he'd been doing it his whole life.

Kitsune blinked in disbelief. "What the-- How did you do that!?" She attempted to stand on the ice-covered floor, only to slip and fall on her butt. "Ow!"

Airu shrugged. "I spilled water on the floor, and tried to use chakata to cleans it up! And it gots all icy..." he beamed.

"Airu, you can't clean water up with chakra..." Kitsune sighed, but was grinning ear to ear at the ice rink in her house, in the middle of summer. "This'll be so much fun!" She quickly blinked though, and turned toward her dad, who was still laying on the icy ground. "Um... you ok dad...?"

"I'm... fine..." Naruto's voice was choked, and he carefully sat up.

"Dad's crying!" Airu yelped in alarm, and slid over. "I's sorry!! I'll fix the ice!"

"No, the ice is wonderful," Naruto complimented, embarrassedly wiping tears budding in his eyes. "It's just... you already learned the beginning of a jutsu - not only that, your OWN jutsu." He hugged Airu tightly then pushed him away, smiling. "Alright kids, go play or something... And remember, you didn't see me crying."

"Um... okay dad..." Kitsune said.

"Okies dad!" Airu chripped, going torwards Kitsune room. "I's will make Kitsune's room icy!"

Kitsune blanched. "What!? Oh no, better not, you runt!" she yelled, running after her little brother.

"Hey, I'm home," Pyre called as she walked in. She stopped however, and raised an eyebrow at the icy living room floor. "...Ooookay, why is the floor an ice rink, Naruto...?"

Naruto smirked. "Our son has develped his own jutsu, thanks to me!"

Pyre rolled her eyes. "Actually, hun, ice jutsu comes from my side of the family." She patted his shoulder. "But I'll let you take the credit because... I want to congratulate my little Airu!!"

"AIRU! GET OUTTA MY ROOM, YOU RUNT!" Kitsune yelled angrily.

Airu ran out, barely avoiding a shoe that was thrown by his older sister. "Haha! Yous missed!" he laughed, only to dodge another shoe.

Kitsune growled at her younger brother, but retreated back to her room to let him have his moment of glory, Pyre scooping him up proudly.

"Mommy!" Airu said happily hugging his mom. "Dids you see what I dids to the floor!?"

"That I did!" Pyre laughed, ruffling her son's hair, glancing down at the iced-over flooring of the living room. "Think you can teach mommy to skate later? Daddy and I have some business to attend to with the other grown-ups."

"Okies Mommy!" Airu jumped onto the icy floor, slid away to go play.

Pyre slid over to Naruto, still laying dazed on the mini ice rink. "Oi, the council has called for a little meeting on what happened yesterday with Kitsune after the witness senseis handed in their training reports. Bring Kitsune to the conference room, I'll meet you there?"

Naruto nodded slowly, his mind catching up on several things at once. Pyre gathered a few things and left out the door to help organize the people who would be at the meeting.

Kitsune meanwhile crept her door open, and had listen in on the part about her having to see the council. "... Am I in trouble...?" She asked, opening her door all the way.

Naruto sighed loudly, this was all just more work. "I don't think so... Punching Katan might be an offense but they wouldn't have a council meeting like this. Let's just go and see what happens, okay?" He patted her head for emphasis and added, "I don't think you're in any sort of trouble." 'Directly, anyways...'

Kitsune nodded. "Ok..." But if she wasn't in trouble, then why would the council want to see her then...?



"Quiet!" a shrivelled old woman barked. "Quiet everyone!"

The circular table held several official looking people, the Genin senseis, Naruto, Pyre, Kitsune, Hari, Shika, and Gaara. Kitsune shot a questioning glance at Hari, but neither seemed to know what was going on.

"This meeting has been called to discuss what shall be done with Sabaku no Hari and Uzumaki Kitsune," Naruto announced formally, then cleared his throat, his eyes gaining their business-like edge. "Most adults of our village know I had Kyuubi sealed in me at birth, and the other day Kitsune showed some signs of also possessing some form of Kyuubi's power."

