HSA: The Inseparable 3 [Part E]
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Hinata's Destined Departure & Naruto's Destined Battle!


Later, the girls convened at the restaurant as planned. And Hinata had all but given up on the possibility of meeting Naruto, before his long voyage was over.

"Oh, Yakiniku Q has reopened!" Ino beamed, both she and Tenten flanking a nonchalant Kurama as they shared a menu, smothering him.

"I made a reservation." Tenten beamed, too. "Salty beef tongue for me! Yay!"

"See the new item: 'Lady's Set'?" Ino pointed out. "It's really a good deal! Kurama-kun, what will you order?"

Sakura blushed openly. "Good deals are really tempting, aren't they?"

Shikamaru's nerdy secret admirer poked her wacky glasses. "To be frank, I love offal!"

Hinata was silent, gazing down unseeingly into her menu. Kurama was a bit worried about her.

"Has everyone decided what they want to drink?" Tenten asked gleefully.

The girls nodded.

"Okay." She scooted over a little to the left, so that she could stare directly at the counter. "Excuse me; we'd like to order, please!"

Meanwhile, across from their table, partitioned by a rectangular wooden screening...

"So, thank you for coming here today," Chōji began, towering over his seated comrades. "If they can have a Girls' Club, we'll make ourselves a Boys' Club. Let's eat and drink to our heart's content." He held out his glass of orange juice, proposing a toast.

As soon as the girls' orders were made and delivered, Tenten raised her glass of orange juice in an echo of Chōji's gesture. "Kampai!"

"Kampai!" They all tipped their glass together with excited grins.

"So, what's the occasion?" Ino asked as they resumed their seat.

Tenten grinned. "To commemorate our acquaintance with Kurama!"

"Oh, that's a good occasion," Ino grinned in agreement.

The composed deity allowed a cool, neat smile and placed cutlets of barbecue on the grill to be cooked. The girls adored him.

"Also," Tenten continued. "Day after day, we're all busy with the preparations for the war. We need to relax every now and then, and the bathhouse alone just won't cut it."

Sakura agreed. "Yeah, we should mix it up from time to time."

"That's right," Ino added. "We don't have regular missions anymore. It's just preparations, all day, every day."

"To be frank, I'm glad you guys invited me." Wacky Glasses looked to and from Kurama furtively, trying to hide her blush. "But can I ask what brings you all together?"

"Hm," Tenten thought about that for a while, looking to Ino and Sakura. "How did we form this group?"

"I guess because we all took the Chūnin exam together," Sakura noted how Hinata responded to that fact.

"Oh, yes, yes — that's it!" Ino agreed exuberantly.

"Well, we're about the same age and we've been on missions together often." Tenten carefully monitored and flipped over her salted beef on the grill.

"You sure got in my way back, then," Ino accused coldly, pushing her forehead challengingly against her rival's own.

"Same to you!" Sakura returned just as coldly, and then they both eased into a fit of laughter.

"To be honest, I still don't quite get this Allied Shinobi Forces thing," Kiba said casually, demolishing a slice of meat in his mouth.

"It's like having beef ribs, sirloin, hearts, rumen, and liver all served in a combination platter," Chōji explained, stuffing those respective foods in his mouth simultaneously. He swallowed. "With such variety, it sounds like a good deal!"

"Don't treat this like Yakiniku," Kiba asserted, still livid about Kurama being the only guy privileged to join the girls. "Suna aside, it's not like Konoha is on good terms with other villages."

Shino's eyes narrowed behind his shades. "I heard there was something between Kumo and another village."

Shikamaru eased into a more relaxed state. "Well, that's to be expected. It's not just Konoha; there's something between all the villages."

Neji leaned forward, equipped with his impressive composure, as always. "Surely every village bears a grudge against other villages."

Lee pivoted to the side to face Shikamaru, a pair of chopsticks and a plate containing special sauce in either hand. "Yet the Five Kage decided to form the Allied Shinobi Forces. That's how strong Akatsuki is."

Kiba had his elbow on the table with his chin propped up in his palm. "Well, we'll just have to give it all we've got on the battlefield. Even if the guy beside you is a stranger."

Shino surveyed a piece of beef between his chopsticks, to ascertain whether or not it was properly done. "You were never shy of strangers before, Kiba."

"Shut up!" He retorted, facing away. "It's a hassle to remember their smells."

Chōji was still stuffing himself, like a machine. "Being here with you guys reminds me of that mission..."

Sakura smiled. "In the end, that Chūnin Exam got canceled before it was over."

"Right, when Konoha was destroyed," Wacky Glasses added.

The memory skimmed through Ino's mind. "A lot has happened, but we're all still here. Our generation is doing pretty well, isn't it?"

Tenten felt the spark of the girl's excitement. "That's right — I think the only one missing is Sasuke, right?"

Suddenly, Sakura was kneeling down at the back of the room, facing the corner and permeating a wicked wave of gloom.

"Oops, I shouldn't have mentioned that," Tenten said regrettably, breaking out into an awkward sweat.

Ino shared the girl's awkwardness. "Oi, come on, don't be like that."

Shikamaru was a bit tenser now. "That time, when we tried to get Sasuke back..."

"You failed that time," Shino uttered curtly. "Why? Because you didn't bring me along."

Kiba eyes were a bit tepid. "You're still holding a grudge about that?"

"That was really a harsh fight," Chōji admitted. "But with everyone's strength, we somehow got through it."

"Yeah," Neji nodded. "That made for a good learning experience."

Tenten looked from Sakura to Hinata worrisomely. "Oh my, now we have two depressed girls."

"I'm not depressed!" They both defended in unison.

Hinata allowed her shoulders to sag, dismissing the tension. "I'm glad I went to the Chūnin Exam."

Tenten smiled. "You lost to Neji, but you still gave it your best shot."

She nodded shyly. "...It was because he cheered for me. I was able to give my best back then, because Naruto-kun cheered for me."

"Naruto, huh?" Ino gazed upward with a sigh. "He was unpredictable, even then. Who would've thought he'd become the hero who saved the village?"

"Hai!" Hinata nodded happily.

"Humph!" Kurama cocked his head to the side with a fleeting smile, relieved to see her smile again.

"This time, it's our turn to protect Naruto."

Hinata blushed, Sakura's words evoking a memory.

— "Don't beat yourself up over what has already passed. Let's both look to the future; let's work toward protecting both Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun in this upcoming war." Hinata heaved a confident and reassuring smile. "Naruto-kun will definitely save Sasuke-kun. He said he would, and that's all the reason we need to know it will definitely become a reality."

Ino grinned. "I wouldn't be surprised if we're the ones ended up being protected by him again."

"You're right," Sakura agreed. "He was so much more powerful when he challenged me, and he wasn't even using Sage Mode or anything.

Oh, look," she gestured at the food on the grills. "It's done!"

"Let's eat!" Hinata said, reaching for a perfectly cooked slice.

"Oh, you got your appetite back, at least," Tenten exclaimed.

"Hai! I need my strength." She sampled a cutlet of beef in special sauce.

"Here's your pork cheek," a sweet, middle-aged woman approached their table with a plate, presumably the owner. She was very polite.

"Yay!" Ino pushed to her feet, wiggling in excitement. "Pork cheek, pork cheek!"

Sakura frowned derisively. "You'll turn into a pig."

"What are you talking about? This is mostly collagen, y'know! Kurama-kun — do you want to try some?"

Kiba's eyebrows twitched with his irritation and he surrendered to the irrationality that his anger evoked. Pushing to his feet, he shoved the wooden screening aside. "Oi, how can he be over there and not any of us?"

"He's a special exception," Ino scowled.

"You must be kidding me!"

"Even without Akamaru being the subject of an argument here, you still manage to make a scene. You really need some modesty, Dog Boy."

Kiba cringed at that critical hit — super effective. His HP was already in the red zone. "Hinata! Wouldn't it be great, if we all sat together?"

The princess pursed her lips, avoiding eye contact. And Kiba felt a prick of recollection. That's right... he had tried to kiss her before, and she never did give him the impression that he was forgiven. He supposed that was understandable; his crime was serious, after all.

Kurama shrugged his shoulders, his eyes closed with a nonchalance that stung the guys and wooed the girls. Then his ears twitched — a mocking canine gesture that the shinobi understood.

Kiba growled, bearing his fangs. "Why you! I challenge you, Kurama! I'll wipe that cool expression right off your face!"

The deity's eyes were tepid, almost derisive. "I'll spare you the effort of trying by saying your strength doesn't even hold a candle to mine."

Ino and Tenten giggled mockingly.

"You bastard!" Kiba snapped, rearing up like an untamed horse only to be subdued by Lee and Chōji. Boy, he was a hard one to handle.

Shikamaru sighed, embarrassment tackling him. "How troublesome."

Neji frowned. "Is it even possible for contracted animals to transform into a human form?"

"I know they can maybe learn to transform into other animals, but not a human form."

"Mmm. It has nine tails, but its chakra nature and wavelength is different from what I saw in Naruto in the Chūnin Exam."

"Maybe there's some trick to it," Chōji added, once they had gotten Kiba under control.

Kiba clicked his tongue, still a bit livid. "I find it hard to believe that the Kyuubi would go through so much trouble, just to stick to Hinata."

"I agree," Lee concurred. "Isn't the Kyuubi supposed to be full of evil and malice? What hidden agenda could it possibly have to be sitting over there eating barbecue right now?"

Shikamaru scratched his head in frustration. "Whatever the case, the Fourth Ninja War and preparing for it are priority right now."

Neji nodded. "We might just be jumping to conclusions about Kurama."

"But he's so arrogant and infuriating," Kiba muttered.

Chōji grinned, pushing meat into his mouth. "Neji was like that at one point, and he warmed up to us eventually, didn't he?"

They all reflected on that for a moment, and then the tension lifted. Neji and Shino continued to eat and Shikamaru eased backwards on his cushion, propped up by his arms.

"I thought someone was missing. I guess it's Naruto." Kiba was as relaxed as Shikamaru now.

"We'd all be here, if Naruto-kun was with us," Lee grinned.

Kiba gazed into the ceiling. "I wonder what he's doing now."

"I guess he's not eating yakiniku," Chōji gloated.

Shikamaru grinned. "Well, he is at sea."

Meanwhile — oblivious to the young rookies — a raging storm was drawing near outside, feminine in its chaos. "After drinks, it's time for meat," Tsunade said boisterously, lifting each foot higher than necessary as she ambled toward the restaurant. "Meat! Meat! Meat!"

"You're going too fast, Tsunade-sama!" Shizune whined, clinging to her arm.

"Next I want some meat!" The Hokage wrenched her arm away to chide the girl with proper gesticulation. "I'm telling you, I have to get something to eat here!"

Tenten stopped grinning when she felt a powerful aura behind her, and Kurama had already reverted to his smaller form and hid inside Hinata's clothes.

"What's with the ladies-only gathering today," Tsunade grinned mischievously, amused.

"Tsunade-sama!" Everyone froze, shocked. Now they knew why Kurama probably retreated.

Tenten smiled awkwardly. "Etto... well, it's a Girls' Club."

"Girls' Club?" The woman repeated noisily, obviously a bit tipsy. "I'm in! I'm joining in!"

She plopped down beside Hinata on a cushion, wrapping her arm around the nervous princess.

Tenten cringed, jostled by the woman's prominence. "Well, Tsunade-sama… I don't think you're quite a girl..."

The Slung Queen cupped and massaged one of her impressive curves. "Is it my breasts? Are they too big?"

