Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Key Through the Heart ❯ Hikari ( Chapter 3 )

llIVoice of Destiny/Inner Sakura

“Normal Talking”

Thoughts/Sound Effects

“Flashback dialogue/Japanese/Emphasis of words”

“Demon speak”

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Key Through the Heart

 

A fanfiction by Andrew J. Talon

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Kingdom Hearts, or any of the characters or properties mentioned in this story. The story's mine, the concept is mine, but everything else is not mine. And I'm certainly not writing this for profit.

 

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The Sandaime's tower had never seemed so… Intimidating before to Naruto, as he and Iruka walked towards the double doors, ANBU flanking them. Iruka held the forbidden scroll, while Naruto still held the Keyblade, leaning back on his shoulder. Though their faces were hidden by their trademark masks, Naruto could tell that they were staring at him. There was no killing intent (and growing up in a village where most of the inhabitants hated you tended to make you aware of that kind of thing), but definitely a general uneasiness in the air.

 

Maybe because a kid who didn't even pass the academy exams got past them all, Naruto thought, and smirked a bit before the double doors opened and he and his teacher walked inside.

 

The Third Hokage was behind his desk, fingers steepled before him. He surveyed both with an impassive expression. Iruka gingerly handed the scroll over, and the Hokage's face finally broke into a small smile.

 

“Mizuki tricked Naruto into stealing the scroll for him,” Iruka began, but the Hokage held up a hand for silence.

 

“I know most of the particulars of this night… So, I'll let you ask some questions now. Naruto?” Naruto grimaced, and rubbed the back of his head with his free hand nervously.

 

“Old Man… Why didn't you ever tell me I was the Kyuubi?” The Hokage chuckled a bit, causing Naruto to glare.

 

“Hey! This isn't funny, Old Man!”

 

“Naruto, I'm laughing because of how far this stupidity has run,” the Hokage sighed, shaking his head. “Naruto, you are not the Kyuubi, you merely contain it.” Naruto blinked, and turned to Iruka, who sighed.

 

“I know that you were told that the Fourth Hokage died twelve years ago killing the Kyuubi… I even taught that. But, the truth is that while the Fourth Hokage was indeed powerful, even he was not strong enough to kill the Nine Tails.” Sarutobi nodded.

 

“A demon like the Kyuubi cannot be truly killed, because it is simply not designed to die. So, the Yondaime instead created a sealing jutsu that would seal the Kyuubi's soul and power away, bound to a human soul.” Naruto gawked, and unconsciously ran his hand down his stomach.

 

“You mean… The seal that shows up whenever I mold chakra…?” Sarutobi nodded gravely, and smiled in a paternal way.

 

“In truth, it was probably the most brilliant invention the Fourth ever came up with. The Shiki Fujin is a prison, that contains the soul and chakra of the Fox and binds it to yours. When you die, the Kyuubi dies, and thus the threat is gone forever. However, you are only mildly influenced by it's presence.” Naruto rubbed his cheek.

 

“Like my whiskers?” Sarutobi nodded.

 

“And, I suspect, your stamina and fast healing. Have you noticed Naruto, that not once have you ever gotten sick? That injuries that take weeks to heal for others take only days for you? The Fourth intended that-He designed the seal to give you the most benefit of having the Kyuubi within you.” Naruto frowned.

 

“Except for the hatred of the villagers,” he muttered. Iruka frowned as well, and Sarutobi sighed.

 

“The Fourth had hoped that the village would see you as it's savior-You keep the Fox from rampaging, and the advantages it offers you give you great potential as a ninja. But, to them you are only a reminder of what the Kyuubi took from them, the terror, the death…” Naruto sighed, and looked at the Keyblade.

 

“And this thing?” Sarutobi smiled.

 

“The Keyblade… Of all who have attempted to use Moguru no Yuushuu, you are among the first to come out of the trance without becoming a demon.” Iruka gawked and Naruto blinked.

 

“A-A-A demon?!” Sarutobi smirked.

 

“For years we thought that Moguru no Yuushuu was a transformation jutsu, taking the soul out of the body and deliberately encasing it in the shell of a dark beast, so it was made forbidden. It is likely Mizuki was stealing the scroll for Orochimaru to get that jutsu.”

