Alright, giving this a shot. Of course, I don't own any of these characters; Kishimoto does.

Chapter 1

Naruto pouted over the paper set in front of him, cerulean eyes frustrated. He tapped his pencil on the desk, and he mussed his own blonde hair with a hand. Tests were his enemy, and Iruka had to just pop them up randomly. Naruto didn't study as it was; he was too busy gardening or pulling pranks. 'Speaking of pranks...' he thought, looking over to his usual accomplice, Kiba, his brown hair strewn all over his head. He was just as unprepared for tests as Naruto, and the two of them usually created pranks to disrupt the class.

Naruto scooted closer to him. "Hey, psst, Kiba," he whispered, watching Iruka at the front of the classroom, "Got anything to make this fun?"

Kiba grinned. "Always." He pulled out a few balloons filled with some colorful liquid. "Paint." Naruto grinned to match Kiba. Beside Kiba, a girl that Naruto knew as Hinata looked worried. She was already done with her test, and she poked her index fingers together nervously.

"I-I d-don't think th-that's a g-good idea," she stammered.

Naruto shot her a pleading look, and she blushed. "Aw, c'mon," he whispered, "we won't hit you. Just some of the other people." She put her head down, face still bright red, and Kiba sniggered as he passed half of the balloons to Naruto. "Alright. Three, two, one...FIRE!"

Naruto jumped from his chair and hurled a balloon at Sasuke, his rival and genius of the class. It missed and splattered bright pink paint all over the row in front of him. Kiba threw one, and it covered some of the girls in blue. By now, people were realizing what was happening, and they were ducking under the desks. Iruka was snorting like a furious bull, his ponytail green and the rest yellow. Naruto and Kiba were laughing wildly when they finished, paint everywhere except in their little space. Sasuke, his front covered in red, glared deathly at the two pranksters.

"Inuzuka, Uzumaki," said Iruka through clenched teeth, "What do you think you have done?"

"You just got got, Pineapple Head!" crowed Naruto, clutching his sides in laughter. Kiba laughed along with him, and Hinata couldn't help but giggle.

"Well, you fail the test," stated Iruka, trying to keep calm. He didn't succeed. "And you're going to WASH THIS WHOLE ROOM!" His temple pulsed. "And I'll grade what I can see." Sakura, the smartest girl in the class, was aghast, and she glowered over at Naruto who gave her an apologetic look. Iruka gathered up the papers, and he waved his hand. "Class dismissed for today while these two idiots clean up their own mess."

The class minus Naruto and Kiba filed out, and Hinata was the last to leave, glancing backwards at them. Iruka crossed his arms and frowned at them menacingly. "I hope you learn from this."

"Like the other five or six times we've done it?" asked Naruto, smiling. Kiba barked in laughter, and the small pup in his pocket, Akamaru, barked as well. "By the way, I think it's gonna take awhile for that paint to come out of your hair, but at least we all know you're a Pineapple Head!" He laughed again, and then a water-filled bucket and sponge were shoved into his hands and Kiba's.

"You're gonna stay here until you clean this up, got it? If I hear about you two leaving, you will be cleaning the entire Academy, top to bottom. Am I clear?" They nodded. "Good. I expect better from you. Both of you." Iruka left, and Naruto sighed.

"Man, I hate cleaning."

"Eh, I don't mind this," Kiba said, "Better than cleaning the kennels back home." They started to scrub away the paint and made slow progress along the wall. Naruto wiped a bead of sweat from his brow, and Kiba worked away at a particularly stubborn spot of paint. They heard a knock at the door and thought it was Iruka checking up on them, but then Hinata stuck her head in.

"Hinata!" shouted Naruto, waving a wet sponge and splashing Kiba, "How you doin'? You need something?"

"I-I wanted t-to h-help."

"Eh? What? Why?"

"W-well, wh-why not?"

"Why not?" repeated Kiba incredulously, "This ain't fun, y'know, even if it isn't as stinky as those kennels."

"H-helping i-is w-what f-f-friends are f-for," she stuttered, turning red and looking at her feet.

"You really want to help?" asked Naruto. She nodded. "Got your own sponge?" She held up one, surprising him. "Where'd you get that?"

"Th-the j-janitor's cl-closet."

Kiba grinned. "You stole it, didn't you?"

She fidgeted. "I-I b-borrowed i-it."

"Ha! Knew it! You stole it! We're getting to her, Naruto!" He elbowed Naruto and went back to scrubbing.

