Natsumi Uzumaki

Natsumi Secret

Naruto woke up with a start. She winced at the sudden influx of pain. Kurama may have healed the main damage from the Chidori, but it didn't stop the bruises from accumulating during her fight with Sasuke. Reopening her eyes, she frowned, realizing she was in an unfamiliar room.

The sterile smell and the whiteness of the room were a dead giveaway that she was in the hospital. She made a mental note to thank Sasuke for putting her in this situation. She missed who she was up against in the final round of the Chunin exams. In the opposite plane, she could see Kurama resting on his legs. Maybe he could fill her in on what happened, and why she could still see him.

"Kurama," she called.

Kurama's ears twitched first before lifting his head, sleep evident in his eyes. He looked in Naruto's direction before yawning, revealing rows of his sharp teeth.

"You're awake. How do you feel?" He asked.

"Like I took a Chidori to the chest." Her joke caused his eyes to narrow. She coughed,deciding to change the subject. "How long was I out?"

He paused before answering. "I overheard that you were out for two days."

"Two days-" Naruto yelled, clutching her chest. The pain came back with a full force.

A normal person would have stayed in bed, but sitting still was never a trait Naruto mastered. I can't believe I missed two days of valuable training, and I can't do anything until the bruising disappears. She pouted at the thought.

"I'll have you all fixed up in the morning. However, I must warn you. Everyone knows you're a girl." Kurama explained, his tone grave.

She let his words sink in for a moment, waiting for the punch line.

"Very funny, Kurama. That was a good one." She laughed, wiping the tears from her eyes.

She looked to her companion hoping he betrayed a smile or a laugh, but she was met with silence.

"Okay, I get it. You're getting back at me for all the times I've messed with you." She said trying to get him to call off his joke.

She wrung her hands. The longer she met his serious gaze, her mood started to sober. He wasn't joking, and the reality of the situation hit her.

"What!"

Naruto shot out of the bed, but her foot tangled in the sheets, causing her to fall flat on her face. Why didn't this happened after the Chunin exams? She couldn't deal with all of the questions she knew that were going to be raised about her appearance. All she wanted to do was go through one normal day before anything went wrong. Kurama sauntered over to her direction and looked down on her fallen form. Her blue eyes pleaded with his red for an explanation.

"I'm afraid that my Chakra, a chidori to the chest, and awakening the Rinnegan may have caused the seal to collapse," he said before sighing.

His explanation made sense. She exhausted almost all of her Chakra stores during the fight. The seal was dependent on Chakra to keep it steady. She hated to admit it to herself, but this was bound to happen sooner or later. Still, she was bothered by Kurama's words.

"What's the Rinnegan?" She asked, her eyes furrowed.

"Your eyes. You need to have both Uchiha and Senju blood to possess it. I think Orochimaru did something to you since it manifested," he said with a growl.

"Why would he give me a dojutsu?"

Naruto was sure that the snake Sannin wouldn't have given her a dojutsu out of the goodness of his heart. The bastard was sneaky and had an ulterior motive.