”Then why was it so easy for me to get?” Naruto asked. He blinked at the incredulous expression on the Hokage's face. “What? I know that the ANBU should have caught me. Hell, you caught me, and I was only able to escape because of Sexy no-“

 

“Ahem, yes, well,” Sarutobi coughed, hiding a mild blush. “It was mainly because I told the ANBU to let you into the tower whenever you needed to.” Naruto looked down at the ground, immensely disappointed.

 

“Oh…” The Hokage smiled slightly.

 

“But enough of that… Tell me what happened while you used the Moguru no Yuushuu.” Naruto nodded, and quickly summarized his experience, from the voice to the Shadow Kitsune. Iruka remained silent, eyes full of concern when Naruto related the Voice's warning.

 

“It told me… That this power… The Keyblade, could lead to great darkness… But I'm not sure how,” Naruto shrugged, looking the strange weapon over. “I mean, this thing doesn't look too dangerous…” The Hokage smirked.

 

“Naruto, would you mind handing me the Keyblade?” Naruto shrugged, and tossed it over to the old man, who caught it deftly. Not a second later, the key-shaped weapon vanished in a white flash of light, and returned in a similar flash to Naruto's hand. Iruka and Naruto gawked at this, while Sarutobi nodded, his thoughts seemingly confirmed.

 

“The Keyblade is bound to your soul, Naruto-Your heart, in essence. It has become, essentially, an extension of you, a part of your soul given physical form. Now, according to legend, long ago another Keybearer came to this world.” Naruto blinked.

 

“What do you mean, this world?” Iruka rubbed the bridge of his nose, assuming his lecturing position.

”The legend of the Keybearer, and the Keyblade, states that as a person has a heart, so too do worlds. And the Keyblade allows it's user to access anything. Any lock, any secret… And any heart. Though the Keyblade, you can open the connections between two hearts-Whether they are of people, or of worlds. So the legend states,” Iruka concluded, and Sarutobi nodded approvingly.

 

“Couldn't have put it better myself, Iruka. The Keybearer traveled the universe, unlocking the connections between worlds and spreading good to each he visited. He fought darkness, conquered it, and sealed the hearts of people and worlds against darkness that threatened to consume and destroy them.” The Sandaime sighed, and leaned back in his chair. Naruto's grip on the Keyblade tightened a little.

 

“But… The Keybearer himself was not immune to darkness. We are not sure how, or why, but when the Keybearer turned to evil, he began unlocking the hearts of worlds, filling the souls of those worlds with the darkness within him. They were consumed, and destroyed, all their inhabitants dying or worse, until finally he himself was destroyed, and the Keyblade masterless.” Sarutobi sighed deeply, and looked Naruto deeply in the eyes. The blond tried not to look away from the deadly seriousness in the Hokage's gaze.

 

“Naruto… The Keyblade is tied to your soul, and life force, and therefore your chakra. And, right now, the Kyuubi's demonic chakra is boosting your own, just as the seal was designed to do. But… In time, it's influence on your chakra may grow.”

 

“I thought the Kyuubi couldn't affect my soul though!” Naruto responded, nerves making his voice higher than usual. The Hokage sighed.

 

“Normally, yes, but the Keyblade is tied directly to your soul, and to your chakra. While using the Keyblade to focus your chakra may give you incredible abilities, it also allows the Kyuubi's demonic chakra to enter it. A little at a time, maybe more if you learn to deliberately harness it. But, while the Kyuubi's chakra is no doubt powerful, it is also tainted with its darkness.” Sarutobi pointed at the Keyblade, which Naruto now regarded with suspicious eyes.

 

“The Keyblade chose you as it's wielder because it found you suitable-You rejected the evil within you and committed yourself to light. But, the life of a shinobi can easily lead down a path of darkness. This is not a game-You must kill, or be killed in many instances, and such things can take their toll on a soul. And there is no doubt in my mind that the Kyuubi will try to use the Keyblade to influence you.” Naruto gritted his teeth.

 

“So… What do I do? I can't get rid of this thing, and if it's as powerful as those legends say it is…” The blond trailed off, uncharacteristically pensive. Iruka laid a comforting hand on Naruto, as Sarutobi smiled through the gloom.

