When Forces Collide

Epilogue

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Orochimaru watched as one delicate hand caught his and the other covered his red-hears mouth. "Kurama-kun? What's wrong?" He asked as he looked from the portal.

"Home." Kurama said. "That was our home. Yusuke, Hiei!" The two others approached them and stared agape at the sight before them. They had the same reaction as Kurama had originally.

"Is that…?" Yusuke started.

"Home?" Hiei completed. Naruto and the others all made their way over to the others.

"What is this place?" Naruto asked.

"Your proof that we aren't from this world." Kurama said. "This is the city where Yusuke, Kazuma and myself originated from, it is called Tokyo." He looked at the two vials of blood in his hand. "Naruto, in another offshoot of this world, the place where Hiei originated, there is a way to clone as long as you have some of the required DNA. In the Makai, there is a city called Gandara, it was once a stronghold for one of my old friends, Yomi, who was once one of the three kings of that world. He created an artificial son named Shura."

"You knew this 'Yomi' well?" Orochimaru asked.

"Yes, he and myself were together for about one hundred years." Kurama replied, then he realised how it must have sounded. "We were thieves." He added quickly.

"That guy always gave me the creeps with how he looks at you." Yusuke looked away from the kitsune. "Yeah I know he's blind...but it's was worse when he's looking at Kurama. " Kurama gave a nervous laugh as Yusuke continued. "The guy acted like he wanted to eat everyone!" The kitsune chuckled, making Orochimaru raise an eyebrow.

"Explain, Kurama-kun."

"Most demons eat humans." Kurama said. "Many places in that world have a human 'farm'." He noticed Hiei give Yusuke a look that warned the young Toushin to shut up and sighed in relief. It was a pity that it didn't work on Orochimaru.

"So why would he want to eat Yusuke-kun? I thought that you said that he was half demon." Orochimaru said.

"Erm… I don't really know, maybe he doesn't care about the demon part and hears 'human' with out the half in front." Kurama said. "Who knows what he thinks."

"I think I'd like to meet him." Orochimaru said. "He sounds interesting."

"You really don't, Orochimaru-sama." Kurama said. "I don't think that you'd get on with him."

"We won't know until it happens, plus you need to ask him about Sasuke-kun, don't you?" Orochimaru asked with a smirk. Kurama sighed; he couldn't fault his lover's logic. "Now, I have a question for you."

"Orochimaru-sama?" Kurama asked as Orochimaru led him a short distance away from the others.

"Do you want to go back home?" The question took Kurama by surprise.

"I'm not going anywhere without you!" Came the reply.

"Kurama-kun, that is not what I asked, and you know that. Do you want to go back home?" Orochimaru repeated. He watched as Kurama looked away, still not answering the question. Orochimaru gently made Kurama look back at him, making eye contact. " Don't make me repeat myself." Kurama said something so quiet that not even Orochimaru could hear it. "Please speak louder."

"Yes." Kurama said. "Yes, I want to go home, are you satisfied?" Orochimaru's gaze softened, guessing how hard it had been for the kitsune to speak the truth. He released the chin, and Kurama looked away again.

Orochimaru smiled slightly as he pressed against Kurama. "As if I COULD leave you, or would PERMIT you to leave me." He said as he licked the kitsune's neck, feeling him tense as the words sank in.

"Then why did you…?" Kurama started as he felt lips trace the tongue's path. "You knew before you asked, didn't you?"

"I suspected as much." Orochimaru said. "I needed to confirm my thoughts though." He turned Kurama in his arms to hug the kitsune, feeling Kurama's arms tighten around him in reply. "I need you too much to lose you, and I know that you'd never complain if you stayed here, even if you regretted it." Orochimaru kissed the kitsune's hair. "You are mine, never forget that." Only then did he hear quiet voices saying how sweet the scene was, before he cringed hearing 'springtime of youth'. He grit his teeth together before he heard Kurama speak.

"If you intend on being voyeuristic perverts then at least watch in silence." The kitsune said. Orochimaru pulled back. "What do you want to do, Orochimaru?" Kurama asked.

"I intend on following you if you choose to go now or in the future." Orochimaru said before he saw Kurama hesitantly reach up and untie his hatai ate, before looking at it, closing his eyes as though trying to divine the future. He then pocketed the hatai ate and took Orochimaru's hand. "Now?" Kurama nodded, not trusting himself to speak. "Very well." He allowed Kurama to lead him to the portal.

“Kurama do you think that this is the best idea?” Yusuke asked, getting a glare from the fox. “What I mean is that they don’t know what they’re getting themselves into. They’ll find it hard to adapt and the world is unforgiving.”

I am sure that they will survive.” Kurama said impatiently. “We survived here and ninjas are supposed to be adaptable. When they get clothing from our world and are properly ‘briefed’ then they’ll survive just fine.”

“Fox, are you really thinking clearly. That place is like a death trap!” Hiei shouted. “Do you want them to die?”

“They won’t.” Kurama replied confidently. “I know exactly where this leads, and it is only a short distance to my home, and also to Keiko’s and Yusuke’s.” He then grinned widely. “Not to mention the Yukimura’s ramen shop will love Naruto!”

“Ramen, let‘s go!!” Naruto shouted before quietening down. “I mean we have to go there anyway, don’t we? I mean to get Sasuke back we have to go there, so why wait any longer?” Kurama grabbed his collar before he dived through the portal.

“Calm down.” He said with a smile. “We need to see who else is going to come. There is no point in us going through.” One by one everyone made their own decision to go or to stay.