Kitsune let out a small meep when she saw everyone stare at her, causing her to sink down in her seat. She was starting to wish she was invisible.

"What's happened suggests that the Kyuubi actually became a part of me physically, and certain traits, genes even, might have been passed down to my daughter." Naruto took a breath and smiled to himself. That was a lot of information, and he hadn't messed it up yet.

Several people gasped quietly - but Naruto ignored it and carried on. "If this is true, Kitsune will now carry Kyuubi in her genes, or as an additional trait. Which might also mean that Hari, child of Shukaku's vessel, may also be in the same situation."

Everyone glanced at the mentally-cowering redhead. "Although Hari was conceived after Shukaku was removed, Gaara may have retained some of his traits and passed them on, as it seems I did. Hari, would you mind trying to demonstrate any abilities of Shukaku? Can you hear him or feel any of his power?"

Hari bit her lip, now pressured to do something in front of an audience, wonderful... "I can't hear him, Hokage-sama, and I've never been able to manipulate sand at all," she explained meekly.

"But she inherited Gaara's black-lined eyes, which were part of Shukaku's sleep deprivation, as did Kitsune with the whiskers!" a man pointed out. "And she has raccoon ears and tail, Shukaku was a raccon-dog."

"The raccoon ears are a result of Beast Chakra," Shika interrupted.

"But it still shows in the form of a raccoon..."

"Back to the point," Naruto growled. "These children show signs of inheriting demonic traits, though Kyuubi remains in me, and Shukaku remains with the remnants of Akatsuki's old hideout. Such children may be targets if word got out, I was thinking of postponing the Chuunin exams until we knew how to deal with this..."

Kitsune fought back the urge to yell out in protest. She was looking forward to exams, and now her dad wanted to postpone it! And it was all because of what happen yesterday...

"What about the youngest, Airu?" A women asked. "Dose he show any signs of inheriting any of these demonic traits?"

Naruto smiled to himself once more. "He's already inherited some of Pyre's Ice jutsu, which..." he paled. "Which come from Shiva, the ice demon in Pyre. Where Kitsune shows signs of Kyuubi, Airu shows signs of Shiva." He sighed. This was getting complicated. "I think the exams will be fine as long as we keep this quiet.."

"What!?" Kitsune blanched. "Mom has a demon in her too!? Geez anything else you're hiding from me?"

Naruto winced, and Pyre held her stone face, perhaps a defense against the pain the comment caused her. "We'll talk about that later," Naruto murmured.

"Augh! Why I am I even here when no one is even going to tell me anything!?" Kitsune yelled, finally having enough. "I ended up finding out the hard way I have traits from some crazy fox demon,and now I find out my little brother got some ice demon traits in him! Then when I do ask something, I'm not getting a straight answer! Why is that!?" She wasn't meaning to be rude, or disrespectful to anyone. She was just frustrated with all the things her own parents had hid from her, and how she wasn't even getting any answers from them.

"Kitsune, now is not the time," Naruto cut in sharply, but have her a soft glance. "I believe precautions should be taken to protect these children, as well as the others taking the chuunin exams, starting from the second part." He turned to Tayuya, who had silently entered the door after the meeting started. "Can you and your choice of others look over the children when you proctor the second phase?"

Kitsune sighed, and sank deeper in her seat, folding her arms across her chest. "Whatever..." she muttered.

Tayuya's eyes glinted. "Are you implying people are going to attack? That enemy ninjas will be invading?" She slunk fully into view. "And that I get to kill them?"

Pyre chuckled under her breath. "Yes, Tayuya, you have full permission to strangle them with their own entrails."

"You just made my day," Tayuya chirped, smiling angelically. "How many do I get to bring?"

"Five, including you."

Tayuya nodded thoughtfully. "I bring the animal, the ANBU demon freak, my lazy husband, and anyone else who will have me," she snickered.

As if on cue, Shikamaru woke up. He was asleep the whole meeting! "...So what we're talking about...?" he yawned.

