I do not own Naruto Shippuden or any of the characters.

Italics mean thoughts.

"Italics with quotes means conversations with Kurama."

Truth

Naruto gritted his teeth as Tsunade pushed a needle into his arm and injected him with something. When she had pulled the needle out he sighed.

"That wasn't so bad," Naruto said.

"That was the anesthetic," Tsunade said.

"Oh," Naruto said. "That makes sense."

"You're an idiot," Kurama said. "I've got a jutsu you may need to know."

He flashed the jutsu through Naruto's head and Naruto grinned at how simple the technique was but how helpful it would be. Naruto had gotten back to the Leaf Village about a day before and Itachi had disappeared before they arrived so Sasuke went after him. Temujin, however, stayed at the Hidden Leaf. Now, Naruto was about to be injected with Kimimaro's DNA.

"Are you ready?" Tsunade asked.

"To control my bones?" Naruto asked. "Any day. To have a fatal disease? Not so much."

"That's why that's here," Tsunade said nodding at the panacea. "Here we go."

She injected him with Kimimaro's blood and began trying to use Medical Ninjutsu to merge the DNA with Naruto's own. After fifty seconds, she couldn't.

"I can't," Tsunade said. "I'm sorry. You have the disease but not his ability."

"Koyuki said there might be someone else who could," Hinata said.

"She might be right," Tsunade said. "Come on. I need you to help me find the Eternal Genin."

Hinata nodded and left. Tsunade nodded to Naruto then left with her. Naruto then sighed and glanced sideways at Gaara.

"She wants me to talk to Kurama right?" Naruto asked.

"Yes," Gaara said. "Your tailed beast may be the only person capable of merging the foreign DNA with yours."

Naruto nodded then closed his eyes and yawned.

"I want a nap," Naruto said. "What do you say Kurama? Can you do it?"

"Already done," Kurama said. "The pain should start in three, two, one."

Naruto's body suddenly felt like he was on fire. He began to convulse violently so Gaara restrained him with sand. After a moment, Naruto's pain subsided and Kurama told him it was over. Gaara released Naruto as Kurama flooded Naruto's head with all the knowledge he had about controlling his bones.

Naruto started with trying to stand and smiled when his bones didn't shatter like glass. He cracked his neck and stretched after five days of not moving. Then he held his hand up and a bone spike extended from it.

"That is too cool," Naruto said. "I want chakra blades."

He made two chakra blades shaped like Asuma's rise out of his hand. They were made out of his bones so they were completely compatible with his chakra but no one else's.

"Your personal blades," Gaara said smiling. "You know, there's an urban legend that the chakra of soul mates is an exact match to each other's. The legend says that soul mates are so perfect for each other that they share each other's life force and if one died, so would the other."

"I hope my soul mate isn't bitten then," Naruto said.

"You don't know who it is?" Gaara asked.

"Does anyone?" Naruto asked. "Who's yours?"

"Not a clue," Gaara said. "I don't think I have one."

"Not true," Naruto said. "Even Shino has one."

"That's very rude," Gaara said. "True though."

"I'm going to train," Naruto said. "Tell Hinata to meet me at the Hokage Monument."

With that, Naruto jumped out the window and ran to the monument. He stopped at his apartment to change first then went the rest of the way. When he arrived, he created clones who attacked him with their swords. He was able to use the chakra blades faster so he quickly took the clones out more efficiently than if he had used his swords. He liked the blades more than his swords and was a lot better with them but decided to keep the swords as his primary weapon anyway since it was easier to be on both the offensive and defensive with them.

"Naruto," Hinata said.

"Hey Hinata," Naruto said. "Check it out."

He grew a bone spike out of his hand and Hinata gasped.

"But, Tsunade said only the Eternal Genin could do it," Hinata said.

"A friend of mine was actually the only person who could do it," Naruto said. "But a lot of people hate him so she helps me keep him hidden."

"Friend?" Kurama asked. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"Oh," Hinata said. "Well, is there something you wanted?"

"Yes," Naruto said. "I think it's time you met my friend."

"Brilliant plan," Kurama said. "What happens when she's afraid of you?"

"Okay," Hinata said.

Naruto sat and she sat beside him. He took her hand then pulled both of them into his mindscape appearing in front of Kurama's cage. Kurama moved his head into the light and grinned.

"Hello Hinata Hyuga," Kurama said. "I've heard a lot about you...I was starting to feel sick."

"Wha...what are you?" Hinata asked. "Where are we?"

"We're in my mind," Naruto said. "That is the secret I've hidden my entire life."

"I am the Nine-tailed Demon Fox Kurama," Kurama said dipping his head in a bow. "I can't wait until I break out of here. Then I'll kill you first. It's truly an honor for you."

"You're not going to touch her Kurama," Naruto said.

"The Nine-tails lives inside of you?" Hinata asked.