Hinata fidgeted again. "S-so, c-can I j-join you?"

Naruto shrugged. "Sure. Why not? We could use the help." She smiled and washed the wall beside him. Time passed, and there was one wall that paint remained on. Naruto examined it closely and then nodded to himself. "Y'know, I think we could leave it. Kinda looks good, don't it?"

"You know that Iruka-sensei would get mad if we left it," said Kiba, Hinata nodding in agreement, "Don't be lazy and get us in trouble." He and Hinata started to wash away the paint, and Naruto was crestfallen before he too began to wash. The aching in his arms was the reason why he didn't want to wash the last wall. That and this was boring. He looked over at Kiba, clutching a dripping sponge. Maybe he could make it not so boring.

"Hey, Kiba."

"Wha-gah!" He shook the water from his hair and glared at the blonde. "What was that for?"

"I was bored."

"Then how do you like this?" Kiba splashed water on Naruto but in the process also splashed Hinata. She gasped in surprise and splashed him back. Naruto also splashed him at the same time, and the small pup jumped from Kiba's pocket and bit at Naruto's ankle. "Yeah, get 'im, Akamaru!" cheered Kiba before getting splashed again by a giggling Hinata. "Gah! Stop it!" He got her back. Naruto splashed Akamaru, and the puppy ran back to Kiba and huddled behind his leg. "Hey! Don't hurt him!"

"I didn't! He was trying to eat me!"

"Maybe because you taste like ramen!"

"I thought dogs didn't like ramen!"

Kiba grinned. "Maybe Akamaru does." Naruto glared at him and splashed him. "Hey!" Both he and Hinata splashed Naruto. "Oh, yeah. Double team!" Hinata giggled, a light blush across her cheeks.

"No fair!" The battle last for several more minutes, and all of them ended up dripping wet and laughing. The wall was no cleaner than before, but they didn't mind and finished it with smiles on their faces. Naruto dumped the water from the window, making sure no one was below. They threw the sponges in one bucket and put it in the other. They left the room, Akamaru proudly marching out in front of them and Kiba toting the buckets. Akamaru barked at them to catch up, annoying Naruto.

"Kiba, why does your dog have to be so much like you?"

"What, awesome and unbeatable?"

"No, annoying and flea-bitten."

"Akamaru doesn't have fleas! And neither do I!"

"Then why do I always feel itchy near you two?"

"I don't know, maybe you're just fidgety. Or stupid."

"Hey! I'm not stupid!"

"Then why are you the Dead Last?"

"You're not much better," pointed out Naruto, "You're just above me." Hinata was watching the exchange like a tennis match, eyes going to Naruto and Kiba as they spoke. They argued until the janitor's closet was close, and Naruto opened it for Kiba who carelessly tossed the things into it. Naruto closed the door, and the two boys caught each other's eye and laughed suddenly.

"Wh-why are y-you l-laughing?" Hinata asked confusedly.

Naruto wiped his eyes and smiled at her. "No reason. Just the fact we argue over the tiny things, I guess." Hinata blushed, and Akamaru barked happily. They walked outside and realized just how late it was. The sun was close to setting, and warm light flooded the small courtyard in front of the Academy. Naruto frowned. "Sure is getting late. Hey, Kiba, can I go over to your house for a while?"

Kiba shrugged. "Don't see why not. Kaa-san loves you enough not to mind." Naruto cheered up. He had been to Kiba's house many times, and the clan didn't seem to mind him as long as he didn't cause trouble. The comforting and playful atmosphere was what he loved most, and all of the clan was closely knit.

"C-can I w-walk w-with y-you?" asked Hinata.

"Sure. Don't fall behind, though," Kiba said. They started off, and Naruto looked over at Hinata. He really didn't know her all that well except for the fact she was smart and quiet. He tried to think of a question, but it eluded him for a bit.

"So, Hinata?" he started, finally a question coming to mind.

"Y-y-yes?"

"What would you be doin' if this was a normal day?"

"W-well," she stuttered, poking her index fingers together again, "I-I w-would be tr-training w-with my f-f-father."

"Training? Really?"

"Mm-hm."

"What kind?"

"G-g-gentle F-fist."

"Huh?"

Kiba butted in rudely, "It's a clan thing with the Hyuugas. It's how they fight."

"Oh. Are you any good at it?"

Hinata looked down in shame. "N-n-no. M-my f-father s-says I-I sh-shouldn't h-have b-been b-born a Hy-Hyuuga."

