I do not own Naruto Shippuden or any of the characters.
Equipping
Naruto stepped into the weapon store, three hours after the rift had closed and the owner nearly fainted.
"Naruto!" the owner gasped. "You're...alive!"
Naruto grinned and nodded before turning and walking down one of the aisles. After his sword had broken against the Forbidden's skin, he had been left with nothing but his kunai. That was all well and good, but he had come to love swords. He almost felt naked without them.
As he walked, he eyed every sword and knife on every shelf. He saw absolutely nothing he liked. He sighed and left the shop, the owner feeling slightly let down but still rushing out to spread the news.
"I don't suppose I have any weapons left," Naruto asked Hinata hopefully.
"No sorry," Hinata smiled. "I'm sure the others would be happy to give you theirs."
"No," Naruto sighed. "I'm good. Where's Temujin?"
"He went to train outside the village with Shizuka," Hinata stated.
Naruto nodded and turned, making his way that way with Hinata following.
"I thought you could sense chakra," Hinata checked.
"I can but I figured I shouldn't incase they were up to something I didn't want to see," Naruto stated.
Hinata nodded and wrapped her arms around Naruto, as she had done every so often since he got back, as if making sure he was still real.
"I'm sorry about what I did," Naruto apologized as they walked. "Had there been any other way to stop it..."
"I know," Hinata smiled. "I know you would have taken any other way out. That's the only reason you're still alive. For now, I'm just happy you're back."
"Of course," Naruto smiled. "I had a promise to keep didn't I?"
Hinata smiled and kissed him before resting her head on his shoulder. After a few more minutes, they reached the field and found Temujin and Shizuka both breathing heavily and leaning against a tree, craters and fractured ground filling the clearing.
"Hey...Naruto," Temujin panted. "You here...for you...swords?"
"Keep them," Naruto smiled. "I've got something to show you from one of the rifts."
"What's that?" Temujin questioned.
"Remember how we sealed the mine and destroyed it?" Naruto questioned.
"I do," Temujin nodded. "Tell me it didn't get sealed inside the Shinigami."
"Thankfully no," Naruto assured him. "However, one of the rifts was was at the site of the mine."
"So?" Temujin questioned.
Naruto held up a Gelel stone and Temujin's eyes widened.
"Is that, a Stone of Gelel?" Temujin gasped.
"Yeah," Naruto nodded. "I found it in the ruins of the temple or whatever it was. Think you can do your thing?"
"Sure," Temujin nodded and walked over, taking the Gelel stone for a moment before handing it back, the stone fusing with Naruto's hand as the one Temujin was carrying had.
Instead of the usual symbol, however, the kanji for "mine" disappeared.
"Mine?" Naruto blinked before his eyes widened. "I'm...the mine now?"
"Impossible," Temujin breathed.
Naruto held out his hand and a Gelel Stone rose out of it, the symbol on the back of his hand never wavering. He and Temujin exchanged a worried look for a moment before a grin spread across Naruto's.
"What?" Temujin questioned.
"I'm the Mine of Gelel," Naruto grinned. "Which means..."
He formed a pair of spectral swords and grinned, both were the same as when he had had his first Stone of Gelel in his hand except were much stronger. He gripped both handles and his grin spread as a Chakra Chain Dragon shot out of his right shoulder, landing in front of him on its front feet, technically its only feet, and Naruto climbed on. Sure enough, the dragon rose into the air, roaring and Naruto cheered swinging his sword over his head.
"What are you so happy about?" Temujin shouted.
Naruto landed and let the dragon and swords fade then grinned at Temujin.
"I can revive the dead, heal, and use my Kekkei Genkai at full strength again," Naruto grinned. "I'm ecstatic. Plus, now I can crete Gelel Stones for you to place in others, like this one."
He tossed the stone he had formed to Temujin and Temujin turned to Shizuka as Naruto grew another out of his hand. A moment later, both Shizuka and Hinata had symbols matching the one on Temujin's chest glowing on their right hands. Naruto grinned again but then let it fade.
"What's wrong?" Temujin questioned.
"I still don't have a weapon," Naruto sighed. "Shit. I've put it off long enough. I have to go see Mom. I'll see you later Hinata."
"If she doesn't kill you," Hinata smiled before kissing him. "Hurry back."
Naruto nodded and teleported away, glad his father had the teleportation seals still. Finally he reached the outside of his house, opening the door and stepping inside, closing it after himself.
"I'm home!" Naruto called and within seconds there was a screaming mass of red hair and tears crushing him to death in a hug. "I missed you too Mom."
"Missed you!?" Kushina shrieked standing up and grabbing him by the collar. "You DIED! Do you have any idea how I felt? How we all felt? Don't you dare do something like that ever again!"
"I won't," Naruto promised. "I promise I'll never do that again."
"Good," Kushina sighed smiling and hugging him again. "Oh, and you're grounded until the day you die."