Shizune ignored her, already helping herself by gathering a pile of meat in a spare saucer.

Tsunade raised a hand. "For starters, some alcohol!"

"That's not a starter," Shizune corrected passively, stuffing her face now.

"So, what's going on," Tsunade whispered to Hinata, grinning. "Were you talking about the men you like?"

The princess blushed.

"We were talking about when we took the Chūnin Exam," Sakura enlightened.

"We're reminiscing, mostly," Ino added.

Tenten smiled openly. "Because times are troubled, I thought we could gather and have some fun for a change."

"I see," the woman said, drinking a glass of water Shizune handed to her. Then, she reached for a plate of meat and lettuce that Wacky Glasses shared for her. "Hinata, what we talked about earlier..."

"I'm okay now," she said politely, looking to everyone talking and laughing happily. "Thanks to my friends, I now know what I have to do."

"About that..." Tsunade said, retrieving the front page of a newspaper from her pocket and resting it on the table. Everyone stopped what they were doing and started paying attention.

Hinata gasped, her cheeks already changing to bright pink. "That's..."

"The newspaper article that Konohamaru and his friends wrote about Hinata and Naruto," Tenten contributed, her eyes just as wide as the princess's.

Tsunade was nonchalant and a bit more sober now. "I thought Naruto had feelings for Sakura — but I guess he got fed up of not being recognized."

Sakura's eyes saddened a bit.

"Hinata, I've decided on your mission."

The guys were clinging to their wooden screen, listening intently to what was going on.

Chōji was still eating.

"Did Tenten invite Tsunade-sama to her girls' gathering?" Lee wondered aloud.

"That's too bold of her," Kiba muttered.

"I guess the stress got to the Fifth," Shikamaru uttered.

"More importantly," Neji frowned. "It looks like she just found out about Naruto and Hinata from the newspaper."

"Oh man, that sounds bad," Kiba murmured.

"It was only a matter of time," Shikamaru said. "Especially since it was in the paper. In any case, it's not like they were trying to keep it a secret or anything."

Tsunade held the girl's gaze seriously. "You are to join Naruto at the location where he was sent for his so-called S-class mission."

"R-Really?" The princess tried to suppress her exuberance.

The woman nodded. "It's not unlikely that Akatsuki has already gotten Intel about your relationship with Naruto. And, given their history, I wouldn't be surprised if they schemed to capture and hold you hostage to lure him out into a trap.

Aside from that, the two of you being together may prove to be the best means of keeping Naruto preoccupied. Should he learn about the war, your involved would only contribute toward his eagerness to join and protect you and everybody else."

"But Tsunade-sama," Shizune argued. "Assuming that Akatsuki already knows about Hinata and Naruto-kun, isn't it unwise to allow her to leave the village?"

Sakura nodded. "I agree with Sempai."

"Pain single-handedly came into the village for Naruto, didn't he? And Madara single-handed confronted the Five Kage at the Summit — that's the kind of power Akatsuki possesses.

Another attack would cripple Konoha's military might for the upcoming war. We'll just have to take our chances and assume that Akatsuki is also preoccupied preparing for the war to take an interest in Hinata."

"We should at least assemble a capable group of shinobi to escort her," Shizune suggested.

Tsunade shook her head. "That's exactly the kind of precautionary measure the enemy assume we would take; she would stand out too much. Hinata will go alone. And we will confide in her scouting abilities in making sure that she isn't followed. I'm sure your little fox friend here can also lend a hand with its sensitive nose."

Kurama was passive.

Ino grinned. "Hinata, you're going to get to see Naruto sooner than later, after all."

She blushed when Tenten and Sakura grinned at her.

"Hinata, you'll be leaving in the morning. A map will be assigned to you with the island's coordinates and you'll be briefed again on your mission before you leave.

Stay by his side," she whispered sentimentally, reminiscing about Jiraiya. "Protect him, and help to summon his latent powers — this is also a part of your role as his partner."

"Ha-Hai!" She beamed.

"Okay, you guys," Tsunade was loud and casual again. "Let's do some gambling! Let's play Princess!" She revealed some pink strips of paper.

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune chided.

"Who's the princess?" The woman ignored her.


"Man, that was good," Chōji sighed in contentment. "It's been a while since I've had my fill of yakiniku!"

"After party!" Tsunade shouted, cutting him off. "Let's go somewhere else!"

"What should we do?" Ino panicked in an undertone.

"I'm going home," Shikamaru whispered back. "I have to get up early."

"Me, too," Tenten concurred, careful to keep her voice low.

"I'll get back to work... yes." Wacky Glasses was disappointed she wouldn't get to see Kurama in his human form one last time. She sighed inwardly.

"I have some stuff I want to finish today, too," Shikamaru added.

Outside, everyone banded together, facing Shizune and their slightly drunk leader with a polite smile. "Excuse us, Tsunade-sama." Sakura performed a curtsy. "We'll be leaving now."

They all went their separate ways, in groups of twos and threes. Tenten hauled Lee away in a casual chokehold. Then there was only silence, expect for the chirping of grasshoppers hidden in the nearby brush.

"They sure are reliable people," Tsunade breathed a sigh of delight.

"Hai."

"Yosh!" She flung her hand into the air, like a party animal. "Let's drink 'til morning!"

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune scowled.

"... Was what I wanted to say," she corrected. "But let's get back to work."

"Hai!"

They both sauntered off.


On route to the Hyūga's estate, Hinata calmly walked behind her cousin, thoughts of her new mission swirling around in her mind. "Neji-niisan."

He pivoted his head around.

"I want to become stronger." Her voice was low and resolute.

"You are strong enough as you are," he returned, facing the fenced path once more.

Her eyes narrowed. "This war is to protect Naruto-kun; that's why I need as much power as I can get! I want to be strong!" She beamed, looking up at the stars that surely sparkled where he was, as well. "It's thanks to Naruto-kun that I managed to move forward."

"It's the same for me, Hinata-sama," Neji began, reflecting on her words. "He set me free."

The princess nodded, recalling his and Naruto's fierce battle in the final round of the Chūnin Exam. It was unfortunate that she wasn't well enough to watch it through to the end.

"As a member of the head family, you should lead the clan on the battlefield, Hinata-sama," Neji asserted suddenly, passionately. "Your power has grown exponentially over these past few weeks. You've gotten tremendously stronger. I'm sure if you display your growth to Hiashi-sama—"

"It's not a matter of head family and branch family," she explained coolly, emulating Kurama and Naruto's impressive nonchalance. "Neji-niisan, you are better suited for the job. We cannot win this fight unless we pool our strength."

Neji kept silent, allowing the princess's words to permeate throughout him. She was right. As Naruto said, they shouldn't allow pride and silly traditions to cloud their judgment. The Allied Shinobi Force surely didn't care about their lineage or their long line of customs, nor did Akatsuki. And, needless to say, that wouldn't make a difference on the battlefield.

"Welcome back," Satoshi said, standing by the porch.

"I'm home," Hinata returned.

Neji bowed and left.

"Don't worry about me," the princess reassured as she was passing the man to climb the stairs. "Thank you, Satoshi."

He bowed as she dismissed herself, sensing the radiant aura that she radiated. And, with that, he was reassured.


Clapping his hands together and closing his eyes, Naruto slipped into meditation. His other self — the embodiment of his dark side — gasped as an illustration inked in black materialized over the impostor's head: No. 1 Hokage Candidate!

"This is my autograph," our hero explained with a smug grin.

"Damn you!" His bitter counterpart sneered.

The Waterfall of Truth — this trial was the first step to controlling the Kyuubi, and this was Naruto's second time attempting to best the challenge. By assuming this test could be conquered by overpowering his darkness through sheer physical strength, he lost. But, this time, it would be different. This time, in his mind resounded Jiraiya's words.

Indeed. Being a great shinobi didn't gravitate around having incredible power alone. Wits and decisiveness also played an important part in the equation and, sometimes, various eccentric and unorthodox choices were necessary, as well. But mostly, a deep, visceral feeling told him this matter needed to be resolved in a more delicate and profound manner.

Naruto smiled warmly, reminiscing about a memory to which his dark counterpart didn't relate fondly.

"Oh, yeah," a shinobi said exuberantly by the refugee area, accompanied by another comrade. "Can you give me an autograph? Sign it to my son; he's a big fan."

"Autograph?" Naruto was a bit flustered.

"Konoha's hero — the boy that makes miracles happen: Uzumaki Naruto." The other man clapped his hands together in a gleeful plea. "Can I have an autograph, too, please?"

Naruto was still a bit out of it.

"What is it? Did I ask too much?"

The young sage grinned embarrassingly, tousling the back of his hair. "That's not it... I'm just not used to this sort of thing. I don't even know what to write."

"This is the autograph I couldn't sign at the campsite, back then." Our knight's eyes were unblinking and ardent.

"So what if you've come up with that thing?" His evil self snapped, his voice higher than the gushing waterfall behind him. "It means nothing! You're just being taken in by the newfound praises of the villagers! They've always deceived us! They made up random rules to shun us! Remember!"

And Naruto did remember. He remembered weeping in the deafening silence, standing in the dark, lonely shadows cast by the backs of everyone who towered over him, ignored him, despised him, wanted him gone. His world was a dreary shade of black and white, then.

"It was so painful. Almost unbearable," his counterpart murmured sorrowfully, clasping his chest, his blood red eyes glazed with both grief and hatred. "I'm the only one who understands you. Don't trust the people of the village!"

"Hah…" Naruto bowed his head, oceanic eyes slitted. "The people of the village are important... but, before I can trust them, there's someone else I have to trust."

The evil shadow felt a prick of surprise as his opposite raised his head with brisk enthusiasm. "I'll try to trust myself." He smiled. "To trust myself, as the one the villagers put their faith in."

There was sudden silence, and both sides of the same coin shared a cosmic moment. Then the darker side fell to his knees, weeping. His hate, his malice, his thirst for vengeance, had kept the pain and loneliness fresh in his heart. It was constantly tormenting him, keeping the fires of his rage alive. "Why? They... made us suffer so much."

"Octopops made me realize I shouldn't doubt myself; I should have my pride."

"And me?" His darker self raised his head slowly, tears streaming down his face. "Are you saying I'm just holding you back? Then what was I, all this time?"

"Thanks to you, I managed to become strong. Thanks to you, I managed to get this far."

"Then what... what should I do now?" He clumsily pushed to his feet and pelted toward the source of his agitation and his weakness.

"That's simple," Naruto uttered coolly, taking the flustered soul into a warm embrace as he crashed into him. Then, there was a moment of silence. "Just become me... because you're me, too."

Gasp!

"Thank you for all you've done for me. It's okay now."

Naruto's words resonated deep, reaching into the farthest depths of his counterpart's being — the most remote nooks and crannies, extinguishing the flames of rage and grief, driving out the corrosive darkness. Something clicked as the loneliness dwindled inside of him, and the blood red pupils of his eyes changed to an oceanic blue to match our hero's own. Finally, he began dematerializing, the fragments drifting into the air to merge with the facets of Naruto's spirit.

Surfacing from the dimension induced by the Waterfall of Truth, the village's hero pushed to his feet on the round clump of earth in the middle of the water. Yamato and company were amazed at the cool composure radiating from his back. And Killer-Bee grinned back as his fellow Jinchuuriki grinned at him.

Motoi, Killer-Bee's close friend, smiled cheerfully. "Looks like..."

"Things went well this time," Yamato concluded.