Naruto's eyes bugged. "What? Why? Because you're not good at something?" She nodded. "That's stupid, and so is he!"

"Naruto," warned Kiba, knowing that Naruto did not fully realize who Hinata's father was.

"He is, Kiba!" He turned to Hinata, "You're a great person, Hinata! Don't listen your dad about that, listen to us. Even if you're not good at that Gentle Fist thingy doesn't mean that he can talk about you like that! No one can ever do that to someone!" Hinata was quiet, taking in his words. "Am I right?" She nodded uncertainly. He grinned and threw an arm around her. "Alright, that's the spirit, dattebayo!" She flushed.

"Th-th-thank y-y-you, N-Naruto-kun." Kiba grunted, and the Inuzuka compound came into view.

"Well, lookie there, we're nearly there," he commented, grinning at the others, "Care for a race?"

"Heck yeah!" shouted Naruto, "Last one there's a rotten egg!" He took off, Kiba hot on his heels. Hinata was bewildered until she realized she was alone.

"H-Hey! W-wait up!"

Naruto and Kiba were neck and neck twenty feet from the Inuzuka gate, and Naruto was pulling ahead bit by bit. "Ha-ha, Kiba! Can't beat me this time-whoa!" A black shadow shot out from the gate and tripped up the blonde. "Not again!" he cried, tumbling to the ground. He rubbed his head and peered at the thing that had tripped him up.

It was a pointy-eared, black male puppy about the size of Akamaru, and his eyes were a welcoming brown. His body was sturdy-looking and broad for a pup, and his snout was squared off. The pup licked Naruto's face and leaned back on his hind legs. Naruto smiled and scratched behind his ears. "Hey, Shiro. Glad to see you too, buddy." Kiba came over and grinned, and Akamaru popped out from his pocket and ran under the gate.

"Looks like Shiro strikes again. Little guy's a sneaky one, ain't he?" He helped Naruto up. "He seems to like you a lot."

Naruto chuckled. "He shows it by tripping me up all the time." Hinata came running up behind them, and she stopped and hunched over, breathing hard. "Hinata! I was wondering where you were. Did that little run really wear you out?"

"Y-y-yes. I-I c-can't r-run f-f-far," she answered, catching her breath. Shiro trotted over and looked up at her. "Oh? Wh-who is th-this?"

"His name's Shiro," replied Naruto and Kiba at the same time.

"Wh-why? H-he's bl-black."

Kiba shrugged. "I don't know. Mom named him, and she never makes sense."

"Better sense than you," said Naruto flatly, "Akamaru's white. At least her dog's named Kuromaru, and he's black." Kiba poked his tongue out at him, and Naruto grinned. "Can't admit it, can you?"

"Shut up."

Hinata laughed and crouched down to the pup. "H-Hello, Shiro," she greeted, holding her hand out to the pup. Shiro sniffed it, and he yapped and licked it. Hinata giggled and pet his head. "Y-you're c-cute." He nuzzled her hand and suddenly shot back underneath the gate, startling her. "I-I'm s-sorry. D-did I sc-scare him?"

"Nah. He's just like that," said Kiba, "Always running around and bein' dumb. Kinda like someone I know." He looked at Naruto meaningfully, and the blonde shoved him away playfully. Kiba chuckled, and Hinata smiled. She turned to leave.

"I-I g-guess I-I'll b-be g-going," she stuttered, waving as she left, "B-bye!"

"Bye!" yelled Naruto, waving his arm energetically. Kiba settled with a wave of the hand. "She's nice," commented the blonde, "Kinda quiet, though." The gate opened behind them, and they turned in unison to see the thunderous expression on Kiba's mother Tsume's face. Kiba froze in fear, and Naruto had a nervous smile on his face. "Eh, hi, Tsume-san. How was your-,"

"What happened at the Academy today?" she interrupted, "I want to hear it from you two." She crossed her arms menacingly. The resemblance between her and Kiba was striking, from the same shade of brown hair to the animal-like, slitted eyes. "I'm waiting." Naruto and Kiba exchanged looks.

"Uh," began Kiba, "Well, we pulled a prank with paint balloons-,"

"-but we stayed and cleaned it up!" finished Naruto, "We always do that!"