 

“Naruto, the Keyblade chose you. For what, I am unsure, but there is no doubt that there is a purpose in it. A purpose it would not have given you if it did not think you could accomplish it. So, believe in yourself, as I do. Iruka-sensei does, Old Man Ichiraku and Ayame-chan also. As you grow, and show people your true soul, more will believe in you, more will open their hearts to you. It is my precious people who remind me, everyday, of why I continue to be Hokage, but more importantly, to believe in myself.” Naruto nodded slowly, looking much calmer. Iruka smiled, and the blond managed a small, but genuine one back.

 

“Thanks, Old Man…” Sarutobi nodded.

 

“Um, Hokage-sama,” Iruka began. “The Keyblade itself…” The Sandaime frowned thoughtfully.

 

“Hm, yes… Telling people you wield a legendary weapon like that will probably not go over well… So instead, Naruto, tell those who ask about it that it is a family heirloom. A weapon fashioned after the legendary Keyblade.” The Sandaime smiled. “One you should definitely put in a lot of effort to master.” Naruto blinked.

 

“Huh?” Iruka shook his head.

 

“Naruto, the more you know about how to use it and what it can do, the better a weapon it will become. And, the more control you will have over it.” Naruto nodded, his mouth forming a silent “oh” in understanding.

 

“Allright… I'll train non-stop! I mean, now that I can do Kage Bunshin, I'll have lots of practice partners! Believe it!” Naruto grinned… Before adopting a more serious look.

 

“Um, Old Man, about the family heirloom thing… Wouldn't it be more convincing if I knew who my family was?” Sarutobi sighed, looking rather tired.

 

“I'm sorry, Naruto, but I can't tell you that. Not until you are sixteen, at least. Which, coincidentally, would have been the age I would have told you about the Kyuubi.” Naruto sighed, and shrugged, smiling a bit.

 

“Yeah… Okay… Um, I've been up all night, so can I go sleep?” The Sandaime and Iruka sweatdropped, but the former managed to recover and nodded with a smile. Naruto turned to Iruka and grinned.

 

“See you in a week, Iruka-sensei! Just you wait-I'll be the best ninja there!” Iruka laughed.

 

“Allright Naruto. I look forward to it! Just please, try to be on time…” Naruto pouted.

 

“I will! Sheesh, I'm only late to the boring stuff.” Iruka's eyebrow twitched.

 

“Boring stuff?!” Naruto smirked and stuck his tongue out, before leaping out the window, Keyblade leaning against his shoulder.

 

“See ya later, Old Man! Iruka-sensei!” Iruka scowled after him into the early morning… Before shaking his head, turning back to the Hokage. The old man looked solemn, contemplating his desk.

 

“Hokage-sama… Are you sure you can't tell him about his family?”

 

“His father's orders were very explicit,” Sarutobi replied quietly. “And besides… With the Keyblade and Kyuubi, he'll be getting enough attention as it is. If his parentage was revealed…” Sarutobi's gaze went to the wall with four portraits hanging from it, and his eyes rested on the last one. Iruka's eyes found the Hokage's target, and they widened.

 

“You… You mean…?” Sarutobi smirked.

 

“Seems pretty obvious now, doesn't it?” Iruka gulped, and turned back to his hokage.

 

“Then… His mother…?” Sarutobi nodded.

 

“I know who she was… And he'd be in no better straits with her identity revealed either. Still Iruka, I think he's already discovered that family is more than blood…”

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

He was falling, air rushing by him at incredible speed, but his eyes were closed. He felt water envelope him, its cool embrace slowing his descent…

 

He opened his eyes. He blinked, looking around a forest clearing, butterflies flying about the long grass. A girl waved at him in the distance, long brown hair framing a cheerful, smiling face. Naruto felt himself smiling back, happiness at seeing this girl, familiarity rising within him…

 

Her expression changed to shock, one hand covering her mouth while the other pointed to his right and up. Naruto turned and gasped-A person was falling from the clouds, orange clothing and blond hair fluttering-

 

And then he was falling, looking down on Konoha. The field he had been standing in still visible, the girl alone now, watching. He looked directly down and saw a ceremonial pond in the courtyard of a huge complex, and he closed his eyes as he hit the water, sinking, flailing again…

 

