Friendly Neighborhood Ninetails Chapter 7 Preview

"Did they put you on full-time fox-duty, Kakashi-sensai?" Naruto asked, glancing to the one eyed jonin sitting beneath a tree nearby.

"Oh, just for now. But I call it Fluffy-duty," Kakashi answered with an eye smile. "I see you slept well."

"Small miracles, I suppose. What about you, Gaara?" Naruto asked to the sand ninja sitting cross legged on a cloud of sand.

"I rested well enough," Gaara answered calmly. Naruto, are you alright?"

Naruto stared at the seemingly monotoned, stoic Ichibi Jinchuriki and almost smiled at how obvious the concern was. He had changed a lot since the Chunin Exam. "Better than your bunkmate, I imagine," Naruto answered casually, ignoring how Kakashi, Gaara, and several anbu tensed up at the mention of the other bijuu. "He keeping you up at night still?" Naruto asked with a head tilt.

Gaara didn't answered for a moment, feeling Shukaku stirring with interest and caution. "Yes, he does," he answered honestly.

Naruto shook his head with a sigh at that. "Look, I'm sorry about his brother, or whatever they were, but he really needs to give you some peace and quiet."

Kakashi frowned in worry at the conversation. 'Is he threatening the Ichibi?"

"He says he will...think about it," Gaara relayed.

Naruto hummed absently. "I never got around to saying it earlier, Gaara but thanks for helping with the rescue mission. That goes for your brother and sister too. Yes, that means you, makeup-boy!"  Naruto called out, smirking in the general direction of where the sand siblings were in the village, seeing them jump away from the windows. "First upside to being a Megaton Fox: It can be fun knowing where everyone is."

"Do you enjoy scarying people, Naruto?" Gaara asked curiously as he tilted his head.

"More like surprising them," Naruto answered, scratching his head. "But seriously, thanks. If not for you guys, I would have lost some friends."

"While our recent history may cast doubt on it, our villages are allies," Gaara remarked calmly.

"So its just a coinidence that you three, of all Sand Ninja, showed up?" Naruto countered with an amused, knowing smile.

"I never said that," Gaara retorted with a hint of movement at his lips.

"Is that a smile?" Naruto asked cheekily, enjoying the exchange despite the size difference.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, and you have no proof to the contrary," Gaara stated factually.

"Ha! Well, I'm just glad you patched up things with Bushy Brow. By the way, how'd he do in the fight? He only recently got himself fixed up by Granny Tsunade," Naruto questioned curiously, turning to the village in annoyance. "Lee, shut up! You and me are alike enough for me to know you wouldn't admit you weren't getting better even if you weren't!"

Gaara raised an eyebrow at the exchange but continuted on without question. "He performed adequently under the circumstances. His power is not as great as during our battle, but more than enough to deal with lesser foes."

"I'm just going to take that all as good news on his part. Though, could you have imaged Lee opening a gate or two? That bone forest probably wouldn't be there," Naruto joked with a chuckle before blinking, looking to an observing Kakashi. "Sensai? Did you tell Granny about the Bone Forest? Cause she's wondering what the hell we're talking about."

"Hmm? I assumed Lee would, seeing as that was his battle?" Kakashi answered in confusion himself.

"Hey, Granny!? Did you ever call the others into report while I was asleep?" Naruto called out, his long ears quirked in question.

Kakashi sweetdropped at the audiable boom and far off cursing. "I'll take that as a no," the jonin mused to himself. "So, Naruto? Any issues? Because if you need to take a leak or anything, we'd appreciate you moving a few miles down wind," Kakashi advised with an eye smile.

"Haha, very funny, Sensai," Naruto retorted with an eyeroll.

"I was completely serious," Kakashi stated flatly.

Naruto stiffened and almost looked embarrassed. "Well, those issues haven't come up yet. I'm also not...technically hungry," Naruto admitted reluctantly.

"How can someone be technically hungry?" Gaara asked with a creased brow.

"Look, I don't need food or anything, but I'll probably go insane without Bijuu-sized ramen eventually," Naruto answered with a grumble.

Gaara quirked his head as he stared at Naruto for a long, long time. "Naruto, is there a reason you can't just use a transformation jutsu?"