Tsume sighed. "I know, but this is the sixth time or something. I get tired of getting a message that says that my son and his pal got into trouble at school. Can't you get into trouble somewhere else that I don't hear about straight away?" They blinked. "I don't care that you get into trouble, just not at the Academy, okay?" They nodded slowly, and Tsume grinned. "Now go play while I get dinner in order." The two boys ran through the gate by her before Tsume could change her mind. "By the way, Naruto," she called after them, "It's just Tsume!"

They stopped in a small area behind the main part of the compound where most of the dogs slept during the day. The dogs there lifted their heads as Kiba tackled Naruto to the ground and started to wrestle. Kiba had the upper hand in strength and agility, but Naruto was more cunning. It balanced out, and the boys ended up scruffy and dirty. They separated, winded for a moment, and Naruto shook his head and flung sweat on Kiba. "Quit it!" he shouted.

"Oh, sorry 'bout that," apologized Naruto, "What should we play next?"

Kiba frowned in thought. "Hm...how about Ninja?"

"Alright, you count and I'll hide!"

"Hey, I wanted to be the Hider!" protested Kiba.

"Too late!" The blonde boy bounded away into the compound, searching for a hiding spot. He eventually settled for between a doghouse and the fence near the kennels. He could hear Kiba count up to twenty and then stop. Naruto squeezed himself tighter into the spot, and he heard grass rustling as Kiba drew near. He was absolutely still as Kiba checked in the corners, doghouses, and even behind the fence. Kiba frowned, and he left. Naruto sighed in relief.

"Aha!" cried Kiba, dashing back and toward Naruto, "Dog ears win again!" The blonde leaped up and sprinted away frantically. "You can't outrun me!"

"I can sure try!" Naruto ducked under a tree branch. He could hear Kiba gaining on him, and a wall of trees was fast approaching. The blonde didn't slow down, much to Kiba's confusion, as the trees got closer, and closer, and closer-

"Naruto! What are you gonna do?" shouted Kiba, trying to reach out and catch him, "You're gonna smack into the-," The blonde planted one foot on the trunk and ran up it. Kiba was stunned as Naruto flipped over him and landed facing him.

"Neener-neener!" he taunted before scampering away. Kiba was dumbfounded, but then he collected himself and chased after him. Naruto whooped as he loped through the compound, vaulting over obstacles. Dogs and clan members alike glanced up as he passed, and the members chuckled and went about their business. "Can't catch me, slowpoke!" he taunted again. Up ahead, a small black shape was racing toward him, and Naruto squinted.

He widened his eyes once he saw it was Shiro. "Whoa! Hey! No, no, no!" Shiro barked and crashed into Naruto, knocking him off-balance and to the ground. The pup licked Naruto's face cheerfully, and the blonde laughed and pushed him away. He felt someone tap him on the shoulder, and Kiba grinned down at him.

"Gotcha, slowpoke," he said victoriously before asking, "Shiro get you again?"

"Yeah," admitted Naruto, rubbing Shiro's belly, "Little guy can really hit you good. I can't seem to not like him, though." Shiro whipped around and nipped Naruto's hand. "Ow! Shiro, bad dog!" The pup gazed at him with innocent eyes, and Naruto hesitated but then sighed. "See?" he said, again rubbing Shiro's belly, "I can't hate 'im."

Kiba nodded. "Everyone at the compound likes him, but he won't bond with anyone from the clan. Kaa-san says that he's gonna be a great ninken, but if he doesn't bond..."

"What?"

"I don't know what. This is the first time something like this has happened," said Kiba, scratching his head thoughtfully, "Every dog we have bonds with someone at this age." He shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe we'll give him away."

"Could I have him?" asked Naruto hopefully.

Kiba smiled. "I'm sure that Kaa-san would ask you first." A ringing sound echoed throughout the compound, and everyone including the dogs bolted toward the compound's main area. There, clan members were feeding the dogs raw meat and high-protein feed, and a large table was set outside. It was mostly laden with all kinds of cooked meat, but there were a few vegetable pots scattered across the table. Other clan members were setting up lanterns, twilight setting in.

"Otouto! Naruto-kun! Over here!" shouted Kiba's sister Hana, a pretty girl about six years older than them. She was sitting at the end of the table, off to the side of the head's chair, and Naruto darted over while Kiba hung back to feed Akamaru. She motioned to him to sit across from her, and Naruto plopped down into the chair. Hana's ninken were at her feet, full and sleepy. She smiled mischievously at the blonde. "I heard about today."

Naruto blushed and looked away. "Yeah, so?"

