Naruto returned to Gaara and the other sand-nin just as the morning session of the exams was concluding. Everyone was taking a break for lunch and to exchange pleasantries. Upon his arrival, the blonde was practically smothered by a black and pink blur. His mate wrapped her arms around him and jammed her tongue down his throat. Naruto growled and hungrily kissed her back until he saw the large audience that was watching them – Ino, Chouji, Hinata, Kiba, Shikamaru, Temari, Iruka, and Tsunade. Several of them were snickering at the couple's public display of affection.
"You two coming up for air sometime this year," Kiba laughed, and Hinata elbowed him slightly.
Naruto managed to peel himself away from Sakura's luscious mouth, and she nuzzled his neck.
"That was incredible, Naruto; I can't believe you took down Kakashi in one blow. How did you do that?" Ino nearly demanded with her eyes as big as saucers.
"Yes Naruto, I wish to hear this as well," Iruka piped up as he smiled brightly at his former student.
"Indeed, we all want to hear this," Tsunade said with a curious look in her eyes.
"All right, I guess I can explain, but it really wasn't anything that extraordinary. It just involved speed and precision," the blonde replied.
"Elaborate for us, Naruto, I'm actually quite curious myself," Shikamaru said with a smirk.
"Well…first I used my speed to get close to Kakashi and then aimed for my target. I focused my chakra into my fist and hit his chest just below where his sternum was located. Normally, that much chakra would shatter his chest bone and cause it to splinter thereby slashing his internal organs to pieces, but I wasn't trying to kill him."
Everyone winced at his description, and Sakura finally stepped back from him.
"What exactly did you do, baka?"
"Just after my fist impacted its target, I opened my palm thereby releasing some of pressure behind my chakra strike. That blast of wind you saw flow out behind him was an aftershock of my blow. Normally, all the power is concentrated into the one area, but by opening my fist, it was focused over a much wider area. By aiming just below his sternum at the correct angle, the pressure from my attack compressed his lungs and forced all the oxygen out of them. I literally knocked the wind out of him – no pun intended. The shock to his nervous system caused his body to freeze up and collapse. Of course, I didn't hit him at full strength so it merely caused him to lapse into unconsciousness; I have no reason to kill him."
Everyone's eyes were wide in shock as he finished his explanation – including Sakura.
"Naruto…I can't believe you have that much control over your chakra!" Iruka said with a proud smile.
Tsunade walked up to him and grabbed his head under her arm.
"You brat, you've been holding out on me haven't you?" she teased.
"Hey…let me go, baa-chan!" Naruto groaned and pushed her away from him. Tsunade grinned widely; she was proud of him as well.
"Your skills are amazing, Naruto-kun," Hinata said with a warm smile.
"Nah…you're much better than me, Hinata," he replied with a wink, and the young woman blushed slightly.
Gaara stood near his best friend merely observing everyone else. He didn't need to say a word regarding Naruto's performance; he knew just how strong the shinobi had become. If he dared to show the council and everyone else his true strength, they would all be pissing in their pants.
"So baa-chan, who's the next opponent you have for me?"
Tsunade's smile disappeared, and she looked at him seriously.
"Danzo has already acted, Naruto. He's changed my original selection for your next opponent; I had picked Neji to be your next match. However, the council overrode my choice and picked someone else."
"Who?" Sakura interrupted just before Naruto was about to ask the same question.
"Sasuke Uchiha," the Hokage said flatly.
Everyone gasped slightly, and her apprentice looked very angry.
"That's ridiculous! They can't just-"
"Good," Naruto interrupted, and Sakura gawked at him.
"Hey blondie, what do you mean by that?" Ino asked.
"The only way this would have happened is if Sasuke agreed to it. If he wants to fight me so badly, I'll give him exactly what he wants – both him and Danzo. They want to see me beaten so badly; they can go ahead and try."
The group of shinobi suddenly felt a cold wind whip around them making them all shiver, but their eyes widened as they felt Naruto's wind power roar to the surface. The currents of air howled darkly mirroring the hard line of the blonde's face. They died down abruptly as Sakura placed her hand on his arm.
"Naruto…are you sure you want to do this?" she asked with a serious look in her eyes.
"Yes Sakura-chan…I am. Not only has Sasuke chosen to align himself with the worst possible scum, but he insulted you twice. I'm not about to let him do that and get away with it."
"What happened, Sakura?" Tsunade asked sternly.
"When I told him that we wouldn't work out, he called me a slut…twice."
Every female in the group suddenly had a massive killing intent coming off them – even the demure Hinata.
'Oh hell no, Naruto's going to rip him a new one for doing that,' Kiba said mentally.
'I thought the Uchiha was smarter than that, but I guess he is planning to make Naruto so emotional that he is off balance,' Shikamaru calculated in his head.
"Baa-chan…I know that this is meant to be a friendly competition, but I won't make any promises when it comes to my fight with Sasuke. He insulted my mate, and I am not going to let him get away with that."
"I understand, Naruto – just don't blow up the stadium," Tsunade replied with a grin.
Everyone had a good chuckle at that one.