He found his feet as the abyss around him stopped being water, just like in the Deep Dive. He found himself standing on a very similar platform, only decorated with the mural of a giant fox with ninetails, facing a giant toad wearing a hakama and smoking a pipe. A familiar-looking man stood on the toad's head, until a bright light issued, blanking out the platform. Naruto looked up as nine figures dressed in black robes and straw bucket hats surrounded him. The Keyblade appeared in his hand to block a sword strike from one, whose red eyes glared out from the shadow cast by the hat-

 

The figure fell back, transforming with the surroundings, darkness dissolving in the face of sunlight. A black-haired, black-eyed boy in blue stood in the surf of a beach, smirk on his face and hand extended towards Naruto. A massive wave closed in on them, and Naruto ran forward, hand also extended, trying to reach the boy-

 

The wave struck them both, and Naruto once again found himself under water. He looked back towards the boy who drifted away, hand still reaching for his, but try as Naruto could, he could not close the distance. Naruto fell back, and he was falling again…

 

He landed once more in the dark abyss, standing on a platform. He could only get a quick look at it (two women stood together-One with red hair, feral eyes and whiskers, glaring away from a woman with long brown hair and gentle hazel eyes smiling sadly) before a figure completely covered in a black coat and hood attacked, a large, black and red sword with curling blades meeting his own silver and yellow Keyblade. Naruto parried the attacker's blow, leaping up and front-flipping over the head of the stranger. Keyblade extended, he struck his assailant's head, land and twisting around to strike him in the back.

 

The assailant met Naruto's strike, and the blond gaped. Smirking back at him through a slashed hood, his own face confronted him, blood red eyes boring into his own. His red-eyed double shoved Naruto back with incredible force, sending him crashing through a platform that shattered like a stained-glass window. A though in slow motion, Naruto saw various images in the window separate, spinning with him in his flight. One of Iruka. Another of Sakura-chan. Another of the black-eyed boy.

 

A pale-eyed blonde. A brunette with pupil-less eyes. A red-haired boy with black rings around his green eyes…

 

All shattered before him from some invisible force and he was falling, vision darkening…

 

“BWAH!”

 

THUD!

 

“Ow…” Naruto mumbled against hard wood. With some difficulty, he pushed himself into a sitting position, leaning against his bed and rubbing his nose in irritation.

 

“Damnit…” The blond sighed, getting up to his feet and stretching.

 

“Stupid dream…”

 

His stomach growled, and the blond groaned, looking at the clock by his rickety bed.

 

“Damn! I'm going to miss lunch!” Naruto cursed, yanking off the pajamas he'd donned for his “morning nap” and running to the hamper in green boxers for his jumpsuit. Out of habit, he'd stuck it into the small container with the intention of washing it (as he did nearly every day-It was one of the few he had that weren't either too small for him to squeeze into or failing at the seams), and as he pulled it out he made a face at how bad it smelled.

 

“Shit, can't wash it in time for lunch! Oh man…” Naruto sighed and looked around the apartment… A good-sized package that was sitting on the table catching his eye. Naruto walked over and looked at the simple note attached.

 

“'Dear Naruto, sorry it took so long to get you some new clothes but the orphan's fund treasurer has been difficult. These should tide you over for a while. Sincerely, Old Man Hokage.”

 

Eagerly Naruto ripped off the tape holding the box shut, and yanked out an orange-and-blue short-sleeved jacket, a hood flopping against its back, where a red spiral had been knit in. Matching shorts and a brand new, blue weapon's pouch came next. Naruto saw that the box held at least two more pairs of jackets and shorts. He grinned, throwing on a black T-shirt and his new garments and heading out the door…

 

Before rushing back in with a curse. He'd forgotten the Keyblade! If he was going to do any training today, he didn't want to delay by having to rush back and-

 

A flash of light, and the weapon was sitting in his hand. Naruto blinked… Before grinning even wider than before.

 

“Awesome! I just wish my house keys were that easy to find,” he laughed, forsaking the door entirely and leaping out the window, jumping from roof to roof.

 

Ichiraku Ramen soon came into sight, and Naruto landed outside, pushing through the flaps and setting the Keyblade leaning against the counter as he took his seat.

 

“Old Man, the usual please!” Ichiraku smiled brightly at the sight of Naruto… Doing a double take from the cooking vats to gape at the forehead protector now sitting on Naruto's brow.

