The bridge is finally finished. Tazuna is glad to get rid of Kakashi and his three hungry teenagers. They never stop eating. Seriously, their stomachs are like bottomless pits! Well, at least he knows what to expect when Inari reaches that age. He might not have taken out an A Rank mission, but those kids certainly made up the difference with their food consumption.

On the other hand, Tazuna is going to miss having the little brats underfoot. Zabuza and Haku disappeared a week ago, about the same time Naruto acquired a large scroll. Naruto has the scroll strapped to his back and has been studying it as much as he can, but Tazuna is not sure if the boy actually learnt anything besides how to clone himself, a skill which seems to terrify Kakashi.

Voicing some of his thoughts aloud, Tazuna says, "It is going to be rather quiet around here with you lot gone."

"Any time you need help with a squirrel infestation, we're happy to help," says Kakashi.

"Wait a second!" Madoka says, frowning. "Wouldn't dealing with a squirrel infestation be a D Rank?"

"Not anymore," says Kakashi. "Not after my genin team managed to botch it up that one time and we ended up with squirrels in the Fire Damiyo's bedroom."

"Your genin team?" says Naruto. "Do you mean from when you were a kid?"

"Yes, Obito was late onto the scene and the squirrels ran riot."

"How much damage can squirrels cause?!" yells Madoka.

"You don't want to know," says Kakashi, shuddering. "All the same, we'll come and see you again some time."

"You better," says Inari, getting all teary.

Naruto stares hard at Inari and then says, "It's okay if you wanna cry, Inari."

"I am not crying!" insists Inari, who has tears and snot running down his face. "But you can go ahead and cry, if you want!"

Naruto spins around and starts walking away. "No way! I'm not gonna cry!" Tazuna can tell he is crying, though.

The rest of Konoha's Team Seven follows Naruto across the newly finished bridge and heads home after three long weeks away.

Tazuna hits on an idea. "That boy touched Inari's heart, and through him the rest of us. Without him, the bridge would not be finished. He gave us back the strength to fight. How about we name this bridge 'The Great Naruto Bridge'?"

Kakashi is not surprised that Naruto's grandparents are waiting for him at the gates. What does surprise him is that Sasuke's parents are waiting for them as well.

"Hey guys," says Naruto secretively. "Can you not tell anyone I can control the anti-gravity seal? I wanna have some fun with it."

"Sure," agrees Kakashi. "Have your fun, but don't mess up and end up floating into the clouds. I hear it's hard to breathe up there."

"Um…" Sasuke whispers nervously. "Can you not tell anyone about my sharingan either? I want…" she trails off and blushes.

"You want to tell your parents in your own time?" guesses Kakashi.

Sasuke nods.

"Alright," agrees Kakashi. "I'll let you tell them when you're ready."

Sparky, who up until that moment was flying above them, swoops down to sit on Naruto's head. They arrive at the gates, and Naruto runs to his grandparents yelling, "I'M BACK! I HAD SO MUCH FUN! WE DEFEATED AN EVIL CRIME LORD AND MADE FRIENDS WITH A ROGUE NINJA!"

"WHAT ROGUE NINJA?" demands Kazama, who is now on the verge of panic. "WHAT EVIL CRIME LORD?"

"Calm down," says Kakashi. "The rogue ninja killed the evil crime lord and decided he liked us, that's all. He's also no longer a rogue, as far as I know. The Evil Crime Lord was Gato of Gato Shipping, and the rogue ninja was Zabuza Momochi, Demon of the Hidden Mist. Nothing me and a few puppies couldn't handle."

"Don't forget his apprentice Haku!" chimes in Naruto. "She's pretty."

"NO!" says Arashi, pointing right at Naruto's face. "Don't you go falling for a random Mist ninja too!"

"Why? Do you know someone else who fell for a random Mist ninja?" asks Kakashi. "If they acted on it, it is an S Rank criminal offence."

Arashi goes wide-eyed and a little pale. "No, he just had a crush, that's all."

Kakashi has a sneaky suspicion Arashi is talking about Iruka. "Well that's alright then," he says. "Come, team. We must report to the Hokage."

"Yes, sensei!" Naruto pumps his fist in the air and bounces off in the direction of the Hokage Tower.

"Sasuke," says Fugaku, taking advantage of the quiet. "You know you are not allowed to dye your hair. You are grounded."

Sasuke sniffs, crosses her arms, pouts and turns her head to one side. "Hmff."

Naruto turns back and waves to them. "Hurry up, you guys! I want RAMEN, 'TTEBAYO!"

"Make sure Sasuke comes straight home," says Fugaku. "We need to discuss her grounding sentence."

