Waking up, I heard the rain outside. Feeling the soft bed, I remembered everything that had happened in the past few days. Opening my eyes, I saw that I was in a room, in a soft bed. Where the hell am I? Of course, the ceiling gave no response.

Remember…Naruto took you out of the interrogation room.

Oh shit…how is that going to be explained? Worry gnawed at my gut.

I dunno…but I gotta admire Naruto for standing up for what is right. He's really pissed that his dad let you get tortured. Kurama sounded kind of in awe of Naruto. A small wave of jealousy swelled in me.

Seriously? I'm jealous of the demon sealed inside me? Shaking my head, I directed my thoughts to Kurama. Naruto doesn't understand the greater good that's at stake! He doesn't understand…

However, I never got to explain what Naruto didn't understand as he walked in about then. "Oh, hi. You're awake." He came over cautiously. Sitting down in a chair by the bed, he started looking me over. "Well, you are healed. Of course, you slept for about a day and a half. Probably your body needed that time to heal yourself from what Ibiki-san did to you." Naruto scowled.

I sighed. "Naruto, you don't underst…"

"Of course I don't understand!" Naruto exploded. "No one will tell me. You all act as if I am some …some…china doll about to break! I found out that mom knew about my mark the whole time, but she never got the chance to tell me before you went all halfcocked and killed the Uchihas. Then, you were gone and she wasn't going to tell me, scared I'd go after you. She got that right. I believe in soulmates. I believe soulmates should be together." Frowning, Naruto huffed.

"And now Itachi and dad are telling me that you volunteered to massacre a clan for me. So, you love me…But can we be together? I don't know. I mean, you are being all secretive and I don't know why. Hell, I don't know if you even truly love me or just the idea of me since we are soulmates. Though, I don't see how you could truly love me, since you don't know me." Glaring angrily, he crossed his arms, pouting as he stared out the window. He reminded me so much of us from before, I couldn't help but chuckle…and stop myself from reaching out to him to pull him next to me.

Staring at me cautiously, he tilted his chin up defiantly. "What, going to try to strangle me? Or hug me? Honestly, I don't know what to think about you or what you are going to do. All I know is, putting together what I know, I've hated the wrong person all my life." Naruto stared at me. Swallowing the stone in my throat, I opened my mouth to speak.

"Stop, Kakashi…just stop. Stop trying to defend my father. Even though you volunteered to kill a clan, he willingly allowed you to be tortured to within an inch of your life, knowing you did it for the Leaf. No leader should ever do that to someone who sacrificed everything for their village. That's bullshit!" Naruto stood and went to his window, looking out. His hands were balled into fists at his sides. Wearing jeans and his black mesh sleeveless shirt, he looked so much older than his seventeen years. Getting up quietly, I went and stood behind him. He must have changed me, as I was in a pair of sweatpants that were still a bit too short for me…though Naruto would catch up soon. Putting my hands on his upper arms, I rubbed them. Turning him around, I saw his eyes were glassy.

"Naruto…I didn't sacrifice everything for the village. Itachi could have done what I did just as easily. I sacrificed my life for you." I answered honestly, in a whispered tone at the severity of the emotions in the room.

"But why? You don't know me." Naruto's eyes were tortured as a tear slipped from his eye.

"I know you better than you think. But you wouldn't believe me." I responded.

"Tell me." Naruto demanded. About then, my stomach started to growl. As I felt my face get hot with embarrassment, Naruto chuckled. "Okay, let's eat, but then tell me…please? I'm not a china doll." His blue eyes were large and begging as his face became serious once again.

I sighed, but nodded, pulling my mask down. "Alright, Naruto, no secrets. As long as you promise to give your father a chance to explain…with an open mind." I said. Biting his lip, eyes going to the ground, Naruto finally nodded. As he led me into the kitchen, I had no idea how he would react to my story.

()()()

Naruto sat, blinking as I finished. Lunch had changed to dinner, as my tale wasn't short. Naruto made some tea and we relocated to his couch in the living room. As the shadows drew long, my tale finally drew to the present. Looking up, I saw the blue eyes blinking. "We were happy?" Naruto asked finally, his voice cracking.

Looking down, I nodded. "Yes, we were." As I stared at my empty teacup, I worried that I told him too much. It was silent in the darkening living room for several minutes. Finally, I heard Naruto speak as I saw him kneel in front of me, holding my hands.

"I can't believe that anyone loves me that much." He turned his face up to me. "But, then, that wasn't really me, was it?" His face seemed tortured. "I mean…I'm not the same as him. He had a different life than me. I have my dad and mom…he didn't."

I smiled, smoothing the pad of my thumb over his cheek. "You're still you…you just have some different life experiences, that's all."

Naruto looked down, pulling away from me. "But that's what makes you, you. Therefore, your Naruto is different from me. How could you leave your Naruto?" he asked.