 

“Eh? Naruto, what are you doing with that?” Naruto grinned and adjusted the headband slightly.

 

“I passed the exam! There was this… Uh… Extra credit thing that I did!” Teuchi raised his eyebrow at the blond, while his daughter Ayame looked at Naruto, smiling but with eyes full of concern.

 

“Extra credit?” Naruto sighed.

 

“Um, well… I'm not sure Old Man Hokage would appreciate me blabbing everything… But trust me when I say I earned this,” the blond emphasized by tapping his protector twice. Ichiraku smiled, before laughing.

 

“Ah, Naruto! That's great news!” Ayame nodded, her bright smile instantly bringing a matching one to Naruto's face. Her gaze dropped, and she blinked at the Keyblade resting next to Naruto.

 

“Uh, Naruto, what about that? What's that thing?” Ayame asked. Teuchi eyed the weapon with a concerned look alongside his daughter. Naruto rubbed the back of his head.

 

“It's… A family heirloom. I inherited it… From my family,” Naruto explained, straight-faced. Ayame and her father sweatdropped. Teuchi sighed.

 

“This another one of those things the Hokage wouldn't want you blabbing about?” Naruto's nervous smile was all the answer he needed, and he shook his head with a smirk.

 

“Never a dull day with you, is it?” The old chef laughed, turning and heading into the back of the shop. Ayame stared for a few moments at the Keyblade, leading Naruto to wave his hand in front of her face.

 

“Ayame-ane? You okay?” The brown-haired woman shook her head free of her trance, and smiled politely at Naruto.

 

“Oh yes… Hang on, Dad'll need help with the rest of the ingredients…”

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

After a hearty lunch, Naruto had set out for a training field. Konoha was literally packed with them, ranging from simple fields with target posts for kunai throwing practice, to the vast Forest of Death.

 

Naruto just chose a nice, simple clearing with several dummies and posts set up. Looking around, he took a deep breath and held up the Keyblade, forming the ram seal over the handle.

 

“Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!” The Keyblade glowed blue slightly for a moment, before patches of smoke blew up all around Naruto. He coughed slightly, before the wind cleared it and revealed the fruits of his jutsu. The blond blinked.

 

“Holy shit,” he muttered, as the entire field seemed filled with Narutos, all with the Keyblade in hand. Naruto grinned, and leapt up to the top of a post.

 

“Allright, listen up everyone! You know what I want to do?”

 

“YEAH!” His numerous copies roared back. The original thrust his Keyblade into the air above his head.

 

“Then let's get going!” About two dozen shadow clones came forward to circle the post Naruto was standing on, while the rest set to sparring with eachother.

 

Naruto leapt off the post, a subconscious “nudge” directing him to dive while plunging his Keyblade into one clone. It's own Keyblade shot up and deflected Naruto's attack, sending the original spinning back and landing on his butt with a thud.

 

“OW! Hey!” The clone shrugged.

 

“What? I blocked!”

 

“Yeah… Okay, let's go! For real this time!” The clones charged, yelling battlecries which Naruto echoed. Deciding to ignore the subconscious cues for the moment, he slashed through a few, leap-flipping over a pair that had struck as one forward. He slashed them both from behind, a particularly violent “nudge” making him turn around. One of his clones threw it's Keyblade at Naruto, and the blond deflected it, charging forward. The counterfeit Keyblade poofed into non-existence like it's clone did on the end of the real thing. Naruto leapt up to avoid four of his doubles attacking from all sides, and spotting another that had leapt up to hit him in the air, he threw the Keyblade as hard as he could.

 

The weapon blew right through the clone, and continued on towards the edge of the field. At that moment, a blue-haired girl in a gray coat was moving between trees. Her pale eyes caught sight of the incoming projectile and widened. Naruto cursed.

 

“Damnit! LOOK OUT OR-!” The Keyblade vanished in a flash of light, a meter from the cringing girl, and reappeared back in Naruto's hand. The blond blinked, landing almost numbly. Around him, his clones continued battling, though a few stopped to stare at the red-faced girl. Naruto leapt forward, easily covering the distance between them.

 

“Uh, you okay? I'm sorry, um…” What was this girl's name again? He'd seen her before… Hime… Hina… “Hinata?”