"It's too early to rejoice, dumbass phonies," Bee chided coolly, then walked out into the water toward a curious Naruto. "Now let's see if you can manage to control the Kyuubi's power." He started rapping with rhythmic movements and gesticulations. "From now on, I shall be your master — you better prepare yourself, or you'll only die faster!"

"Right on!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Follow me, Naruto!" He leaped toward the foot of the waterfall.

"Excuse me," Yamato called, a hand raised as if he were an inquisitive student at the back of a classroom. "Can I come along, too?"

"Okay."

"What about you, Motoi-san?" Yamato pivoted his head to the side to look at the man with spiky, shoulder-cropped hair and dark beady eyes.

"I'll stay here and make my regular report to Kumogakure."

"Thank you for your help," Yamato bowed and sauntered ahead.

"This is where the real challenge begins," the man whispered to himself.

Killer-Bee walked under the powerful torrent and entered through a concealed pathway, which obviously lead somewhere sacred beyond the rock face.

"So there's a cave on the other side," Naruto murmured before proceeding cautiously ahead. "Wow!" He exclaimed in awe once he was on the other side, dripping wet from his brief excursion.

Before him was an extensive underground labyrinth with its ceiling and outer walls illustrating the octopus-looking, eight-tailed Bijuu, firing off what seemed to be powerful beam from its mouth. And far head — towering from the ground — were many tall buildings and structures of elaborate shapes and designs.

"You'll fight the Kyuubi here," Killer-Bee pointed ahead, blasé in contrast to Naruto's open amazement.

"Fight the Kyuubi?"

He nodded. "That's right, you dumbass phony."

Naruto's astonishment soon morphed into determination, and he gazed ahead unswervingly, solemnly, preparing himself in mind, body and spirit with regards to what he had to do.

Yamato gingerly made his way inside, sharing Naruto's initial reaction as he looked around, marveling at the small openings in the surrounding walls that were outlets for gushing water. "This is magnificent!"

"Follow me," Killer-Bee started proceeding ahead.

The two foreign shinobi followed him, ambling along a path bordered by rows of headless statues sitting in meditation.

"It looks like an ancient ruin," Yamato commented, his eyes flitting around. "They look archeologically important. Could use some restoration, though."

"No," Bee returned. "Those stones statues were deliberately made without heads; there's a reason for that."

"You said I'll fight the Kyuubi here," Naruto said. "But how? How am I even going to meet it?"

"I hope you're not going to do anything too harsh," Yamato added.

"Don't think you can control the beast unless you do something rash, you dumbass phony," Bee retorted as they went through an open gate. "This is a sacred place where those who have been chosen as a Jinchuuriki have undergone purification rituals. There's a system that allows interactions with the Bijuu in this area. It's inside this building. Roger."

They came across one amongst the many architecturally impressive structures that towered high into the air.

"This is..." Naruto looked up, trying to see the peak.

"Only a chosen few can enter here. Selection," Bee explained coolly. "You put your head inside this statue's mouth. Good guy. If you have no darkness in your heart, the doors will open. Wide open."

They looked to the statue of a lion's head jutting out of the wall. Its eyes were wide, mouth set in full dilation. And by no means did the creature's intricate design and details look inviting, especially the stain of blood on its fangs.

"Um," Yamato scratched his temple awkwardly. "Can you explain this as simple as possible? It's kind of hard to grasp..."

"If you have no darkness in your heart," Naruto repeated calmly, cupping his chin. I see. So that's what the waterfall was about...

"But..." Bee cast them a sidelong glance. "If you have even a tiny bit of darkness in your heart, the doors won't open. Get it?" His face was suddenly enveloped in an ominous shadow as he turned to face them. "Instead, the statue bites your head off. Accept it! The statues on our way here were actually Jinchuuriki. Truth!"

Naruto cupped his neck, breaking into a cold sweat as his counterpart's words resounded in his mind.

— "In other words, I'm the true you. I am the real you."

He swallowed hard pass the hot lump that had suddenly wedged itself in his throat.

Yamato seemed to have a lump in his, too. "The risk is too great," he complained softly. "Naruto, do it with a shadow clone."

"This is a sacred place, you dumbass phony," Killer-Bee defended vehemently. "Countless generations of Kumogakure ninjas have watched over and protected it; deceit will not work!"

"But—"

Naruto's face hardened in silent conviction, teeth gritted. "Yamato-taichou, I came here to learn to control the Kyuubi's power; this is important to me, too. I can't run from it." He slowly approached the shady port for his head and anxiously tucked it inside. I trust myself!

His backside shifted from left to right as he squirmed his shoulders inside, and the awkward movement only made Yamato even more apprehensive about the possibly of his sempai's most favorite student getting beheaded. His eyes were wide, cold sweat dripping down his face.

Suddenly, Naruto cried out — a desperate and blood-curdling cry. Yamato rushed over to pull him out immediately, only to receive what was left of our valiant knight. "No... No... this can't be happening..." his eyes trembled in horror. "Naruto, you can't..."

"Just kidding!" The notorious prankster clasped his jacket and pushed out his head, relishing the man's expression of abject shock. This was sweet, sweet revenge for all those scary stories and the flashlight-technique the man used to pull on him. "There was just a switch inside."

Relaxed, Killer-Bee relished the Jōnin's shock, too.

Naruto chuckled. "I just couldn't help it."

"I did it, too," Bee added in a smooth rap. "Custom! The statues are just broke. Joke!"

Yamato turned into a dreadful beast. "Wasn't this a scared place? You dumbass phonies!"

In response to the switch being flipped, a thick stonewall slide opened behind them, illuminating the passage outside with a brilliant glow.

"What's this?" Naruto murmured in his surprise.

Killer-Bee ambled in front of the entrance. "Go inside, sit, close your eyes and concentrate. It's like the waterfall; it's a way to meet your Bijuu."

"But I've been able to meet the Kyuubi inside my mind, when I concentrate during training, for a long time."

"Every Jinchuuriki knows how to do that." He pointed into the mysterious room. "This here is a slightly different concept, okay?"

Naruto and Yamato followed him inside, looking around curiously. But there was nothing much to see; the room had absolutely nothing inside. The color-scheme was a splash of purple, ivory, and peach — pallid colors that obscured the room's dimensions, giving the illusion that the space was infinitely large.

"Listen carefully to what I have to say," Bee began in a serious tone, coming to a complete stop and facing the young Jinchuuriki. "Explanation! Naruto, what sealing technique was used to seal the Kyuubi inside you? Hope!"

"It's a Four Symbol Seal," Yamato enlightened.

"A Four Symbol Seal? That's impressive," he grinned. "It's even stronger than my Iron Armor Seal. Do you have the key?"

"Yeah."

"So, you really are going to open the seal," Yamato uttered, breaking into a sweat again. "What if Naruto doesn't manage to control it and the Kyuubi revives completely?"

"I'll seal it inside this room," Bee returned calmly. "That's also one of the functions of this place." He began rapping and rocking his body. "The Kyuubi will be sealed herein, until a new Jinchuuriki is brought within, and I'll start booin'!"

"But—"

"It won't come to that," Naruto interjected coolly. "I won't fail."

Killer-Bee smiled, impressed by his determination and bravery. "Okay. Then I'm closing the door. Now I'll teach you how to handle the Kyuubi."

Once the door was sealed, Yamato watched in silence as Naruto and Bee sat cross-legged opposed from one another. Then they bumped their fists and held the gesture, synchronizing their wavelength through the connection until their consciousness overlapped.

Suddenly, there was the sound of droplets and ripples in water. As the sound heightened, Naruto found himself in an all too familiar realm.

Naruto! Bee's voice echoed from some undetectable facet of his mind. Respect! The rules are simple. When you meet the Kyuubi in your mind, first open the seal.

Naruto opened his eyes with a cool visage, and there before him was the cage imprisoning the malevolent deity he sought to control. The creature had its head propped up on crossed arms, relaxing. "Yow, still doing the evil glare, are we?"

The beast's eyes dilated, lined with unyielding veins, and then narrowed maliciously. "Naruto, you bastard..."

Nonchalant, our golden knight began floating into the air, toward the paper seal pasted on the steel bars of the cage. "What?"

The Kyuubi's eyes followed him, blood red with its swelling rage. "Where did the real you go? I can't sense him."

"He's right here in front of you."

You've conquered your hatred,Bee explained. But don't let your guard down. Extreme force! The Kyuubi is a mass of hatred. Extreme argument!

Without hesitation, Naruto tore off the seal in one fluid motion, and then lifted his shirt to reveal the diagram on his stomach, holding the hem of the jacket between his teeth.

"What are you up to?" The Bijuu sneered.

"My mouth is full now," Naruto retorted coolly, pushing up the sleeve on his right arm to reveal the description of the seal's key on his skin. Chakra tipped his fingers. "Just watch and see."

The warrior frowned, determination a quivering glow in his eyes. Here I go, he placed his hand over the markings on his belly and rotated his palm anti-clockwise. In comparison to the seal on his stomach, the steel plates locking the cage's door began undoing itself.

The instant the final plate flipped back, the Kyuubi used its paw to bash the gates open with a nasty temperament. Then it gave a strident and powerful roar, blasting Naruto back with a mere shockwave.

When the Kyuubi is out, grab its chakra with yours and pull it all out. You can only touch chakra with chakra; that's common sense! Take the Kyuubi's chakra from it. That's victory!

Charka began emanating from Naruto's body. From head to torso was formed a transparent ghost of his image which suspended from his back.

On the outside, Bee's fist tightened against Naruto's and the Kyuubi's eyes suddenly veered to the side as tentacles broke through the wall to coil around its neck and torso, holding it in a powerful bind. The creature squirmed frantically in its rage, eager to break free and utterly destroy the source of its agonizing imprisonment.

When you touch the Kyuubi and your chakras connect, it'll pull, as well. Pull! In short, it's a game of tug of war, okay?

Chakra from the Hachibi's tentacle began pulling out the Kyuubi's own chakra but, before Naruto could possibly make a move, the beast retaliated by using one of its nine tails to slice through the tentacles, absorbing their chakra as its reward.

Tsk!Bee clicked his tongue in irritation. I'll help you in the fight, too. But it's inside your mind, so I won't have much strength. Too bad.

"It's really strong." Naruto grinned, reveling in the rush.

A word of warning: when you try to take the chakra, there's a risk that yours will be pulled by the Kyuubi, instead.

Naruto smiled. "I figured as much."

In that case, I guess I don't need to tell you what'll happen if all your chakra is pulled out of you.

"I see,"the Kyuubi's eyes were bright with enlightenment. "You intend to control my power, and you have the Hachibi as an ally. You call yourself the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki. Pitiful!"

The demon fox towered upright on its hind legs, its nine tails converging over its head to form an invisible ring. Negative and positive chakra of blue and ruby emanated from its tail in small bubbles, merging to form a dark ball of condensed energy.

The very foundations of the dimension trembled under the weight of the ball's power, and a wave of wind whipped passed Naruto, forcing him to assume a better stance lest be swept away.

The risk is really huge but, if you can take the Kyuubi's chakra from it, it's yours for the rest of your life. Take away from its will all the Kyuubi's chakra that you can! That's reward!

Don't let the Kyuubi's hatred get to you. Defend yourself with the strength of your own will!

Condensing the ball of destructive energy to a fifth of its original size, the Kyuubi opened its jaws and took the ball into its mouth before clenching its teeth together. Its cheeks inflated and a blanket of steam drifted out from its slowly gaping mouth.