"So forehead…are you two finally going to explain everything to us?" Ino prodded.
"Like what?" the pinkette answered innocently.
"Oh…like maybe why Naruto just called you his mate?"
Sakura smiled widely and looked at her beloved with warm eyes.
"All right, I guess we might as well tell them, baka, but why don't we do it over lunch? If I know your stomach, it will-"
Naruto's midsection growled loudly making everyone laugh again.
"I was going to say make its presence known," Sakura finished.
"I can't help it; I'm always hungry after I fight," the blonde defended.
"Come on, guys, let's go grab some food before Naruto starts wilting over there," Tsunade said with a wide smile.
"Baa-chan…that's harsh!"
"And we are going some place that doesn't serve ramen!" the Hokage hissed at him.
Naruto pouted for a minute, but he relented after Sakura laid a kiss on his cheek. Taking her hand, he followed his friends out of the stadium for a much needed meal.
XXXXXXXXXX
A short time later, the group of friends were sitting in a small restaurant near the stadium. Tsunade picked the place since it had a private room they could use, and the proprietors were more than happy to accommodate the Hokage and her party.
Everyone was surprised to see Naruto actually eat something other ramen for a change. Ino shot Sakura a questioning look, and her friend just winked at her.
"Alright Naruto, spill it, what the hell happened to you?" Kiba inquired fiercely.
The blonde shinobi closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, everyone drew back from him slightly; his eyes were glowing crimson red. His hands moving like lightning, Naruto quickly put a barrier around their room so no one could spy on their conversation. He knew that Danzo was going to have him followed.
Once he was certain that his surroundings were secure, Naruto moved on to his next demonstration. His friends stood dumbstruck as they saw nine tails of red chakra erupt from behind him.
"Naruto, stop!" Shikamaru nearly stuttered; he was beginning to sweat profusely.
"Do not worry, everything is fine," Gaara said flatly.
"Are you crazy?" Kiba nearly shouted, "The Kyuubi is trying to break out of Naruto's seal!"
"No, he is not," the Kazekage replied.
"What are you talking about? Don't you see those chakra tails; he is going to kill us all!"
"Everyone…calm down," the Hokage ordered.
Most of the shinobi present looked at her like she'd lost her mind only to find her smirking widely.
"Let Naruto explain. You're going to be quite surprised."
"Look guys…Kyuubi is not going to hurt any of you. Second, I don't have my seal anymore."
Naruto stood up from his chair, and red chakra enveloped his body. After a few seconds, it separated from his form and began to take shape next to him. Kyuubi's fox form materialized making nearly everyone's jaw drop.
"Guys…I'm sure you know who this is," Naruto said trying not to grin.
"He's…he's…the Kyuubi no Kitsune," Hinata managed to croak out. Everyone looked at her stunned that she'd actually spoken first.
"Indeed, I am, young lady, and you are Hinata Hyuuga," he replied with a toothy grin.
"H-h-hai," the dark-haired beauty replied softly, and Kiba moved closer to his girlfriend to protect her.
"No need to feel threatened, boy; I do not wish to harm your mate," Kyuubi stated, and the description of Hinata made Kiba blush.
"How do you know her name?" he growled at the fox. The nine-tailed beast chuckled slightly.
"The kit and I share our experiences and memories. Everyone he's ever met or known I am aware of. Of course, he could block that information from me if he chose to, but the kit also trusts me – as I trust him."
"Why are you here?" Ino tried not to demand.
"You wished for an explanation did you not, Ino Yamanaka?"
"Kyuubi is a part of me, Ino," Naruto interrupted.
"He's what!" his friends all gasped.
Sakura just chuckled, and the explanation began.
XXXXXXXXXX
Naruto spent nearly an hour telling his friends everything. He told them the truth about what happened twenty years, the supposed attack from the Kyuubi, and what Danzo and Madara Uchiha had done. Sakura cut in at times to explain why she had gone after him, and how she had traveled to the Kyuubi's home dimension with Naruto to meet the fox's mate. Their friends just sat there in stunned shock as they listened to the fantastic story – even Shikamaru. The only ones who weren't surprised were Gaara, Temari, and Tsunade since they had heard this before.
When got to the point of talking about Kyoko, Sakura figured that she might as well tell them everything – including their merger.
"Shishou, when Naruto and I told you this yesterday, I left something very important out."
'Sakura, are you sure you want to do this?' Kyoko asked her.
'Yes, they deserve to know. If Naruto is telling them about Kyuubi, they should know about you as well.'
"This didn't have anything to do with that letter you left me, did it?" Tsunade asked accusingly. Surprisingly, she saw her apprentice shake her head.
"No shishou, this applies to Kyuubi's mate…Kyoko."
"What about her?" the Hokage asked.
"Sakura-chan…are you sure about this?"
"Yes Naruto, they should know about me too."
"Know what about you?" Ino asked staring worriedly at her friend.
Sakura closed her eyes and opened them again just as Naruto had. However, her eyes had changed from their normal, emerald green to deep violet. Eight tails of violet chakra erupted from behind her, and her friends nearly fell out of their chairs.
"Sakura…what the hell did you do?"