 

The blue-haired girl nodded, finger nervously tapping in front of her stomach. Her face was red and averted.

 

“Y-Y-Yes, N-Naruto-k-kun,” she responded quietly. Naruto rubbed his fingers against the palm of his empty hand, absently thinking he probably needed to get gloves-The Keyblade's hilt was rubbing his palms uncomfortably.

 

Naruto quickly refocused his thoughts to the girl before him, still nervously finger-tapping.

 

“Hinata, uh… Did you need something?” Hinata shook her head.

”Ah! N-N-No, N-Naruto. I j-just, um, ah…” Naruto frowned, then snapped his fingers.

 

“Oh! I'm sorry, were you going to train here?” Hinata looked up at Naruto's face, blushing even harder before looking away again.

 

“Ah-Um, n-no, N-N-Naruto-kun,” she squeaked. “I-I can uh… U-Use a-another-“

 

“Nah, it's okay!” Naruto said happily. “We can share the field, right? OI, GUYS! MAKE SOME ROOM!” The sea of Narutos instantly stopped fighting, before moving towards the far end of the field and resuming their battles. Hinata blinked at this, staring at Naruto in wonder.

 

“N-N-Naruto-kun? A-Are those, um, B-Bunshin?” Naruto grinned.

 

“No, Kage Bunshin. Cool huh?” Hinata nodded furiously, looking down again… Her eyes catching sight of the Keyblade.

 

“A… Ano… Naruto-kun?” Hinata got out. Naruto turned back from watching his clones and blinked at her.

 

“Yes, Hinata-chan?” Hinata squeaked and seemed to blush even harder, making Naruto frown.

 

“Hinata-chan? You okay?” Hinata nodded, taking deep breaths.

 

“Y-Yes, N-N-Naruto-kun, but uh…” Hinata looked away a bit again.

 

“Y-Your w-weapon…?” The blond ninja raised up the Keyblade, smiling embarrassedly.

 

“Oh, yeah. Sorry about almost hitting you, I didn't see you…”

 

“N-N-No, N-Naruto-kun! It-its okay, I just…” Hinata managed to steer her eyes to the weapon, glistening in the sunlight.

“I-I've n-never seen an-anything like it… Wh-what is it, N-N-Naruto-kun?” She asked, a hint of wonder in her soft voice. Naruto closed his eyes thoughtfully, before responding.

“Um… Guess you could call it a family heirloom, heh…” Naruto swung it around a few times.

“It's called the-Um, I mean… A Keyblade,” Naruto explained. Hinata smiled shyly.

“I-It l-looks v-v-very, um… Im-Impressive,” she stuttered. Naruto nodded with a smile.

“Thanks!”

“Y-Y-You're w-w-welcome,” Hinata returned. They stood in silence for a few moments.

 

“Hey, Hinata-chan? Um, I kind of need to get back to training…” Hinata nodded, fingers tapping.

“R-R-Right, N-Naruto-kun…”

“Hey, if you don't have anyone else, you could train with me?” Hinata blinked, nervously shaking her head.

“W-W-What? I-I mean, um, I'm n-not very g-good and-“

“Well, that's why you train, right?” Naruto laughed, taking her by the hand and pulling her towards his clones. “I'm sure we can-“

Naruto abruptly noticed that it was getting harder to pull Hinata. Naruto turned around and gawked at a passed out Hinata lying on the ground.

“Hinata-chan?! Hinata-chan! Speak to me!”

In his rush to check her pulse, he didn't notice the dreamy smile on her face.

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Update 4/5/07: Due to my beta-reader, I've changed most of the Japanese dialogue in this fic to the English translation. From now on, only honorifics, jutsus, names, and a few catchphrases will be in Japanese.

Heh, looks like Hinata's the first to fall to Naruto's charms.

Yes, Naruto's new clothes are based on Sora's. No, they don't have any special powers-They're just clothes the Hokage had bought for him because he thought Naruto could use some cheering up after everything. And the reason I didn't describe them in the first chapter is because he was wearing his old jumpsuit. He alternates now so he doesn't have to do as much laundry.

Moguru no Yuushuu is roughly translated as “to dive into the deep contemplation.” I'm not fluent in Japanese, but I'm guessing my grammar here is pretty bad so I'd appreciate any readers who know some Japanese correcting me so I can edit the name later.