The instant Naruto turned to make a run for it, the beast fired off its cataclysmic trademark attack. The ground and walls of the wet, dreary corridor instantaneously turned into rubble as the beamed headed for our valiant knight. But there was nowhere to hide, no means to defend.

"Don't underestimate me!" From out of the rubble, the Hachibi's hand sprouted from a severed tentacle to absorb the beam, and then more layers of the tentacle constructed a head to reinforce the hand and nullify the blast.

The Kyuubi scowled in annoyance.

Thanks, Octopops! Naruto pivoted around and formed his trademark seal.

"I contained the explosion," Bee informed. "My powerful support ends here, Naruto."

Hah. I'm still seated, so it's just as I thought...

On the outside realm, Naruto had already begun gathering Senju Engery, the orange highlight around his eyes illustrating his transition into Sage Mode. And his head dipped a little in his battle-readiness.

Suddenly — its nine tails swirling around menacingly — the Kyuubi looked up only to find a gigantic ball of spiraling energy coming down toward it, which was roughly half its size.

Sage Art: Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan! "Go!" Naruto bellowed, using gravity to maximize the speed and impact of his attack.

In retaliation the Kyuubi used but three of its tails to defend itself. The Rasengan whistled in a high-pitched sound as it labored to break through the Bijuu's guard. But, with a nasty sneer, the beast whipped its tails around, effortlessly putting a swift end to the destructive orb and driving the sage back.

"So, that's not enough to take you down, huh?" Naruto's nonchalant smile was provocative as he dodged a series of lethal assaults by the creature's flexible tails, using each one as footholds to evade the other.

"Do you really believe that you can defeat me?"The Kyuubi uttered in its annoyance, scorn dripping from each word like acid.

"Would I open the seal if I didn't?" Naruto grinned, leaping into the air.

In the same beat, an inconspicuous clone uppercut the beast beneath the chin, sending it hovering a few feet into the air to meet the sole of Naruto's boot that came crashing down in a steely downward kick.

The Kyuubi plummeted to the ground with a pained grunt, sending stone and water flying outward in a great explosion. "Naruto, you bastard! How dare you!"

"Y'know... all those times when you shared your chakra with me, for Hinata's sake, I thought that maybe you had changed a little; that we could be friends."

The Bijuu clenched its teeth, images of the princess skimming through its mind, like a flipbook. Images that threatened to cool the fires of its wrath and rendered it vulnerable to Naruto's endeavor — his selfish ambition to conquer and enslave him; to sentence him to deeper, darker, and lonelier depths of hell.

No! The Kyuubi felt a spasm of fear. In retaliation, the creature allowed its rage to swell out of control, burning the vibrant images of the endearing goddess to ensure its freedom. "Friends?" The beast snickered in a derisive, malicious manner. "Don't make me laugh! All you humans are just the same — weak, greedy, selfish, manipulative. Pitiful! Once I'm done absorbing you, I'll find that woman and tear her apart slowly, limb from limb."

A few meters away, Naruto was silent, eyes veiled in shadow. Anger and adrenaline converged to brew a mixture of fire beneath his skin — one that crackled and seared hotter than the Kyuubi's very rage. Leaning forward, he eased into a sudden career, almost instantaneously appearing before the ferocious fiend.

Right. Left. Right. Left — Naruto assaulted the beast's face with a fierce and merciless succession of thunderous punches. Then he ducked as a Kage Bunshin swung and catapulted another from a few meters away. Transforming into giant, double-headed hammer, the clone bashed into the Kyuubi's torso, sending it hurtling down the corridor and slamming into the wall at the back of its cage.

Before the creature could take in a breath — after having the wind knocked out of it — Naruto was already there in the darkness, standing before the flustered demon with eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. Those piercing eyes flashed as he assaulted the Kyuubi's torso with an impetuous barrage of punches, driving the defenseless fox farther into the wall. Naruto's hands seemed to duplicate as he increased his speed and power, blood coursing like lava through his veins, fueling his strength. Then, with an impressive double-kick, the Bijuu was deeply wedged in the wall with Naruto easing into a somersault and landing on his feet.

"Killer-Bee-san," Yamato called. "What's going on in there?"

The man was a bit flustered. "...Naruto's killing Kyuubi."

"He's what?!"

Yo, Naruto, Bee's voice echoed in his mind. You're supposed to take the Kyuubi's chakra, not destroy them both!

Naruto ignored him and held his hand forward, as if it was a pistol — middle and index finger unfurled, while his thumb extended upright. Sage Art: Rasen-bullet — Gatling Gun!

He reinforced that arm by cupping his wrist with his left hand as miniature orbs forged of spiraling energy and wind-natured chakra fired from his fingertip — twenty rounds per second. "I'll tear you apart before you can get anywhere close to Hinata!"

The Kyuubi roared as the orbs wreaked havoc on its exposed torso, expanding and exploding upon impact with enough force to rival the destructive giant sphere Naruto had used before. But the Bijuu had no intention to surrender to its predestined fate.

Wrenching itself out from the indentation its body had made in the wall, the beast used its tails to shield against the blows so that it could fire off a volley of deadly laser beams from its mouth.

Naruto avoided each one with graceful sidesteps and aerial dynamics, ignoring the magnitude of the blasts behind him to notice as hundreds of human-sized, chakra-forged tailed beasts began dripping, like wax, from the Kyuubi's cascading tails.

"Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto decided to fight numbers with numbers.

The skirmish took the horde of over-powered clones outside the darkness of the cage, where they all engaged in an epic fight for dominance. Laser beams and all forms of Rasengan lit up and decorated the dreary realm, like fireworks. But, using their Frog Fu, the army of gallant sages were quickly able to overpower and absorb the crazed demons until there was but one clone left.

The frantic fiend stomped the ground where it had Naruto thrown down — creating a massive crater — but our hero had already quickly retaliated by pushing himself up off the ground into a spin, driving the heel of his foot down onto the creature's nape. The beast fell to its knees with a pained squeal, then its eyes widened as a giant Rasengan crashed down mercilessly onto its face.

Naruto absorbed its chakra, just in time to notice the Kyuubi racing toward him at breakneck speed. Suddenly, the beast came to an abrupt stop as it slammed into an invisible screen. Then, that screen detonated, sending the Demon Fox toppling onto its back.

Naruto heaved a smooth smile. "Sage Art: Cyclone Shield..."

Before the Kyuubi could retaliate in its ancient rage, the golden warrior was already in the air, forging a Rasenshuriken with the assistance of two clones and pinning the persistent beast to the ground with its overwhelming attack power and lasting effects.

Strategically taking advantage of the creature's immobility in its crippled state, Naruto quickly clung to one amongst its nine tails and began stepping backwards, pulling out the chakra. As their spiritual energy intertwined, the vigilant sage sensed a distant extension of the Bijuu's entity — and it was on the move, somewhere in the outside realm. Curiously, he allowed his mind to follow that saffron string to its source, only to detect Hinata's presence by the creature's location.

"Hi-Hinata!" He exclaimed, blood freezing in his veins and his vision swimming from the steady pound filling his head. "What does this mean? Has the Kyuubi found some way to Hinata, after all?"

Capitalizing on the Jinchuuriki's evident distraction, the sinister Bijuu exerted its manipulative hatred and malice. The thick, dark power traveled along its extracted chakra and made its way to a traumatized Uzumaki Naruto, entirely enveloping his chakra-based silhouette.

Hateful... Painful... I want to kill! A familiar voice echoed in his mind, resurfacing from the deepest depths of his troubled spirit.

The deplorable voice came with others in a sudden influx — voices of contempt and scorn from the distant past that rose in Naruto's mind like grotesque, shifting skulls of the ugliest blue and ruby.

If only he didn't exist...

Only him...

That, huh? Go die!

No one will ever acknowledge someone like you!

Disappear...

Disappear...

Disappear, the voices chanted in a prolonged echo, reverberating in every corner and crevice of his mind, preventing a positive thought or retaliation.

"What... is this?" Flustered, agitated, wide-eyed, Naruto pressed a hand to his head as the voices ensued their ruthless and relentless assault. He was so distracted that he didn't realize the Kyuubi was busy pulling out his chakra, subjecting him further to his hateful counterpart.

This is bad, Killer-Bee flinched, sensing his apprentice's desperate and seemingly hopeless struggle. Don't lose, Naruto! You dumbass phony!

Driven to his knees, our floundering warrior clenched his teeth as his power gradually drained from his body, slipping through his fingers, like liquid.

The Demon Fox glanced up and took great satisfaction in the sudden, slack-jawed shock and despair written across his face. "You can't control my power,"the fiend gloated. "You're just a small fraction of my hatred."

Shut the hell up! Naruto's inner-self roared as the dreary voices sought to break and destroy him. As he fell farther from grace — similar to his darker half — one of his eyes turned from blue to blood red. And, on the outside realm, his body was suddenly enveloped in the Kyuubi's cloak, illustrating the imminent and hostile takeover.

"The Kyuubi's hatred is a lot stronger than I thought," Bee exclaimed, having pushed to his feet to a safe enough distance. "This might get really bad — a test on a scale he's never had!"

Yamato unfurled his hand, reinforced by the other. "I'll hold him down!"

You little monster! Stay away from our kids...

Why hasn't he been thrown into a cell?

What is Hokage-sama thinking allowing him to roam free like this?

You demonic brat!

Disappear and cease to exist!

"Disappear and cease to exist!" Naruto repeated in a sneer, closing his eyes tightly, trembling in his broiling rage, seconds away from a devastating eruption that would have rendered him forever lost and consumed.

"No, you can come and stay here," a soft, exuberant, feminine voice passed through him, surrounded him, vanquishing the darkness and the voices of disdain.

Naruto could feel that he had been transported elsewhere. Every sensitive fiber and cell of his being remembered the particles that made up this unique dimension in which he was carried. This warmth... this perpetual calm... this sense of belonging and security — it was what he felt when his father had saved him.

But, when Naruto opened his eyes, the Fourth Hokage was not there. In his stead, stood a beautiful young woman with gorgeous long hair, soft blue eyes, and a welcoming smile that mysteriously tugged at his emotions.

"Naruto..." his name rose from her lips in a melody that was so right, so divine, that it was both breathtaking and heartbreaking.

The orange knight pushed to his feet, fingers curled into tight fists. "What the... why is someone here? Also, why do you know my name?"

"Oh, I see," the woman smiled, a hand pressed politely to her chest. "Then, try to guess who I am, Naruto."

He frowned, looking her over carefully — the incredibly long, sleek reddish hair, innocently playful eyes, a lovely rounded face and an almost childish V of a smile. Why did she seem so oddly familiar? It had to be a trick.

She chuckled.

Naruto broke into a sweat. "Don't tell me..."

She beamed. "Did you figure it out yet?"

"You... you're the Kyuubi's true form, aren't you?" He asserted, pointing a trembling finger in his certainty.

"Eh?" The woman held her tummy and burst into a fit of heavy laugher.

"What a savage way of laughing!" Naruto charged. "So you tired to trick me by turning into a woman, huh? Kyuubi, you—"

"You're wrong, y'know!" She pounded him atop the head, Sakura-style.

"Ouch!" Naruto cried out, clinging to his battered cranium. But then — as if the impact had enhanced his observation — he gazed at her curiously. "'Y'know?'" He repeated slowly, curiously.

