"Nothing's wrong. I just -- this is really deeply personal and it's going to be upsetting and I just -- I shouldn't be telling you this. It's a village secret. We're not supposed to talk about it. But technically I found out in a weird way and I was never really forbidden from saying anything. And we're shinobi now, they expect us to go out and fight and to kill for them. You deserve to know."

"What is it?"

"You mother was Uzumaki Kushina, the host of the Nine Tailed Fox. While she was giving birth to you, and as a consequence of outside forces, it was released. Your father, the Fourth Hokage, had no choice but to seal away the Fox into you."

"How - what - the fuck?!"

"I'm sorry. I didn't -- I didn't know how to say it better. It's -- I'm so sorry."

She wants to hug him she wants to take it back -- but she can't move.

"How do you know that - why do you know that - do you know why - oh gods is that why everyone hates me - "

"I don't hate you. I could never hate you. They don't know you. You are not the Fox. You are Naruto and you are Good and Great and Perfect and they're idiots."

He appears to be on the edge of hyperventilating!

-- she hugs him. And holds him and tries to give him everything.

"I love you. I love you. You're going to be okay. I'm here."

He calms down, slowly.

"I - I didn't know. Anything." Breath, and, "Thanks. For telling me." He's quiet, then: "The old man never did. You said it's a village secret... I guess you'd get in trouble if I yelled at him about it."

"I want to give him the benefit of the doubt..." she sighs. "I think he loves you."

"Yeah. But... You did me a really big favor," he says. "I shouldn't risk that." Hugs.

"Do... Do you know anything? About them, or what happened..."

"They knew your birth was going to be hard. They had measures set up. Secrecy, barriers, security -- everything. But Konoha's enemies found out."

"...Do you know if those enemies are still around?"

"Yes. They are. But they are beyond powerful. We're not there yet."

Shaky nod. "I. Don't know what I want to do, but... We need to prepare, huh? Keep training."

She leans against him, lending comfort.

"They want the Fox. So, yeah, a lot of prep and training."

Lean. Serious nod. "We have two days until team assignments. We can spend it here, mostly, training and fixing the shrine some? I don't think the spirits will mind us getting strong."

"...We should train Kiba, too. I don't think he's good at keeping secrets, but... He's close to us. They said in class a lot of people go after your precious people first, and they said that's a reason to kill your emotions. But. I think it's a reason to be strong, and make everyone strong."

She hugs him even more now.

"Yes. That would be great. And you're right. Emotions make us strong. Shutting them away leads to nothing but trauma and unhappiness."

All the hugs!

"We'll be the strongest, definitely."

"I believe it."

Excited hugs! Then he'll pull her around the shrine to show her everything, and properly 'introduce' her around to the spirits.

They find Inazuma lying around, completely ignoring any sort of barriers or spirits.

"Your dog's weird," Naruto whispers to Rai.

"Wolf-dog. And technically they're not mine, I'm theirs."