"Mom, it's trying to break out of the Shinigami," Naruto stated. "That's how I came back. I have to stop it."
"It's...Kushina began then sighed and nodded. "Okay. Just be careful."
"I will," Naruto smiled. "I promise."
Kushina nodded and Naruto left the house, finding Hinata at the top of the Hokage Monument.
"Remember when we used to be able to come up here without worrying about the world being destroyed?" Hinata spoke up as he appeared beside her.
"Yeah," Naruto nodded. "Back then I was still trying to figure out how I felt about you."
Hinata smiled and leaned on his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her.
"Dad told me what you were like while I was gone," Naruto informed her. "I'm so sorry. I didn't...I'm sorry I had to put you through that."
Hinata shook slightly and he looked over, noticing she was sobbing. He pulled her into his lap, hugging her as he rocked back and forth slightly, running a hand over her hair as she sobbed into his chest. After an hour, she managed to stop and Naruto wrapped his arms around her again, still rocking.
"I'm not going anywhere ever again," Naruto promised.
Hinata nodded and Naruto kissed the top of her head. She smiled, resting her head on his shoulder as they sat in peace. Naruto looked down and grinned, nudging Hinata and pointing. At the bottom of the Hokage Monument, most of the village was gathering to see if the rumors were true. A moment later, the entirety of the Konoha 11, with the obvious exception of Kiba, was standing behind them, Sasuke in the front.
"Told you so," Sasuke grinned.
"You are back!" Tenten cheered as a massive cheer rose from the crowd at the bottom who had finally decided it was actually Naruto. "How?"
"The thing is breaking out of the Shinigami's stomach," Naruto stated. "That's what the rifts are."
"I see," Neji nodded. "Then why are you sitting up here instead of finding a way to stop him?"
"Two reasons," Naruto stated. "One, I just barely got back after more than a year of fighting the thing in a realm where there's infinite energy, no death, and therefore infinite pain. I need a break. And two, I'm spending some very much overdue time with Hinata."
"Fair enough," Neji nodded.
"I do hope you've already gone to see your mother," Ino spoke up.
"Yes," Naruto nodded. "I have. Now, do any of you know a place for me to get a new sword? Or ten?"
"Try us," Suigetsu spoke up, appearing off to one side, Mangetsu on the other.
"Hello Suigetsu," Naruto smiled. "I can't tell you where she is, I don't know. However, I'll be going to find her soon."
"And I'm coming with you," Suigetsu stated. "By the reports we've gotten, I'm sure that Omoi will want to as well."
Naruto nodded standing and helping Hinata up.
"Let me have my sword back and we'll leave now," Naruto offered and Suigetsu held out the Sword of Kusanagi.
Naruto grinned taking it and attaching it to the strap on his Jinchuriki uniform where he had kept his swords before. Then, he teleported himself, Hinata, and Suigetsu all to the gate. The moment he arrived, Kurama crashed down in front of him.
"There you are," Kurama growled. "Why, pray tell, didn't you come to reseal me?"
"Because you got your freedom finally," Naruto stated. "I wasn't going to take that away from you."
"Just seal me already," Kurama growled.
Naruto grinned and nodded, extending chakra chains and forming multiple hand seals before pulling Kurama into the open seal still waiting inside Naruto. He closed the seal, keeping Kurama inside his body then entered his Mindscape, using Chakra Chains to separate Kurama from his chakra again before reopening the seal.
"Good to have you back Kurama," Naruto smiled.
He returned to the real world as Fu arrived.
"Hey Naruto," Fu smiled. "I see you got your Tailed Beast back."
"I did," Naruto nodded. "For now, though, I need you guarding the village, same as the other Jinchuriki with their respective villages. When I need you all, I'll summon you."
Fu nodded then unrolled her scroll and summoned Samehada from inside it.
"He's got a present for you," Fu smiled. "We did our best to find the pieces. We think it turned out pretty well."
"What did," Naruto blinked just before Samehada opened his mouth and regurgitated three sword grips.
Naruto grinned to himself, pulling out Temujin's, the Garian Sword, and the sword he had gotten from Jiraiya.
"You fixed them," Naruto grinned inspecting the Garian Sword and Temujin's, seeing them flawlessly repaired and fully functional again. "Thank you, so much."
Fu nodded and Naruto teleported away, finding Temujin and grinning as Temujin noticed him.
"What now?" Temujin questioned before seeing his old sword in Naruto's hand. "No way, it's fixed?"
"And yours again, if I can have mine back," Naruto grinned.
Temujin wordlessly connected the Double-Edged Swords and tossed them to Naruto before catching his own sword again and grinning.
"I missed this thing," Temujin grinned. "Good luck on your trip."
Naruto nodded and teleported back, putting his swords back in their respective places and smiling.
"Ready?" Suigetsu smirked.
"Yes, yes I am," Naruto smiled. "Finally."
Suigetsu rolled his eyes and they all turned and began walking away. They had several people to find and would not be back until they had.
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