The woman tousled the back of her head embarrassingly and heaved a remorseful grin. "Sorry for punching you so suddenly. I'm impatient and fast-mouthed by nature, so I've got a weird way of talking. I've tried to stop doing it but it happens when I get agitated.

How have you been? I hope you didn't develop any weird way of talking, like I did"

Naruto was awestruck. "Then..."

"Minato... he didn't say anything, did he? Oh, geez..."

Rendered emotional to a staggering degree and in a way he only experienced upon meeting his father, Naruto's fingers trembled, and he did his best to bite back a whimper as tears burned into his eyes.

"That's right, I'm your—"

He lunged forward and took her in his arms, his body continuing to shake even as he held her tight, relishing in what had eluded him even in his dreams. "I've always... I've always wanted to meet you, mom, y'know." Tears rippled down his face, and his red eye reverted to a pristine oceanic blue.

Kushina smiled warmly — a sweet and maternal smile. "'Y'know', huh? You really are my son." Her voice was soft, and she held him, too, just as passionate as he did her.

And, for a moment, there was but silence — only the love and magic that permeated from their embrace. It was truly a magnificent and incomparable feeling, but bittersweet in all its refined glory. There was a sixteen-year-old void that they wanted to fill with this same physical affection and warmth, but it was as impossible as the fact that their time, even now, was limited to her chakra capacity. It would not last, but they planned to savor every passing moment.

"The Kyuubification stopped," Yamato said as both he and Killer-Bee stared at a motionless Naruto on the ground. He was still sitting down crossed-legged, his body enveloped in half the Third-Tail's cloak and half the Fourth-Tail's cloak.

"Yamato, did you do something?"

"No, it seems like it stopped by itself." He frowned. What happened?

Naruto released Kushina with a grin, fists clenched like a happy and hyperactive child promised sweets by mom. "I have so many things I want to ask you!"

"Hn!" She smiled sweetly. "I'll answer all of them. But, before that," she veered her head to the side, her expression serious now. "We have to calm down the Kyuubi."

Back inside Naruto's mental battleground, silver chakra chains with pointed, kunai-like tips flew out from his torso, coiling around the Kyuubi's tails, legs, torso, and neck then jabbing into the ground, sealing the beast there on its back.

"This chakra... Kushina, huh?"

"Minato sealed some of my chakra within you," she explained, sitting beside Naruto in their serene world. "All so that I could help when the time came for you to take control of the Kyuubi's power."

Naruto couldn't control his grin, couldn't help but savor the melody of her voice and the symphony of her words. Her presence made him so giddy and overjoyed. Her ravishing beauty was like a breath of fresh air; she was so radiant and lovable.

"Are you listening?"

He raised his hands in glee and laced them behind his head. "I'm so happy that my mom's a hottie!"

She heaved an open smile, her radiance even more breathtaking. "Well, thank you," she giggled. "You got your hair from your dad, but you've got my face. Sorry about that, Naruto."

"Mm? Why? If my mom's a hottie, then that would mean that I'm handsome!" He rested a curved index finger below his chin. "Besides, your hair is straight and has a beautiful red color. I'm sure I'd look nice with that, too."

Kushina giggled, staring up unseeingly into the sky. "You're the second guy to compliment me on my hair."

"Really? Then, who was the first?"

She giggled again and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Your father, of course."

"Oh, I see," he drove the bottom of a fist into his palm as a more intriguing question came to him.

"About what?"

He grinned excitedly, his eyes beaming. "See... See... there's something that I absolutely wanted to ask, if I met you. How did you and dad fall in love with each other?"

Her cheeks brightened cutely, and she cupped the back of her head. "Th-That's kinda embarrassing, y'know..."

"Hah! You said 'y'know' again! You're excited!"

"In this case," she asserted shyly. "It's more like being shaken up, y'know!"

"You said it again!" He laughed, pointing at her.

She grinned, and then her blush lifted as she allowed her mind to drift to the past. "Well, yeah...

It all started the first day that I came to Konoha. In the Ninja Academy, our form teacher presented me to all the students in the class. He had an attentive hand against my back, as I looked up anxiously at all the unfamiliar faces.

Out of everyone, only one person caught my attention. He had spiky, shoulder-cropped hair of a golden hue and deep, mysterious blue eyes. That was the first time that I met your father, Minato. He was so handsome that I couldn't hold his gaze for more than a few seconds.

'Well, this is our new transfer student...' the teacher said, his high-pitched voice failing to clear the blush from my cheeks, nor the nervousness that had my heart in palpitation.

'I'm Uzumaki Kushina, y'know,' I shouted impulsively, as if that sudden outburst would drive off the nervousness and the embarrassment.

I slapped my hand over my mouth with regret, but the unrefined words had already slipped out; I had already made a fool of myself and the students began laughing at me.

'Look at that hair!' Someone said mockingly.

'I can't believe it!' Another agreed.

'How did it get so red?'

'That hair is so weird.'

'Hey, hey, be quiet,' the teacher instructed. 'I said be quiet!'

I trembled as they continued to taunt me — hurt, angry, frustrated. 'I... I will become this village's first female Hokage!'

Finally, there was silence — and, I have to say, I derived great satisfaction from everyone's shocked faces. Minato, however, wasn't shocked in the least. He pushed to his feet with a gentle smile and pressed a fist to his chest. 'I also want to become a great Hokage, respected by all the villagers.'"

Naruto smiled warmly, his eyes soft as he thought about that. "A Hokage respected by all the villagers, huh?"

"Back then, I used to tease him that he looks too feminine and unreliable, so there's no way he would ever become Hokage."

"Eh? But dad looked so strong!"

"Yeah, but back then, I was still very immature and didn't understand much." She giggled and looked to Naruto, winning his utmost attention. "I had just moved there from another village and I was already saying that I'd become Hokage. Man, I was cheeky. All the boys started teasing me.

The nickname they gave me was...

'Tomato!' A boy mocked, pointing at me. His other friends were pointing and laughing, too. 'From today, you'll be known as Tomato. With a fat round face and red hair, you're just like a tomato! As if a tomato could become Hokage! I hate tomatoes!'

'Me, too! If I get any in my salad, I just leave it!'

The ringleader laced his fingers behind his head. 'If you're a hated tomato, then there's no way that the people of the village will ever acknowledge you!'

The all laughed together."

"I see," Naruto beamed. "So dad was the one who protected you from those bullies! Right?"

"No, not at all." Kushina heaved an open smile, slowly raising a trembling fist imbued with her wrath. "Tomato... when they called me that, even I could see why. It was so embarrassing that the name fit me perfectly.

'Oh, and it's even ripening!' One of the boys said, pulling a fistful of my hair. 'Time for the Tomato Festival! Time to start harvesting!'

'Who's a tomato?' I sneered, grabbing his wrist so tight that he had to release my hair. 'Just for your information, I hate tomatoes, too!'

Without warning, I lifted and spun him around — as if he weighed no more than a leaf — clobbering all the boys that surrounded me. Then, I sat on top of the ringleader and began pounding him atop the head. 'If you're gonna keep calling me a tomato and making a fool out of me, I'm gonna make you regret it, y'know!'

As always — like the disciplined and quiet student he was — Minato was sitting by his desk, watching. But, this time, he was smiling, too.

'What are you laughing at?' I shouted in the midst of my sweet revenge. Minato was so shocked that he averted his head in a sudden cringe.

Kushina was still holding that trembling fist and cool visage. "I would always beat the crap out of the boys who called me a tomato and made them look like smashed tomatoes, instead. With my long red hair flying around, while I beat guys half to death, I soon got a new nickname. That nickname was: The Red Hot-Blooded Habanero!"

Naruto swallowed, petrified by the woman's suddenly deadly aura.Kiba and Shikamaru were right when they said that moms are scary.

Kushina was calm again, her eyes a bit sad. "I was always fighting. Of course, I was the Habanero-sama of repeated victories, but...

One day, as I was jogging along a remote path — rows of cherry trees in full bloom on either side — I came across one of the boys from the academy. He was the ringleader, and he wasn't alone. I frowned as they grinned heinously at me. I understood immediately what their intends were.

'So you're the one who's always making my little brother cry?' They approached me in an amble stride, finding confidence in my clear disadvantage.

Regardless, I threw my arm forward in an accusing gesture, refusing to give them the pleasure of basking in any level of my fear. 'That's because he's always messing with me, y'know. Even though he's just a wimp.'

Ashamed, the boy veered his eyes away as his older brother's gaze sought to confirm the truth of it. Then, he was looking down at me again with an arrogant smirk. 'I'm a Genin!' He pointed at his shinny forehead protector. 'Pretty awesome, huh? I have to teach the bad people who bully my brother a lesson.'

When he cracked his knuckles menacingly in his palm, I tried to make a run for it in the canopy of the trees. Being a Genin, it was very likely that I wouldn't have stood a chance against him in a head-on fight; I was still just a fledgling at the academy, after all. So I took my chances and fled, instead — but even that alternative didn't guarantee success.

And I was right. The moment I leaped from the limb of the fourth tree, he was already there, and he threw a kunai at me. I saw just in time to dodge, but I was still shocked that a real kunai had been targeted at me.

Right then, something clicked inside me. I must have realized I wouldn't have been able to escape unless I immobilized or defeated him. So I maneuvered around on a tree trunk and tackled him in midair but, when he fell to the ground, it turns out he had used a substitution technique.

By the time I noticed, he had already sneaked up behind me and delivered a karate chop to my neck and a kick in my back. I fell to the ground, but I wasn't just about to give up.

The Genin cruelly clasped the end of my hair and pulled me up to my knees. 'Can't you even recognize a substitution technique?' He gloated, and his younger brother watched in evident delight. I wanted to punch him. 'Looks like you're just a brat. But man, this thing is red,' he pulled my hair harder. 'It looks like thread, and it's all stiff and starchy. This hair is an eyesore!'

'Serves you right!' The ringleader teased as tears trickled down my face. He must have wanted to see me cry for the longest time.

'I... I... I hate this hair, too!'

They were surprised by my words, and even more so as I struggled to break free. I kept marching forward until my hair tore, leaving pure strands between his fingers. He was obviously shocked by my feat, but mere shock wasn't enough of a compromise to appease me.

I wanted to hear him cry out in pain and desperation while his annoying little brother watched. How dare they mock me! How dare they laugh at me! I wanted to beat them up so hard that my hair would never again become the subject of ridicule.

While the elder brother was distracted by my recklessness, I turned around and gave him a few good punches and kicks. And once I got him on the ground, I stormed his face with my knuckles. 'But... even if I don't like it, it's a part of me! There's no helping it, is there?'

'It's the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero!' The younger brother cried, making a run for it. I wanted to beat the hell out of him, too, but there was always tomorrow.

As soon as I was out of breath, I pushed to my feet and stepped away from the sad excuse for a Genin.

'Outsider!' He bellowed in his frustration, chucking the strands of hair into my face. 'As if an outsider can become Hokage!'

He wiped his mouth and left.

I had somehow turned the tables and secured my victory but, deep down, I felt that I had lost. His words took something precious from me and I wanted it back. Suddenly sensing someone above me steered my thoughts away from that loss, however. It was Minato, standing in a tree, and his nonchalance was disarming, as always. I could never tell what he was thinking behind those enigmatic blue eyes, and it always frustrated and irritated me.

'So, you won't help me 'cause I'm an outsider?' I was livid, especially because my heart had disobediently gone and made me like him.

'I...'

'You think so, too, don't you?' I didn't give him a chance to answer. I was much too consumed by my sadness and my rage.