Okay, here's the drill: I'm trying to figure out a better name for this fic, as my beta reader has stated it sounds like the title of a romance novel. So, I leave it up to the reviewers to decide whether or not they want the title to stay the same, or change, and to what. Let your voices be heard!

… That was pretty cheesy huh?

Anyway, time to answer some reviewers from last chapter! Read these to get a better idea of my thoughts regarding the overall fic:

Khellen Rafe: Upon further consideration, I've decided the story is probably better off with Sora and co. not existing at all. It just mucks things up more than they have to be. My beta-reader also pointed out that even with the Moguru no Yuushuu, Naruto would have to be close to a Princess of Heart in order to be considered as a Keybearer. Ergo, I'm working out who that would be. The dream in this chapter (which should be read while listening to the opening version of “Simple and Clean”) hints at a few things, but not necessarily to the identity of the Princess. I have a few candidates in mind, but feel free to make suggestions on it.

Rubel: Thanks for the compliments! Now, onto the questions: As I said before, I've decided to take Sora and co. entirely out of the story (though they may make some uncredited cameos). This is an alternate universe, people. There will be more than one Keybearer, but as to who they might be I leave it up to you guys to speculate, as I'm not spoiling anything (Sasuke's appearance in the dream not-withstanding-I just put him in there because no one else fit the part). On Drive Forms: There probably won't be anything like that until the sequel to this fic (if I think it's worth it to write it when I'm done with this one). As for the villagers: Eventually they'll find out about the Keyblade and Naruto, but their reactions will be difficult to predict…

BakaHammergirl: Thank you very much for the review and glomp! ^__^

Mingshun: Thank you!

Endermon: While Naruto certainly has defeated his inner darkness, it hasn't gone away. I hope the “dream” based on the opening to KH1 with Simple and Clean was to your liking. Naruto has an incredible knack for learning, even without Kage Bunshin. He mastered Kage Bunshin in one night, learned how to summon Gamabunta in a month, and mastered the Rasengan in another month with a clever application of Kage Bunshin. He is much smarter than people give him credit for in combat-It's just in other aspects of life (socially, academically) that he struggles in, due mostly to forces outside his control. His inner wisdom, however, has found an outlet with the Keyblade, and so Naruto is not going to be the thoughtless warrior berserker. At the same time, he's still Naruto.

Allahee4life: As I said, I'm still toying with the relationships, but thanks for your support for a Naruharem!

Yamimaru: Well, seeing as your fic was the only good Naruto/Kingdom Hearts fusion, I decided to write one of my own to try and bring that number up to two, heh. Sorry, haven't seen your muse. Tried finding her hiding in a book or song?

XENO Prototype: I always saw the keychains as essentially physical expressions of their friendship with Sora, and that in a way those Keychains linked Sora's heart with their hearts, allowing the Keyblade to take on new forms and powers because of this link. That's the theory that will be at work in this fic, anyway. Some of the Keyblade's forms, however, will not require a keychain to be activated…

Spedclass: I appreciate the reviews, but I would like it if you didn't copy and paste the same one to each chapter.

dragon-cloud16: A little of both… You'll have to wait and see.

Bob the Almighty: Thanks! I like my Final Fantasy/Stargate fic as well. I wrote it right after I beat FFX and saw the last episode of Atlantis's second season. I've been having trouble updating it as much as I'd like due to various issues, but I'll try to complete it alongside this fic. Thanks again!

chm01: Some of the worlds in KH2 will be in this fic, as well as a few worlds that haven't been in any KH game (only Disney or Square Enix ones though). Drive forms will wait until then.

Zerodragon: Thanks! Oh, and just for everyone's information: Naruto's Kage Bunshin don't have reaction commands, and their Keyblades lack most of the abilities of the original. They can use special attacks with them, but other than that…

Preview for Chapter Four:

“YOSH! NARUTO, YOUR WEAPON IS THE EPITOME OF THE EXPRESSION OF YOUTHFULNESS! BEATEN ONLY BY GAI-SENSEI! Surely your family shared the same values!”

 

“Uh… Yeah… Sure…” Tenten shook her head in fond exasperation.

 

“Relax, there's no way you're related. Look at the eyebrows…”