"Yes," Naruto said. "I'm the Jinchuriki of the Nine-tailed Beast."

Hinata stared at Kurama in awe then turned to look at Naruto.

"That's why everyone treated you like a monster," Hinata said.

"Yes," Naruto said. "They all think that I'm him."

Hinata nodded then hugged him.

"Thank you for telling me the truth," Hinata said. "I know you're not a monster."

"Thank you for accepting me despite having a monster inside me," Naruto said.

"Enough already!" Kurama groaned putting his hands over his eyes. "I'm going to hurl. Then you'll be sorry!"

Naruto smirked and returned himself and Hinata to their bodies. Hinata stood and walked a little ways away then smiled.

"So," Hinata said. "Ready for a race?"

"To where?" Naruto asked.

"Catch me and you'll see," Hinata said then turned and ran off.

Naruto smiled and ran after her. After about five minutes of her doing anything she could think of to keep out of his reach, they reached the edge of the village and Hinata began to get away by jumping past him over the trees. Finally, Naruto managed to catch her and tackled her into a clearing. They landed and rolled coming to a stop beside a pond that Naruto had never known was even there. He sat up pinning Hinata to the ground by sitting on her stomach.

"Not bad," Naruto said looking around.

The pond was fed by a small waterfall coming off a low cliff. There was a cave behind the waterfall and a thin path heading around the waterfall to the entrance. Naruto could see that the roof of the cave was studded with gemstones. The pond itself was crystal clear and had stone lining the walls and bottom. There was a line of stones around the top of the pond and the grass in the rest of the clearing was incredibly soft.

"It's got to have been made by a jutsu, right?" Naruto asked.

"It wasn't," Kurama said. "It's natural."

Naruto smiled and looked down at Hinata. She was blushing madly at Naruto sitting on her but was staring at the cave.

"It's beautiful," Naruto said.

"Yes," Hinata said.

Naruto grinned and got up throwing her over his shoulder. Then he walked to the cave taking care to get her soaking wet on the way.

"Hey!" Hinata said. "You did that on purpose!"

"Yep," Naruto said setting her down and looking around.

The cave was more of a tunnel because he couldn't see the end of the cave. It went down into the ground for a ways then leveled out and the roof of the slope blocked his view after that.

"I want to explore," Naruto said.

"Me too," Hinata said and they slid down the slope together.

They walked along the tunnel until they reached a cavern that was the end of the tunnel but was enormous. It was easily three hundred meters across and five hundred tall. The walls and ceiling were studded with gemstones that glowed as the main source of light.

Naruto walked to the center and clapped. The sound reverberated around the cavern and out through the tunnel then was cut off by the waterfall. It would be difficult at best for anyone outside to hear anything inside and it would be an awesome place for people to meet without someone listening in.

"I like it," Naruto said. "I want to live here."

"I think it's a little empty," Hinata said.

Naruto grinned and filled the cavern with Shadow clones and Hinata giggled.

"Not what I meant," Hinata said.

"I know," Naruto said.

He released the clones and walked back to the tunnel and looked up. He could see the sky and saw that it was starting to get dark. He smirked and turned back.

"It's getting late," Naruto said.

"I should get home," Hinata said.

"Why?" Naruto asked. "I'm sleeping here."

"Yes but you don't have an overbearing father who will disown you for staying out over night," Hinata said.

"True," Naruto said. "Send a clone."

"I can't use shadow clones," Hinata said. "And he would know it wasn't me when it disappeared."

"They don't disappear when they go to sleep," Naruto said.

"Oh," Hinata said. "I still don't know how to use the jutsu."

Naruto smiled and showed her how and she created a clone who left for home.

"So," Hinata said. "Where are we going to sleep?"

Naruto smirked and held his hand out. Bones shot out of his hand in the form of spikes then grew into a bed frame. A moment later two of his clones slid into the cavern with a King-size mattress.

"You knew I would stay," Hinata said.

"Yep," Naruto said.

Hinata smiled and leaned on Naruto's shoulder as the clones set the mattress down on the frame then disappeared. Hinata walked over to the bed and smirked. She had completely missed the fact that there were already sheets and a comfort on the mattress.

"Hinata," Naruto said.

She turned toward him and her eyes widened when his lips met hers. She sighed and kissed him back wrapping her arms around his neck. He rested his hands on her waist and they continued kissing for a few minutes. Naruto and Hinata sat on the bed at some point and then somehow ended up with Hinata laying on her back and Naruto laying on top of her. His hands moved to the sides of her face then began to drift downward. Finally he pulled away so that he couldn't go too far.

"I'm sorry," Naruto said sitting up.

"I-it's okay," Hinata said. "I want this too. I've wanted this for a long time."

Naruto smiled and kissed her again. They lay down again and this time neither pulled away.

THE END

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