"And I want to say nice job! Up top!" She put her hand out for a high-five but snatched it away when Naruto tried to hit it. "Too slow!"

"C'mon, Hana! You always do that!" complained Naruto, pouting. She grinned and reached over to pinch his cheek. "Ow! Stop it!"

"Cheer up, Naruto-kun. You'll get there one day." Kiba came sat beside Hana, and he and Naruto waited until everyone was at the table. Tsume sat at the head of the table, her feet propped up and a leg of meat in her hand. She waved it languidly at the expectant clan.

"Well, why are you all starin' at me? Chow down!" She bit into the leg, and Naruto breathed in a few pieces of chicken, starved from playing. Dogs circled the table, gobbling up any scraps dropped or thrown to them. Most of the men had sake to drink, and the drunken laughter has loud. Tsume smiled and sipped her green tea. The boys and Hana each had a glass of lemonade. Something brushed the blonde's leg, and Shiro peered up to him with his innocent eyes. Naruto grinned and tossed him a leg bone.

The night winded down, the highly intoxicated stumbling off while singing with broken notes. Some of the less drunk helped to clear the table. Naruto chuckled and helped carry the dishes off to the large kitchen shared by the clan. He set them down next to a sink, a man with a scar running diagonally across his face nodding his thanks. Tsume, washing dishes as well, asked, "Naruto, could you go get Kiba-kun and tell him to come here?"

He nodded and went into commons area where Hana was tickling Kiba. Some of the elderly clansmen were exchanging war stories on threadbare couches, and young teenagers were poking at the fireplace embers, trying to set it alight. Children chased each other around the room. "Kiba!" called Naruto, "Tsume needs you." Kiba looked up, and he rushed off to the kitchen. Naruto went over and sat by Hana, and she started to tickle him as well. Naruto choked in laughter, and she stopped when Kiba returned.

"What'd Kaa-san want?" she asked.

"She wanted me to wash Akamaru and Shiro," he replied irately, "Darn dogs are hard to keep in one place. They like to be anywhere except where I want 'em."

"They're just pups," pointed out Hana. Kiba grunted, and she pulled out her headband and tied it to her forehead. The boys immediately straightened; she was going to tell them a few stories about her missions. She smiled as they gazed wide-eyed at her. "You want to hear a few stories?" They nodded. "Alright, let me tell you about the time my team was outnumbered fifty to one..." Naruto and Kiba were engrossed by her tale about her team nearly being defeated until she and her ninken had saved them all using a quadruple Fang Over Fang.

"Wow," whispered Naruto in awe, "You mean that spinny-spinny thing?"

Hana giggled and ruffled his hair. "Yeah, that spinny-spinny thing." Thunder rumbled outside, surprising her. She looked toward the windows set high in the wall. Storm clouds were barely visible against the darkening sky. "Huh. That storm snuck up on us, but I think we have time for another story, don't you?" They nodded enthusiastically, and Hana launched into another story, this one about her dangerous fight with a mercenary.

Kiba was frowning when she finished. "Where was your team?"

"They were fighting their own mercenaries, and we all got out alright," she answered before lightning flashed outside and rain started to pelt against the windows. "Oh! That's not good." Thunder clapped, and the windows rattled.

Tsume burst into the room. "Kiba-kun, Hana-chan, back to the house! Naruto, you've got to get home before this storm really hits!" She jerked the curtains across the windows, and the other members were already heading out. "You want me to take you home?" she asked Naruto, thunder cracking.

He shook his head. "I'll just run fast. I'll be fine." He ran to the door leading outside to the front gate and opened it. Puddles were already forming from the torrential rain, and wind was whipping the trees into a frenzy.

"Are you sure?" yelled Tsume over the rain.

"I'll be fine!" Naruto sprinted to the gate and unlocked it. He shut it behind him, hair already hanging low from the rain. He ran down the street, and lightning flashed and thunder roared deafeningly. The street lights were off, and window shutters were shut. Naruto was alone in the dark, lightning being his only source of light. His heart beat faster and faster as the thunderclaps increased in number and volume, and the wind seemed to push him back.

He took a turn, and lightning illuminated the outline of the Academy. Thunder boomed, and Naruto grimaced as rain blinded him. Lightning flashed again, and he stumbled over a rut in the road. He fell down, muddying his face and hands. He shook his head as he stood, and he started off again towards his house. A lightning strike crackled across the clouds.