I turned on my heels and ran off with my head down, the errant wind carrying off my salty tears. I wanted to run forever; to run away from all the incongruity and the grief, but spying the lofty stones heads of the previous Hokages stopped me dead in my tracks.

'I don't want to be an outsider. I want to make this village my home.' I frowned at the truth of that. 'That's why I said it. Who would want to become Hokage, anyway?

I really hated it, this hair," Kushina looked to Naruto with a smile. "Then, a certain incident happened, and I started to like my hair."

"A certain incident?"

"Autumn was still in full swing, and the cherry blossoms looked especially beautiful as they drifted in the breeze, illuminated with a soft saffron hue by the evening's twilight.

'I'm home!' I called as I stepped into the house, but there was no answer. I strolled along the porch to the back of the house, calling again with no response. 'Is anyone here? Nobody?'

I wasn't a paranoid person but, at this point, I was already suspicious that something was out of place. I could feel a bad omen — a bad aura hanging over the mansion and I followed a trail, which could have well been a byproduct of my delusion until I was at the kitchen's door.

Despite the sunset and the splash of vibrant colors, the kitchen looked awfully dreary — and the dark silhouettes of trees drifting back and forth outside the widow didn't contribute positively to the ambience.

My blood turned to ice in my veins and I almost fainted when I saw three unfamiliar shinobi appeared from the shadows, as if they had crawled out from another dimension. And the sinister smirks on their faces told me their ambitions weren't even remotely beneficial on my part.

'Someone! Help me!' I made a run for it but was caught and held down at the end of the corridor, like quarry by a trio of savage hunters.

Before I knew it, I had been taken far outside the village. We traveled in single file, according to their plans. And my hands were bounded behind my back with rope extending to one of the shinobi's hand.

I have a special type of chakra, so I was kidnapped by Kumogakure, who were after it. I was beaten, dehydrated, and driven to despair. Still, as they were taking me away, I pulled out strands of my red hair, to leave behind as a trail. I made sure that the enemy didn't notice.

But I was an outsider, so I didn't really expect anyone to come to my rescue. Just as we were reaching the border and I was about to lose all the remainder of my hope, a golden knight, an angel, descended from the heavens.

It was a much too beautiful night to be taken prisoner, and the full moon that sat in the vast sky illuminated the forested path upon which we traveled, bestowing the wary warriors with decent visibility. But the golden knight knew better than to make his move when the elements were not in his favor — and the tides shifted rather quickly.

The moment we entered a section of the woods with thicker forestry and canopy, and the thick, silver clouds eclipsed the moon, he quickly took out the shinobi at the far back and then masked his location again. Before the other two men could ascertain what was happening, with impressive speed, grace, and maneuverability, the knight descended once more and took out another Kumo shinobi with a lethal kick to the nape.

Startled, the third man took to the trees in a hasty retreat, to gather his bearings. But his speed was ridiculous in comparison to my savior's. Like the others, his fate was also sealed, and he slammed into the trunk of a tree and plummeted to the hard ground, like a rag doll, as he was vanquished by a kunai.

I continued to walk on unsteady feet, completely oblivious as to what was taking place around me. I was so distraught that it took a while before this stranger's words could register in my mind, or that I knew someone was standing before me. I stopped.

'Are you hurt?'

Finally, the clouds slinked on and the moon was free to shower the land with its rich glow once more, illuminating the dreary path before me, as well as my golden knight, my handsome savior.

'I came to rescue you.' His voice was as soft as his smile.

Life returned to my eyes and color, to my cheeks. I beamed at him, relieved, and then suddenly the toll of my exhaustion washed over me. But he caught me just before I could fall to the ground.

'It's okay now,' he reassured sweetly, scooping me up in his arms.

'Hey, wait...' I uttered shyly, feeling a sudden rush of excitement.

But he ignored me and flew off into the sky, like a super hero. But, unlike those chivalrous heroes that saved the day and then withdrew in a blaze of glory, he took me along with him.

Time seemed to slow as I gazed up at him, captivated by his cool countenance against the soft glow of the full moon. It was the very first time that I felt butterflies in my tummy. I couldn't tear my eyes away from his face, but then I noticed strands of hair locked between his fingers.

'That's...'

'It's very beautiful hair, so I noticed immediately.'

I pouted in my embarrassment and averted my eyes. 'But, you never help me.'

'Well, that's because I know that you're strong, both in power and spirit.' He landed atop the very peak of a tree, surrounded by the mountain ranges and the valleys, the ever vigilant moon and the stars, but the mesmerizing blue of his eyes was all that I saw; all that I cared about. 'However, this is a matter between villages, and different from all your other fights. That's why...'

'That's why...?'

His eyes half-lidded softly. 'I didn't want to lose you...'

My heart fluttered wildly at his words, and I couldn't hide the blush that crept into my cheeks. I frowned a little. 'Even though I'm an outsider?'

'Why? You're living in Konoha — that makes you one of us.' He beamed.

'At that time, I saw Minato as a great ninja. I thought he was the man of my dreams. He changed me; this red hair that I hated so much brought me the person I was destined for. It became the thread of destiny. So, I started to like my hair, and I fell in love with Minato."

Naruto grinned widely. He couldn't contain himself, his excitement, and he rocked back and forth, like a baby, as his mother beamed at him.

"There are some special words that I'll give only to the men who compliment me on my hair. Naruto," her voice was quiet. "Will you receive them?"

"Hn!"

They shared a cosmic moment, eyes filled with affection. "I love you."

The words settled on Naruto's swollen heart and he felt a wave of warmth that left him overwhelmed and flustered. His eyes quivered with delight, and he couldn't keep them steady.

This love was different from the one he shared with Hinata; this was the love and affection between a mother and child — a feeling he thought he would have never received the pleasure of experiencing. And it was far more fulfilling that he ever imagined.

Kushina poked his chest gently. "When you combine the Yellow Flash of Konoha with the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero..."

Naruto giggled and pushed to his feet, clinging to his jacket. "You get Konoha's Orange Hokage, y'know!"

"That's really cool, y'know!"

They shared a brilliant grin.

"Hokage... your dream is the continuation of my and Minato's dream..."

"Yeah, I'll never let Mom and Dad's dream end!"

"Naruto..." she beamed at him, unshed tears sparkling in her eyes.

Suddenly, he was wearing his battle-face again and a nonchalance that reminded her of Minato. "But, before that," he veered his gaze to the left, noting the faint roar of an enraged Kyuubi.

Kushina followed his eyes, knowing what had to be done.

The Demon Fox could sense the return of its Jinchuuriki. The creature didn't want to admit it but things were not going in its favor. It was already difficult enough to deal with Naruto with all his newly acquired powers, and now there was Kushina's binding techniques to deal with, as well.

A low, nasty growl bubbled up in its throat as it struggled to lift its head. Just a few more centimeters and it would've been able to fire off a beam from its mouth, vaporizing the pest in an instant. But Kushina did well to restrain its neck, knowing the beast's mouth was its most dangerous aspect.

I love you,Naruto heard his mother's voice ushering him from his trance — a fitting croon for his grand awakening. "Somehow... I feel completely relaxed."

I love you, her soft voice resounded in his mind again, and he could see her face, see her warm smile and her encouraging eyes painted vividly in the forefront of his mind. "I feel completely happy."

Something erupted inside of him, then — an invigorating and overflowing force born of love and determination. Naruto roared passionately and the Kyuubi could only curse Kushina as the Orange Hokage exerted his power, his chakra pushing back the malicious one that enveloped his.

On the outside realm, Killer-Bee and Yamato celebrated as the Kyuubi's cloak lifted from Naruto's motionless body.

"My chakra's repressing the Kyuubi for now, but it won't last long," Kushina explained solemnly. "Now's your chance!"

"Right!" Naruto returned coolly.

Inside his mental dimension, where the creature lied, our valiant warrior formed his trademark seal. "Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Over fifty-odd clones spawned and stood strong behind him. "Let's go!" They all charged toward the gigantic beast.

"Little brat!" The Kyuubi bellowed sinisterly, using one hand-like paw to yank and break the binding chains in its rising fury.

Kushina smirked. "It really is very strong."

"Eat this!" All of Naruto's clones forged a Rasengan.

"Don't get cocky!"The Kyuubi poised for an attack. Standing upright on its hind legs — with one mighty sweep of its hand-like paw — the creature was able to crush more than half of Naruto's Rasengan-infantry, as they leaped into the air on the offensive.

Kushina frowned. "I've still got some power left in me, y'know!"

There was one last chain coiled around the creature's leg and she poured the remainder of her might into that chain, reinforcing its power. Then she pulled, rendering the Bijuu unbalanced and sending it toppling to the ground on its back — flustered and defenseless.

Now!Naruto murmured inwardly.

"That's... Sage Mode!" Yamato exclaimed as the motionless body made the epic transformation.

The remainder of Naruto's Rasengan-infantry inherited the Senju Engery and their destructive sphere grew a hundred times its original size. "Sage Art: Ultra-Big Ball... Rasengan Combo!"

Shaken and disheveled, the Kyuubi sat on its furry behind — propped up on its hands — paralyzed in place by a mixture of fear and rage. It couldn't comprehend what Naruto had conjured to guarantee his victory. There was absolutely no time to defend, and nothing formidable with which to defend. So, instead, the creature merely gazed up at the instrument of its imminent defeat. The glowing spheres looked like twenty full moons that were close enough to be plunked — but by no means were they also as kind and majestic as the gentle female deity.

The Kyuubi knew the truth of it when they collided into him with the force of an iron wall, pushing the creature backward with tremendous force and velocity. But the most fearsome and supreme of the tailed beasts — the legendary Nine-Tailed Demon Fox — was tenacious and, somehow, it had managed to regain its footing and stopped itself once the barrage of Rasengan had exploded and dematerialized.

However, our brave golden knight and Hinata's man was tenacious, too. "Here's one more!" Zipping out from the concealing wall of water created by the Kyuubi's abrupt stop, our hero ran up to the massive beast and slammed a Rasenshuriken into its face.

What kind of power is this?The fiend exclaimed in a flurry of pain and disbelief as the sphere expanded, violently pushing him back and separating him from his chakra that a horde of Naruto's clones were pulling on.

"You did it!" Kushina cheered. "You dragged the Kyuubi's chakra out!"

All of Naruto's shadow clones dispelled then, and the transparent silhouette that was the embodiment of the Bijuu's charka slowly poured into him, merging with that of his own.

The warrior was awestruck by the sudden transformation induced by his new acquisition. From head to toe, his entire body had taken on a brilliant golden hue with orange flames waving and flickering upwards around him, like a barrier. And intricate designs in black were etched on his body.

Kurama's eyes flashed.

Traveling at full career across the open seas atop his back, Hinata felt a subtle force ripple throughout the furry deity. "Ku-Kurama-kun, what's wrong?"

"Just now... Naruto took almost all of my chakra to achieve a new form."

"Na-Naruto-kun did? A-Are you in pain? Will Kurama-kun disappear?" Her voice was dejected, panicked.

"No. This form has its own individual chakra reserves, so I won't disappear."

Hinata sighed a breath of relief, clinging tighter to the Bijuu's lush fur.

"We should hurry to the island. Knowing Naruto, he will be anxious to make his way onto the battlefield to aid his friends, after attaining this new power."

"H-Hn!"

Rendered weak and skinny by its chakra being extracted, the Kyuubi struggled to push its body up off the ground to glower at the newly born hero. But, to the fox's dismay, Naruto was busy assessing his glowing body with astonishment.