"I didn't want to." I admitted honestly. "But, I would have killed him…you. So, this way, you have a chance to live to a ripe old age."

"But, you don't know I'll end up with you." Naruto pointed out. "Yet you took that chance…you left your soulmate for a chance…and then you killed the Uchihas…all for someone you don't know now…" Naruto looked unbelievably sad.

"Naruto." I lifted his chin with my forefinger until I could look in his eyes. "I didn't know that in my other lifetime either. You could always choose to go to someone else. Being a soulmate doesn't necessarily guarantee you stay together forever. There are many different theories on soulmates. But I love you. I've known from the first moment I saw you…in either timeline. And my entire existence has been, and will be, devoted to making sure that you … whatever you is in front of me … is happy and safe. Because, that is my ninja way. Selfish, perhaps, but true." My lip twitched in a smile at the phrase I knew Naruto used and said. His lips twitched into a smile as well.

"I hate that you can make me smile when I don't want to." He grinned. Getting serious again, he kept looking at me. "I can't imagine not having you in my life now that I've met you and know I've met you. There's something about you that draws me to you, like a moth to a flame. But love you? I…I can't say that. But I can say that I like you…and I won't let you leave me. I want to get to know you more…see if I do fall in love with you. So, if you go back to the Akatsuki, I'm going back with you." His mouth set in a determined line.

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh no you don't. That would be giving a massive weapon to the Akat…" I couldn't finish, as Naruto leaned up, kissing me gently. I felt my skin pebble instantly at feeling those familiar lips against mine. I admit, I was weak; I couldn't push him away again. Wrapping my arms around him, I pulled him to me, kissing him deeply. I heard him moan and felt his arms around me, his hand moving to my hair. I pulled back. My eyes had to be dark; I was panting as if I had just ran a marathon. Naruto ran his finger over my lower lip and I shivered. As his blue eyes darkened, looking up at me, he leaned up and kissed me again.

After the need for oxygen became so annoyingly apparent, I pulled back again. Staring at him, I leaned over, kissing his neck. He let out a mewl that went straight to my loins. As I nipped down his neck to the juncture of his neck and shoulder, I felt the goosebumps start popping up on his arms. Taking my tongue, I ran it over his throat and up over his chin to his lips, kissing him again. As I started to kiss him, I ran my hands under his shirt, raking my nails down his back gently. He hissed. "Damn, Kashi…" he arched his chest towards me, letting his head fall back. Smirking, I kissed down his chest after moving his shirt up out of the way, running my tongue over his supple pink buds that were standing at attention. Shivering in my arms, Naruto ran his hands up into my hair. "Oh, damn, Kashi that feels good." He whimpered.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and he pulled back, eyes dark and hooded. "Stay right here. I want to continue this. But if I don't answer the door, Sasuke will just come in anyways." Getting up, Naruto went to the door. I couldn't really hear most of what was being said, but Sasuke was refusing to leave. Finally, Sasuke barged past Naruto. Coming into the room, Sasuke slammed a lightning blade through my shoulder, pinning me to the wall. "Sasuke, what the hell?" Naruto asked, his face angry.

"Naruto, this bastard killed my family and my clan! And you helped him escape?" The Uchiha's eyes were dark and angry.

"Sasuke, you don't understand!" Naruto started, as Sasuke rounded on Naruto.

"What is there to understand?" Sasuke roared as I saw Itachi come in the open door.

"Sasuke! Stop this instant. Come with me." Itachi ordered.

"Nii-san, this bastard is here and Naruto has betrayed the Leaf by letting him esc…" Sasuke started as Itachi glared at Sasuke.

"Enough. Come with me. I'll explain everything, especially why neither Naruto nor Kakashi have betrayed the Leaf." Grasping Sasuke firmly, Itachi basically drug Sasuke out, Sasuke resisting the entire way. As he was drug out, he sliced down my arm, leaving scorched skin. As Naruto closed the door and locked it, he came over and checked my injuries.

"It's fine, Naruto. It will heal." I had laid my arm on the arm of the couch to make sure nothing touched it. It hurt like hell.

"Stay here. I'm going to get a med kit." Getting up, Naruto left. I heard him rummaging around in the other room. Finally, I heard him come back. As he went to fixing up my arm, he helped me lay down afterwards. "Just rest up. We can finish what we started later." As he sat down at the end of the couch putting my feet in his lap and massaging them I realized that I was tired after everything that happened today, so I fell asleep rather quickly.

()()()

I don't know how long I had been out, but it was dark outside. I figured it was early morning. I heard talking from the kitchen. Okay, maybe it was late night. In any event, I sat up gingerly. Listening quietly, I could hear Naruto and Minato's voices.

"So, you know everything now, son?" Minato's voice was concerned and tired.

"Yea, Kakashi finally woke up and told me what was going on. He made me promise to give you a chance to explain with an open mind. So, go on…explain."