"Quiet Ino-pig, let me finish," the pinkette hissed.
The violet chakra separated itself from Sakura's body and took form next to her. It was a fox nearly the same size as Kyuubi except that she had eight tails and violet fur.
"Hello…my name is Kyoko," the vixen stated.
"What the hell is going on here?" Tsunade demanded and slammed her palm down on the table.
Naruto couldn't help it and burst out laughing; he knew she was gonna explode when she saw this.
"Baa-chan, that is Kyoko – Kyuubi's mate."
"Why is she here though…and why is she with Sakura?" Ino asked as she regained her bearings.
"Ino…just as Kyuubi is a part of Naruto…Kyoko is a part of me."
"Are you kidding?" the blonde gasped.
"No, I'm not. When I saw how the people of our village caused Kyoko to be separated from mate for so long, I wanted to try and fix it. Kyuubi cannot return to his home realm since he has been a part of Naruto for so long. Fox spirits can only be summoned to the human realm, and they cannot stay indefinitely unless they have something to anchor them here. Since Kyuubi was sealed inside Naruto for so long, he could not return home anymore; he could not sustain his physical form for long periods of time. As a result, Naruto allowed him to remain as a part of himself so Kyuubi could continue to live. Kyuubi's chakra system has completely merged with Naruto's – just as mine has merged with Kyoko's. However, the process will not work unless the two trust each other wholeheartedly. It was the only thing I could to try and repair the damage that our village has done to her and her mate."
"Sakura…I would never have approved you doing this," Tsunade said firmly but stopped her apprentice when the younger woman tried to respond.
"However, I will not chastise for what you did either. As you said, our village owed a debt to both of these two; I am just glad it was you two that they befriended."
"Thank you, shishou," Sakura said with a bright smile.
"Everyone…listen carefully, neither Sakura nor I have told anyone about this completely – not even her parents. They know that the two of us are serious about each other, but we haven't told them every detail yet. What we've said here today cannot go beyond this room – is that understood?" Naruto said with a firm stare across the room.
All of his friends gave a firm nod.
"Don't forget that other thing, Sakura. You know…about the letter you gave me," Tsunade teased, and the pinkette blushed.
"Right. There is one other thing about Naruto and I. While we were in Suna, we…that is…we took care of something before we came back here. We didn't want anyone else to interfere with it."
"And what is that, forehead," Ino prodded now very interested.
"They got married," the Hokage interrupted, and bedlam broke out.
"You're married!" they all blurted out at the same thing.
Naruto and Sakura just look at each other and started laughing. They really wasn't anything they could say about this. Kyoko let out a chuckle as well before she disappeared back inside Sakura's body.
"Hey…we just did the legal part, okay? We didn't have the ceremony yet," Naruto growled making everyone quiet down slightly.
"Naruto is correct. We wanted our friends and family to be at our wedding, but we were afraid that the council or other factors would force us apart when we came back here. We wanted this to be in place before Naruto came back to Konoha."
"That sounds very reasonable," Hinata said with a nod of her head.
"The other reason is because of Naruto's real identity," Sakura continued.
"She means that I found out who my parents were, guys."
"That's wonderful, Naruto, who were they?" Hinata said happily. She knew how happy that would've made him.
"My mother's name was Kushina Uzumaki; she was a kunoichi from whirlpool country. My father is someone you all probably heard about – Minato Namikaze."
"Namikaze…that name does sound familiar," Kiba said while scratching his chin.
"It was the Fourth Hokage," Shikamaru said flatly.
"Oh yeah, the fourth Hokage…the FOURTH HOKAGE!" the Inazuka gasped.
"Hmph, I should've figured it out sooner; you look almost exactly like him now, Naruto," the shadow master snickered.
"Your dad was the fourth Hokage, Naruto," Ino said with wide eyes.
"Yes, he was. You also know him as the Yellow Flash of Konoha – master of the Hiraishin."
Naruto stared at his friends, and he wondered if maybe this was all too much information for them to handle.
"Hey guys…look…I didn't want to freak everybody out. I'm still the same Naruto so don't think I'm suddenly a totally different person."
"He's right. Lineage aside…Naruto is still Naruto. He's still the same loudmouth baka we all know and love," Sakura said with a wide smile.
"Sakura-chan…that was mean," he pouted, and that made everybody laugh.
His cherry blossom wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close.
"Remember Naruto…you're my loudmouth baka," and she kissed him long and hard.
The young shinobi crushed his mate against his chest and kissed her hungrily. He ignored the catcalls and whistles coming from his friends. At the moment, the only thing that existed for him was his beloved cherry blossom.
'Kyuubi, do you ever feel like you're the luckiest guy in the world?'
'Yes kit, I do, every time I see Kyoko,' his resident replied.
'I know exactly what you mean,' Naruto answered as he continued enjoying the exotic wonder that was Sakura Haruno Namikaze.
XXXXXXXXXX
Author's Notes: Okay guys, little filler chapter here, but next time, we go back to the stadium for what you've all been waiting for. Yup…next time, it's gonna be Sasuke vs. Naruto. It's not gonna be pretty.