"Is this... the Kyuubi's power?"

"Naruto..."the demon's sinister quirk extended all the way down to its snout, and its veiny crimson eyes were sharp and menacing. "How dare you... how dare you anger me, Naruto!"

Despite its fatigue, an enraged and emaciated Kyuubi attempted to fire off another gigantic Tailed-Beast Ball, but its attack was almost immediately dissipated as Naruto used a new, stronger seal to imprison the weakened beast once again.

Is this the Rikudou's?

You really are something; I can't believe he still had that much in him...

"I'll remember this, Naruto."The fiend closed its eyes, disappearing in the darkness of its newly constructed cage.

I'm sorry, Kyuubi. But I won't treat you badly. So just stay there for a little while. In any case, I'm still curious about what I felt — apart of you being near Hinata.

Inside Kushina's realm, Naruto opened his eyes to find her cupping his hand with both of her own. She was smiling happily. "You did it, Naruto!"

"Yeah." His voice was but a whisper, and he squeezed her fingers, his expression pale. "Where will you go now, mom?"

"I can finally go to where Minato is..."

Naruto's eyes widened, and then slitted morosely as he tried to digest the bittersweet reality of that. He knew this moment would come but it was so hard to accept. His heart was breaking.

"There is something I must tell you before I leave, however."

He held her gaze.

"It's about when you were born, sixteen years ago, Naruto. I'll tell you what really happened."

"What really happened sixteen years ago?"

"I was the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki before you. That's where the story begins."

"You were the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki, mom?" Naruto couldn't believe it, nor was he pleased. Just how much had his family suffered overall?

"Yes. Before I tell you what happened sixteen years ago, I want to tell you more about my story. I was chosen to be the second Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi. In fact, I was brought to Konoha for the sole purpose of becoming the Jinchuuriki. I was from the Whirlpool Country."

"Why?" Naruto was livid. "Why did they have to choose someone from another country as their Jinchuuriki?"

"As you said, I was from another country, another village. They may have been from two different countries, but Konoha and Uzushio shared a deep bond.

The Senju Clan from Konoha and the Uzumaki from the Whirling Tides where distant blood relatives. My people were known to live for many years, so our village also came to be called the 'Village of Longevity'. Sealing techniques were our clan's forte. We were a bit rowdy, though.

The Four Symbol Seal on your stomach was actually developed by my clan. I was also the one who taught sealing techniques to your father, Minato."

Naruto smoothed his palm over his belly.

"And, that symbol on your back... that's the symbol of Uzushio. As a sign of that friendship, the symbol is still worn today in Konoha, isn't it?"

"What happened to your village?"

Kushina bowed her head. "It's long gone. Because our sealing techniques were feared during the war, our village was targeted and quickly destroyed. Those who survived chose to hide themselves across various lands."

"But why did they choose you?" Naruto asserted.

"I was apparently born with chakra powerful enough to suppress the Kyuubi — a rare ability, even within my village."

Naruto bit his lip. That wasn't reason enough to subject his mother to the same loneliness and grief he faced.

"Have you heard of the battle between the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama-sama and Uchiha Madara?"

"Yeah," Naruto nodded.

"The woman who was the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki before me became the First Hokage's wife. Her name was Uzumaki Mito. To help Hashirama-sama, who had obtained the Kyuubi during his fight against Madara, she sealed the Kyuubi within her body and became its Jinchuuriki. After that, Konoha was always in possession of the Kyuubi.

But, when Mito-sama neared the end of her days, they brought me there, as a vessel for the Kyuubi."

Naruto couldn't stand what he was hearing. "So they treated you like an object!"

"At first, I didn't know why they had brought me there, so I was quite shocked when I found out. It was all kept secret, of course. The only ones who knew were the Third Hokage and a few high-level officials. Not even the Sannin knew.

I felt as if I was being crushed by the pressure and loneliness of being a Jinchuuriki. But, Mito-sama, my predecessor, called for me. She was a nice lady — quite motherly, and could completely relate to what I was going through. She would always listen to all that I had to say and give me advice.

She told me that, while it was true we were vessels for the Kyuubi, there was a way to live happily, even as a Jinchuuriki. And that was to fill those vessels with... love. That's what Mito-sama told me."

"So you were happy, even as a Jinchuuriki, mom?" Naruto was anxious to learn the truth of it.

Kushina smiled warmly, her cheeks pink with all the fond memories she made with Minato and all their friends. "Yup!"

Naruto's eyes widened, quivering, and tears quickly spilled over onto his face. From the bottom of his heart, he was truly happy. He knew what it was like to be shunned as the host of the notorious Kyuubi — a fate he wouldn't have wished onto his most hated enemy.

Kushina giggled. "What are you crying for, Naruto?"

He cleared his tears. "Huh?"

"What is it?"

"But the Kyuubi attacked Konoha sixteen years ago. Dad told me a masked man from Akatsuki was behind it. How did you still have the Kyuubi, then?"

Kushina averted her eyes. "I guess your father didn't tell you the whole story. I'm not surprised. When you met him, your father didn't have as much time to talk to you as I have now.

It is true, though. Sixteen years ago, that masked man manipulated the Kyuubi and attacked Konoha. But, right up until then, I still had the Kyuubi within me."

"Then how?"

"I don't know how, but that masked man knew."

"Knew what?"

"He knew the one moment when the seal that kept the Bijuu inside the Jinchuuriki weakened. He planned to steal the Kyuubi during that moment."

"The one moment when the seal is weakened?" Naruto reiterated. "When is that?"

"During childbirth."

There was a moment of silence.

"During the ten-month period, when a female Jinchuuriki becomes pregnant and gives birth, the energy from the seal is transferred onto the child in her womb, thus weakening its hold on the Bijuu."

"You mean..."

"It was October 10th, sixteen years ago:

After receiving the splendid news from my pediatrician that I was pregnant, I hurried back home to tell Minato. We were both thrilled beyond words. We were going to be parents!

Your father took exceptionally good care of me throughout that time. He took over the duty of cooking and cleaning, insisted that I took it easy, and refrained from over-exerting myself. I got so frustrated of his excessive caution that I just eventually surrendered and allowed myself to be spoilt. It was awesome!" She giggled naughtily.

"Nine months later, we were summoned by the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen-sama and his wife, Biwako-sama, and informed about the Kyuubi's seal weakening during child's birth.

It had been decided that I would have the child in secrecy outside the village within a barrier. And there would be ANBU bodyguards, directly under the command of the Third Hokage.

Childbirth was just as painful as I thought. But, before I could see the fruit of my labors for more than a minute, the masked man somehow made it passed the guards and the barrier. In an instant, he killed Biwako-sama along with her friend and held you, a baby, hostage.

Minato had to abandon suppressing the Kyuubi and overseeing the seal to save you. He teleported you to safely but, by the time he returned for me, the masked man had already broken the seal and released the Kyuubi under his control.

Once Minato came back for me, the man took the Bijuu to Konoha where he unleashed its fury upon the village. The Third Hokage quickly took command of the shinobi and launched a counter-strike against the beast. But the Kyuubi was proving to be more than they could handle. Many people lost their lives in the chaos, both civilians and shinobi alike.

Meanwhile, Minato was engaged in a fierce fight with the masked man. It turns out he could also use space-time techniques, which is why he was able to bypass the powerful barrier at the cave where I was giving birth to you. Nevertheless, Minato was able to relinquish his control over the Kyuubi and overpowered him to the point where he retreated. But not before leaving an ominous threat.

Minato regrouped with the Third Hokage and the army of shinobi under his command just in time to teleport the Kyuubi away, before it could fire off one of its deadly blasts in the village. And the only location he could take the beast was the safe haven he had taken you and I. But he also teleported us outside to safety before the Kyuubi's blast could affect us.

In turn — despite my exhaustion — I used my sealing technique to immobilize the Bijuu. I told Minato that I would use my remaining chakra to pull the Kyuubi in and die along with it, but he didn't agree.

Kneeling before me with a baby Naruto in his hand, I watched as Minato frowned behind his tears. 'Kushina, there's no reason you should have to die together with the Kyuubi. Use what little chakra you have left to ensure a reunion with Naruto.'

'Eh?'

'I will seal all of your remaining chakra into Naruto.' He slowly wiped away his tears, his features illustrating his conviction now. 'I'll be part of the Eight Trigram Seal. I will take the Kyuubi with me. Since I'm not a Jinchuuriki, I'll use the only option I have left: The Shiki Fūjin!'

My face suddenly turned pale. 'But after you use that seal...'

'Also, I will only seal away half of the Kyuubi.'

The Bijuu snarled, eyes narrowed to dangerous slits.

'It's physically impossible to completely seal it, away. It's not a wise strategy, either. If you take the Kyuubi and its seal with you, there wouldn't be a Jinchuuriki until it was resurrected and the balance between the Bijuu that countries have would be ruined.

The Shiki Fūjin will seal half of the Kyuubi with me for eternity. The other half... I'll seal the other half in Naruto with the Eight Trigram Seal!'

I gasped.

'I know what you're thinking. But, remember what Jiraiya-sensei said about the world's revolution and all of the catastrophes that will accompany it.

I realized two things today: first, the masked man that attacked you will surely direct the world into chaos. Second, the one who will stop him... is our child! This boy, Jiraiya-sensei's godchild, will clear the way for a future as a Jinchuuriki. I just know he will.' He smiled reassuringly as he placed our baby down on the ground, wrapped in his blanket.

'But, Minato...'

He pushed to his feet and flew through the hand seals, summoning the deity associated with the Shiki Fūjin at his back. 'We have to believe in this child! After all, he's our son!

After I've used the Shiki Fūjin, I'll seal your chakra into Naruto. I want you to be there to help him out, when he attempts to control the Kyuubi's power as a Jinchuuriki.'

'But he's our... he's our son!' I asserted, unable to accept his resolve, however rational it was. 'I'd never want him to live while carrying such a burden!' There was a moment of silence. 'Why are you using the Shiki Fūjin? Is it just so I can see him when he's grown up? It'll only be for a short time, anyway! There's no reason for you to die!

I want you to stay by Naruto's side and watch him grow up! Why then? To maintain the balance between the Bijuu? For the sake of the country? The village? There's no reason to sacrifice Naruto for that! There's no reason for you to sacrifice yourself for me!'

Minato was calm. 'Abandoning one's nation and abandoning one's village... it's the same as abandoning one's child. You should understand, since your nation was destroyed. You know how harsh life can be for someone without a nation. Besides, we're a family... of shinobi!

Even if I were to live, I can't compete with you.' He stooped down a bit in front of me, capturing my eyes with his. 'Even if it's only for a short amount of time, there are things you, as a mother, can tell him that I cannot — that's a mother's duty.

I'm not doing this just for you; I'm doing it for Naruto, too.' Kneeling, he gently took our slumbering child into his arms, his eyes soft and sincere. 'I'm willing to die for my son — that's a father's duty.'

We shared a moment's silence, our eyes locked for the longest moment, and I humbly conceded to his wise and noble decision. Minato had never disappointed me before and, despite the height of the stakes, I confided in him. He always knew what was best... my decisive husband.

Quickly sealing half of the Kyuubi's chakra, despite its growling and words of contempt, Minato placed his palm to the ground and summoned a ritual pedestal. 'Good, now for the Eight Trigram Seal.' He sauntered over to the pedestal and gently rested baby to lie down on the cushion. 'I'll seal the Kyuubi inside Naruto.'

