I Became Naruto And My Girlfriend Became The Nine-Tails

The years rolled by, and Naruto's life continued under the carefully constructed mask he had created. His days at the Academy were spent ensuring he was never too strong, never too weak—just a normal student, talented enough to pass but never extraordinary enough to warrant deeper attention. The act was tiring, but necessary.

Kurumi, however, was far less patient.

"Naruto, I swear, if I have to watch you hold back one more time, I'm going to scream," she grumbled inside his mind as he purposefully fumbled a shuriken throw, allowing it to land slightly off target.

"And I swear, if you keep pushing me to show off, I'm going to start ignoring you," Naruto shot back with a smirk. "You know why we're doing this. The stronger I look, the more eyes will be on me. It will make our secret training harder to do with all those eyes on me."

Kurumi let out a long sigh but didn't argue. She knew he was right, but that didn't make it any less frustrating. She wasn't used to hiding. In their past life, she had always been the bold one, the one who stood up to challenges head-on. But now, she was sealed inside him, a force of power he had to keep hidden.

But patience had its rewards.

One night, after another dull day at the Academy, Naruto snuck out of his apartment and slipped into the nearby training grounds, ensuring no one was watching. The moon was high, casting a silvery glow over the field as he stretched his limbs, preparing for his real training.

"Alright, let's go over chakra control again," he murmured.

Kurumi hummed approvingly. "You're getting better, but you still waste too much chakra when molding it. Focus. Let it flow naturally."

Naruto nodded, closing his eyes and channeling chakra through his body. He stepped onto the trunk of a tree and took slow, deliberate steps up its surface, his feet sticking firmly with controlled chakra. He had mastered tree-walking months ago, but Kurumi pushed him further, insisting on absolute efficiency.

Then came water-walking. He sprinted across a pond, maintaining his balance with near-perfect control. It was still harder than tree-walking, but he was improving.

"Good, but now try adding movement. Throw kunai while running. Make it second nature."

Naruto complied, jumping from the water's surface and launching a handful of kunai at a distant target, hitting the mark perfectly. A grin spread across his face.

"Damn, that felt good."

"See? I told you you're holding back too much at the Academy," Kurumi huffed.

"Maybe," Naruto admitted. "But I can't afford to get careless."

Despite his secrecy, Naruto's controlled excellence hadn't gone completely unnoticed. His instructors sometimes gave him odd looks, as if trying to reconcile the supposed class clown with the student who occasionally displayed glimpses of brilliance.

Iruka-sensei, in particular, seemed to have doubts.

One afternoon, after class had ended, Iruka called Naruto over. The other students had already left, leaving the classroom eerily quiet.

"Naruto, can I talk to you for a second?"

Naruto put on his best clueless expression. "Eh? Did I do something wrong, Iruka-sensei?" he asked, rubbing the back of his head with fake sheepishness.

Iruka studied him for a moment before shaking his head. "No, you didn't. I just... I wanted to ask if everything's alright."

Naruto blinked. "Huh? Of course. Why wouldn't it be?"

Iruka hesitated. "You're... different. At times, you act exactly how everyone expects you to—loud, careless, always joking around. But sometimes, I catch you being... more."

Naruto felt his stomach tighten, but he kept his expression neutral. "More? More what?"

Iruka exhaled, rubbing his forehead. "I don't know. Smarter? More focused? There are moments when I see it, Naruto. When you're training, when you think no one's looking. And then the next moment, you're back to being... well, the Naruto everyone assumes you are."

'Sh*t, did I get my cover blown up?!'

Naruto forced a laugh. "Come on, Sensei, I think you're just imagining things! Maybe you need some rest?"

Iruka frowned but let it go. "Maybe. Just... be careful, alright? If you ever need to talk, I'm here."

Naruto nodded quickly and left before Iruka could press any further. That had been too close.

"Hahahaha....,that look on your face when you thought you have been found out was very hilarious." Kurumi said in his mind as she kept laughing.

"Aaa.. Just shut up. And it's your fault for not telling me when people get nearby." Naruto reprimanded.

"Hey! I am not always keeping my senses up. It is mentally exhausting." Kurumi shouted in his mind.

"Yeah, yeah..... Whatever."

---

As his graduation exam approached, Naruto found himself growing more restless. He had spent years preparing, biding his time, staying unnoticed. But soon, that time would end.

One evening, he sat on the rooftop of his apartment, staring at the village under the glow of the setting sun. The wind was cool, rustling through his hair as Kurumi spoke in his mind.

"Once you become a genin, things will change," she said. "You won't be able to keep hiding forever. Missions, team assignments—sooner or later, your skills will be noticed."

"I know," Naruto murmured. "That's why we need to be ready. Once I become a ninja, everything will start moving. And when it does... we take control of our own path."

Kurumi smiled in the depths of his mind. "Good. I was getting tired of waiting."

Naruto smirked, but his mind was already moving ahead. The Academy had been the easy part. The real challenge was just beginning. He would need to carefully choose which skills to reveal and which to keep hidden. His survival depended on it.

The village wasn't kind to those it didn't understand. The wrong move could make him a threat in the eyes of the Hokage, the Elders, or worse—the ANBU.

But Naruto wasn't afraid. He had spent years shaping his path, waiting for the right moment.

Now, that moment was nearly here.

His story was about to begin.