"Alright," sighs Kakashi. He really can't be bothered babysitting Sasuke. "Madoka, after we've given our report to the Hokage, you are to see Sasuke home."

"Yes, sensei," says Madoka.

Kakashi sent a messenger bird ahead, asking to give his verbal mission report to the Hokage in private. However, Hiruzen did not expect Naruto to burst into his office and yell, "Old Man, you need to tell me about the red chakra!"

"Naruto, what are you talking about?" asks Hiruzen, his blood running cold.

Kakashi enters, followed closely by Madoka and Sasuke. Sasuke's hair is blue. Fugaku will be pissed when he sees that, unless he's seen it already, in which case he is already pissed. Oh dear.

"Lord Third," says Kakashi. Seriously. "You need to tell Naruto about...well, what happened when he was born. The...you know what...chakra...kinda leaked out a bit...um, yeah."

"Kakashi sensei, what are you on about?" asks Naruto. "What happened? What chakra?"

"Madoka, Sasuke, you had better wait outside," says Hiruzen, realizing that there is no putting-off telling Naruto now.

"No," says Naruto, crossing his arms. "If it's that important, my team mates SHOULD know."

Hiruzen sighs. "Very well, Sasuke, Madoka: you may stay. However, you are not to repeat any of what you hear to anyone. What I am about to tell you is an S Class classified secret. Shut the door, Kakashi."

Kakashi shuts the door and Hiruzen takes a deep breath. This will not be easy. Hiruzen looks from one expectant child to the next and sees the excited expressions on their faces turn to worry as he meets their gaze.

Hiruzen steels himself and begins, "Now, just a little context for Madoka and Sasuke: Naruto's mother, Kushina Uzumaki, came from the Hidden Whirlpool. However, Naruto, your mother did not simply some to the Leaf after the Whirlpool was destroyed like Iruka's family. Kushina came to the Leaf as a child in order to be made a jinchuuriki."

"What's a jinchuuriki?" asks Naruto.

"In the world there are nine tailed beasts," explains the Hokage. "From The one tailed raccoon dog to the nine tailed fox. These beasts are powerful and dangerous. In an effort to control their power, tailed beasts are sealed into people with special chakra properties. A person with a tailed beast sealed into him or her is a jinchuuriki. Kushina's chakra was more potent than that of any other Uzumaki, thus she was chosen to be the jinchuuriki of the Nine Tailed Fox. However, seals are not infallible. When a female jinchuuriki becomes pregnant and gives birth the seal holding in the tailed beast weakens. For this reason, Naruto's father, Minato Namikaze, had to hold the seal closed as Kushina gave birth. But something went wrong the the Fox broke free. In order to stop the Fox's rampage, Minato sealed it into Naruto, who inherited his mother's chakra. Minato used the Reaper Death Seal and the Eight Trigrams Seal to ensure that Naruto would be safe from the fox. However, the sealing killed him. Kushina started dying the moment the Fox broke free of the seal holding it into her, but she did not die until she knew Naruto was safe. The official story is that the Fox is dead. The truth is that you, Naruto, are the jinchuuriki of the Nine Tailed Fox."

Naruto stares at the Hokage, a look of horror on his face. "Is that why…"

"Yes, Naruto," says Kakashi. "That is why so many people hate you. They think you are the Fox and they blame you for the attack. It was the fox's chakra that consumed you on the bridge when you got mad at Haku."

Naruto turns to look up at Kakashi, his eyes beginning to water. "You knew?"

"Yes, but I wanted Lord Hokage to tell you sooner."

Naruto throws off the scroll attached to his back, turns and jumps out of the window, before disappearing into the surrounding buildings.

"Madoka, take Sasuke home now," says Kakashi. "I will tell Lord Hokage about our mission."

"Yes sensei," says Madoka. "Come on, Sasuke." Madoka grabs Sasuke's wrist and leaves, pulling Sasuke along behind him.

Naruto runs through the streets of Konoha, his eyes blinded by tears. Why did it have to be him? He thought his father loved him, but if he did, then WHY? Naruto's feet carry him to the top of the Fourth Hokage's head. He hunkers down amidst the carved spikes of hair and cries.

"Why, Dad?" Naruto whimpers, pulling out the hiraishin kunai Kakashi sensei gave him. Naruto stares down at the kunai in his hand. His eyes and nose are running, making a mess of his face. "Why Dad? I thought you loved me. Why did you seal the Nine Tails into me? Everyone hates me because of it. Is that what you wanted? For everyone to hate me?"

Naruto does not want anyone to see him upset, so he dries his tears and chokes down his sadness. But how to keep it down? Ramen always cheers him up. Naruto puts away the kunai and runs to Ichiraku Ramen. Ten bowls later he is confident he can at least appear cheerful.