A ritual pedestal? The Bijuu's teeth were bare, eyes sharp and unswerving. Does he plan on sealing me again? In that baby, of all things?

I tried to crawl over to the pedestal, to look at my beautiful baby boy one last time, before he had become a vessel for a creature that I loathed. But my body wasn't in any condition for even that meager level of effort. I began coughing.

'Kushina, are you okay?' Minato exclaimed, rushing over to me.

The Kyuubi's eyes flashed with sudden malice and it capitalized on the fact that the baby had been left unprotected and drove its claws forward for a fatal attack. Summoning every ounce of energy we had in a sudden spasm of adrenaline rush, both Minato and I intercepted its attack. The Bijuu's claw pierced us both in the process, Minato and then me, but we were able to stop it just before Naruto was injured.

'I told you... this was a father's duty,' Minato chided softly.

'Then all the better, since I'm the mother,' I smiled disobediently.

'You bastard!' The Kyuubi wasn't pleased.

We ignored him, and I struggled to catch my breath. 'This is the first time I've lost an argument to you. I understand now how serious you are about this.'

'Thank you, Kushina.' He grinned, and then wiped a speck of blood from his mouth to his palm as retribution before forming the seals to perform a summoning. 'Kuchiyose no Justu!'

Gerotora appeared from the smoke and almost keeled over in shock when he saw a most unenthused Kyuubi sprawled out in front of him. 'The Kyuubi? And you, Fourth, what the hell is going on?'

'Gerotora, I'm giving you the key to the seal. Take it to Jiraiya-sensei immediately and store it within him.'

'I see...' the Third said, restricted outside my barrier. 'Minato plans on making his child the Jinchuuriki to save the village!'

'I've got the key,' Gerotora said, furling the scroll back into place around its torso. 'I'll leave now.'

And he was gone.

'That's taken care of,' Minato whispered with a smile, and then noticed that the Shiki Fūjin deity was getting impatient. 'Kushina, I'm almost out of time. It's time for the Eight Trigram Seal. I want to put some of my chakra into Naruto, as well. It'll be a while before we see him, so say what you want to say.'

'Naruto...' we both gazed affectionately at our sleeping child. 'Don't be picky about your food. Eat lots so you can grow big. Take a bath every day, and stay warm. And don't stay up late at night; you'll need your sleep. Make friends. You don't need a lot of them — just a few that you can really trust! I'm not one to talk, but do your best in school and ninjutsu. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses, so don't feel down, if you're not good at something. Respect your teachers and seniors at the Academy.

Oh, and don't forget the three shinobi vices. Be especially careful when lending or borrowing money. Make sure to save the money you earn from your missions. Don't drink any alcohol until you're twenty. Drinking too much is bad for your health, so do so moderately. And, as for women... I'm a woman myself, so I don't know much about this, but there are only men and women in this world, so it's okay if you become interested in a woman, but don't go after a bad one; find someone just like your mom!

Speaking of vices, watch out for Jiraiya-sensei, y'know!' I took a few shaky breaths, clinging tightly to the claw penetrating us both. 'Naruto... you will face a lot of pain and suffering in your life. Believe in yourself. Believe in your dreams... and believe that your dreams will come true!

There's many, many, many, many, many, many more things I want to share with you,' I couldn't help but cry, knowing the end was now. 'I wish I could stay with you longer! I love you.

I'm sorry, Minato; I spoke for too long.'

He shook his head with a smile, his nose brushing my hair. 'Don't worry. Naruto... my advice as your father... is everything your chatty mother just said.' He winked, and then closed his eyes in an echo of mine and whispered: Eight Trigrams Seal..."

Kushina cleared her eyes, failing to wipe away the sting of guilt. "I'm sorry for making you the Kyuubi's vessel," she apologized quietly. "I'm sorry for making you bear our burden. I'm sorry I couldn't live by your side. I'm sorry I couldn't shower you with love."

Naruto lowered his head, eyes half-lidded and calm. "Don't say 'sorry'. I went through some tough times because I was a Jinchuuriki, but I never blamed you or dad for any of it."

Kushina's eyes widened.

"Also... I don't really know what 'being-loved-by-your-parents' means, because you and dad were never around but, I managed." He rested both hands on his hips with an appreciative grin. "I know now that you and dad sacrificed your lives for me. I know that, before I took in the Kyuubi, I was filled with your love for me! That's why I'm happy!"

Kushina couldn't control her tears and she was certain she was crying for her and Minato both. Her heart beamed at their son's words, and she could feel a perpetual joy replacing the guilt and grief she had bottled up inside.

"I'm glad I'm your son. And it turns out that I've been following your and dad's advice all along: I have lots of great friends who support me and I've found the girl I love. Her name is Hinata, and I proposed to her a few weeks ago. We'll get married, after the war.

I wish you could meet her, mom."

Time slowed, and then Kushina lunged toward him as her body began dematerializing. Are you listening, Minato? Our love reached him! "Naruto!" She hugged him. "You've grown up so much! I'm so happy that you've found love and friends that you can lean on.

Thank you for making me a mother. Thank you for making Minato a father. Thank you for being our child! From the bottom of my heart... thank you!"

Naruto closed his eyes as tears rippled down his face, reveling in the soft echo of her voice and the warm beams of light that wafted passed him, carrying off his mother's spirit to her final resting place beside her loving husband — wait! But first, a detour...

Hinata gasped. All of a sudden, she wasn't on Kurama's back anymore. All of a sudden, she could no longer hear the lapping of the waves and smell the crisp salty air of the open seas. This realm was quiet. There were no clouds — an entire world stretching outward into infinity, painted entirely of a splash of gold and grey. But Hinata's attention was especially drawn to the lovely woman standing before her. She had long, reddish hair and wore a pretty dress and a warm smile.

Was this an illusion? Genjustu?

"Mmm..." without a word, the woman slowly circles around the anxious princess, assessing her lean figure with fierce female-scrutiny. Then, she abruptly groped her from behind with a playful giggle, massaging her breasts until the girl surrendered to a cute whimper.

Flushed scarlet, Hinata hugged her chest shyly and pursed her lips, pulling away from the woman's bizarre and inappropriate means of introduction.

The stranger grinned. "You have a stunning body, y'know. As expected from Naruto — he reeled in a real looker, and a Hyūga at that!"

Hinata's eyes widened a tad. "Na-Naruto-kun? You know him? Who are you? And where am I?"

"My name is Kushina, and I'm Naruto's mother. You must be Hinata... my soon-to-be Daughter-in-Law."

For a moment, the princess couldn't find her tongue. She had a hard time believing anything, from what she had seen to what she had heard. "Ho-How is any of this possible? Where am I?"

"We're inside a part of your subconscious mind. I'll explain..."

Hinata was evidently anxious.

"Sixteen years ago — when the Kyuubi was sealed inside Naruto — some of my chakra, fused with my consciousness, was also sealed inside of him. This was for the purpose of my aiding him, once he had decided to try to control the Bijuu.

Moments ago, Naruto succeeded in attaining the Kyuubi's power, and he's told me about you. As to how I found you... while I was in contact with the Kyuubi, I sensed an extension of its entity in a different location. It was a very thin link, but I was able to trace the thread that connected the two and made a connection with you since you both are currently in physical contact.

I don't know how it's possible for the Kyuubi to be outside the seal, in any shape or form but, I don't sense any malice emanating from its chakra."

"Hn! Kurama-kun has been protecting me since Naruto-kun left the village." Hinata beamed, her eyes glossy with fiery excitement. "Is it true? Has Naruto-kun really succeeded in controlling the Kyuubi's power?"

"That's right."

Then Kurama-kun was right about what he said before...

Kushina inched closer, rendered emotional as the girl heaved a smile of relief and struggled to wipe away her tears. "You really love him, don't you?"

She sniffled. "More than anything. I don't know what I would, if anything were to happen to Naruto-kun. I want to be by his side and protect him."

Kushina lightly cupped the girl's flushed cheek as she sought her eyes. "Continue loving him, Hinata..."

The princess's eyes quivered.

"Shower him with the love and affection that his father and I didn't get the chance to give. Filling a Jinchuuriki with love is the best way to make him or her happy. And I'm sure Naruto will make you happy in return."

"I will," she whispered behind her tears. "I promise..."

Kushina smiled, and then slowly veered her palm from the girl's cheek to chest. "It's faint, but I can feel a power lying dormant within you — a power that will help you in your endeavor to protect him."

Closing her eyes, the woman took a few deep breaths — finding her center — summoning the unique powers of her Uzumaki bloodline. Chakra converged in her arm in a cool, controlled stream, flowing into Hinata with delicate precision to coax awake her latent abilities.

The princess took a breath, as if finally resurfacing after being submerged under water for far too long. She could feel the change; feel the new chakra-nature coursing fast and cool through her veins. She felt invincible — capable of performing the unimaginable. With this boost in power, she knew with great certitude that she would be able to protect Naruto and to help pave the path to their dreams.

Kushina opened her eyes and allowed a sweet smile as Hinata looked down at her hands with astonishment, sensing her newly found element. "I've also infused the remainder of my chakra inside you. I hope it will be of some use during the war."

"Kushina-san..." tears pooled in her eyes again. "I-I don't know how to thank you."

"Thank you for loving and looking after my son, Hinata."

"Kushina-san..."

The woman pulled her into a motherly embrace. "He misses you," she whispered to her ear. "Go to him, and look after yourself in this war, Hinata... for his sake, too. He'll need you by his side to win this revolutionary movement to change the world as Jiraiya-sama said he would.

I'm glad he chose you to love and entrust his heart to. I wish I could stay to see you both get married, but you have my blessings. I love you both — now, go out there and show the world what you're made off! I'm rooting for you!"

"Hn!"

Hinata felt as the woman's touch vanished, her body disappearing into a sparkling stream of warm light. Then, suddenly, the young kunoichi was back in the outside realm, the dark blue ocean spreading out all around her. And, in the distance, a tiny spot appeared in their range of sight.

"Is that..."

"Hah," Kurama answered coolly, still pelting forward at full career. "That's the island where Naruto's located. We'll be there in a few minutes."

"Hn!" She frowned with a mixture of emotions.

"...What did she tell you?"

The question took Hinata by surprise, but she didn't dwell on the unknown. Her eyes narrowed with a warm gleam. "That we should win the war!"

Kurama heaved a wolfish grin. "I'll be at your side, through thick and thin."


Naruto smiled, the tail of his forehead protector waving in a gentle breeze. Mom... from now on, I'll stop eating only ramen and start eating vegetables, as well. Though, Hinata already makes sure of that.

I love taking bathes, so don't worry about that. I even go to hot springs pretty often. And I always sleep a lot. Actually,he chuckled. Maybe I sleep a bit too much...

Regarding friends, I've met a lot of awesome people. I wanted you to meet them, as well, especially Hinata. However, there's one guy I don't really get along with...

When it comes to studies, I'm afraid it's just as you feared. Of course, I won't let that get me down. During my Academy years, I met lots of teachers and seniors that I now greatly respect.

Jiraiya-sensei taught me all about the three shinobi vices. He was just the kind of guy you said he was but, he also taught me how to live as a shinobi. He was a great shinobi himself. Something tells me he's still alive out there somewhere, though.

I am Uzumaki Naruto — a ninja of Konoha. My dream is to inherit the title of Hokage and to surpass all the Hokages who came before me! He drove a fist to his chest. "To become an even cooler man than my dad! And to become an even stronger shinobi than my mom!"

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