Shika creased her brow and looked away in annoyance as she thwaked her brother on the head. "We were all having a vote on whether or not we should make sleeping through meetings punishable by torture."

"I vote yes on that one," Pyre smirked.

"Ow!" Shikamaru rubbed his head, glaring both at his sister and Pyre. "Alright alright, I get the hint... Troublesome women...

Shika snorted. "How very troublesome indeed... Because you certainly never cause any trouble." She trailed off the end of her sentence, grumbling to herself.

Kitsune let out a loud sigh, resting her head on the table. Not only was she frustrated, but now she was getting bored. And she still saw no point of her being here.

Pyre's eyes focused on the bored sigh she knew so well. "Kitsune, I think the meeting is over for you and Hari," she murmured.

'Finally!' Kitsune mentally scoffed, jumping out of her seat. "Come on Hari, lets get outta here..."

Hari nodded meekly, still shaken. Attention plus expectations plus startling news plus shyness did not equal a happy child. She pushed the door open, and heard a soft grunt as someone fell to the ground.

"Karen!?" Kitsune blanched. "What are you doing here?"

Karen rubbed her head where the door had hit it. "I was just waiting for you guys! Ouch.."

"On your knees with an ear to the door?" Hari raised an amused eyebrow, but was glad her friend had been worried.

Kitsune just sighed, still upset with everything. "So how much did you hear?"

Karen wrinkled her nose, trying to remember. "Nothing of importance I don't think... something about demons and genes and invaders?"

"Not important? Karen, let's just say my dad almost decided to postpone the Chuunin exams because of this." Kitsune said. "And what ticks me off, is that neither my mom or dad told me anything about their stupid demons, and I find out the hard way yesterday that I inherited some of it..." she explained holding back a frustrated growl.

Karen raised her eyebrows. "Sorry, sorry, didn't mean to make you mad." She stood up, dusted her knees as if she had been pushed into dirt, and put a firm hand on Kitsune's shoulder silently. "I think you need a distraction," she leered. "Like meeting the chuunin competition that just arrived from Suna?"

"Sorry, but I think I'll pass." Kitsune sighed, shrugging Karen's hand off. "I'm gonna head home." She said before heading off toward the direction of home, her pace turn turning into a run.

Hari sighed, running fingers through stray crimson bangs. "I think we should just let her alone," she murmured, and hooked arms to drag Karen away, who was itching to run right after Kitsune and comfort her.


Kitsune wrung the loose doorknob, her frustration building as it refused to open.

"Are you alright?" a husked voice inquired gently. A tanned form dropped in front of her, hanging upside-down from the eves.

Kitsune yelped in surprise, jumping back. "Are you trying to scare the living crap outta me!?" She growled. "And as for your question it's none of your business!"

The boy cocked his head, and dropped to his feet. Maroon hair swept over a Sand forehead protector which was angled to cover his right eye. Pale blue eyes blinked with sarcastic innocence, and his hand instinctively latched around a pendant hanging from his neck, which Kitsune didn't get a chance to see.

"It seems the damsel in distress wants to bite the prince's head off," he chuckled, but his expression sobered. "Sorry if I offended you. Do you need any help?" His free hand gestured at the stuck lock.

"Sure, whatever." Kitsune sighed. "And don't call me a damsel!"

The boy snickered lightly, and flipped the pendant behind his neck so Kitsune still didn't get a chance to see it. He made a one-handed sign, and his hand began to glow. Cerulean eyes focused, and he gently unfurled fingers. A dozen specks of light glided into the lock, and metal glowed with heat. The mechanisms melted in orderly fashion, as it seemed metal was able to do now, and the door clicked open. "Oh and, sorry I had to melt it." What looked like fiery glowflies retreated back into his hand and disappeared. "I'm Tousfarr, I'll be kicking your butt in the exams, if you make it," he promised, and winked. "Karasu! Hokage isn't here, let's go!"

Tousfarr nodded a goodbye to Kitsune and jumped off after what looked like a crow far in the sky.