Wind tore at his shirt, and he ran with lightning being his guide. Naruto stumbled again and caught himself, and his ears rung from thunder. He tried to shake the ringing away, but it was persistent. Thunder clapped again, and he quit with the endeavor and continued on. His feet landed in puddles, dirtying them. Thunder was now a steady, earsplitting roll that seemed to physically shake him.

He looked through the sheets of rain, and he saw the outline of his apartment as lightning flashed. He sighed in relief and slowed, reasoning that his clothes could not get any more drenched. He was only twenty feet from the apartment when his world exploded into bright, excruciating light. Naruto yelled in pain and fell down, pain coursing through his entire body. He couldn't move, his muscles locking up, and his eyes seemed to be burned into nothing but ash. Then he mercifully blacked out.


Kiba was listening to the constant drum of thunder and rain when a scratching at his door caught his attention. He frowned and got up to open the door. Shiro was outside in the hall, whining and shaking. Kiba furrowed his brow, and then the pup took off the hall. When Kiba didn't follow, he came back and ran back down the hall. Kiba suddenly understood and grabbed his rain jacket.

Shiro ran through the doggy door, and Kiba opened the door open into the pelting rain. He put his hood up, and Shiro squirmed under the gate and waited for Kiba to follow. "Shiro, was is it?" shouted Kiba. The pup ignored him and darted down the street. Kiba growled and ran after him. "Shiro! Come back!" Shiro eluded him as they ran down streets, always staying in sight but never in reach.

Lightning flashed ominously, and Kiba blinked rain from his eyes. "Shiro! Where are you going?" He continued to run after the pup, barks and intermittent lightning flashes leading his way. He rounded a corner, and he saw a heap of something in the road, Shiro nudging it with his nose and whining. Kiba's heart dropped as he realized that heap was Naruto, facedown in the mud. "Naruto!" Kiba ran over and rolled him over. Lightning flashed, and he gasped. Naruto's entire face was red and raw, and his eyes were closed and blackened.

Kiba quickly slung him over his shoulder, receiving a slight shock as he did, and he followed Shiro back to the Inuzuka compound. He unlocked the gate and rushed inside his house. He beat on Tsume's bedroom door. "Kaa-san! Kaa-san, wake up! Kaa-san!" Tsume opened the door sleepily, but then she saw Naruto's unmoving body slung across Kiba.

"Wha-what happened?"

"I don't know! I think lightning got him 'cause he shocked me when I picked him up!"

She cursed. "I knew I should've walked him home! Kuromaru!" Her ninken, a large black dog with an eyepatch, padded from her room. She moved Naruto from Kiba to him. "Take him to the hospital! Tell them that the Inuzuka clan leader will be there shortly!" She grabbed a jacket and headed to the door. "Kiba, stay here."

"What? No!"

"I said stay here!"

"No! He's my friend!"

"He's also hurt! You can see him when he's better." She ran out into the rain, heading to the hospital. When she arrived, Kuromaru informed her gruffly that they had him in surgery because of his eyes. They had been badly burned, and there was a chance that he had been rendered completely blind. With the surgery, that just might be avoided. She waited until they were finished, and she stayed with Naruto in the recuperation ward. She prayed silently for him, clasping his hand, before she sank back into sleep.

The sun was shining when she finally awoke. She looked over at Naruto who was sleeping peacefully. From last night, his face was completely healed, and his eyes were normal. His breathing was even and untroubled. She smiled; the surgery had been a success in her eyes. He fidgeted in his sleep, and Tsume stroked his hair motherly. A doctor walked in, and she stood.

The doctor smiled. "How did you sleep, Tsume-sama?" she asked.

"Fine. Did the surgery go as planned?"

"It did," assured the doctor, "but we won't know if it worked until he wakes up, but it's most likely that he'll need glasses from now on. I think he might not like the idea of that." She chuckled, and Tsume smiled as she pictured the hyperactive blonde with a pair of scholarly glasses. Naruto fidgeted again. "Oh, it looks like he's waking up."

Naruto opened his eyes, and Tsume noticed they had changed. They were now a light sky blue with no pupil or any kind of reflection. They were a solid color like the Yamanaka's, but a lighter shade of blue. She smiled as she grasped his hand. "Naruto-kun, how do you feel?" He blinked. She brushed the hair from his eyes, but he didn't acknowledge it.

"Ts-Tsume?"

"Yes?" She expected him to ask how he got here, how she got here, what had happened. She hoped that he would joke that his vision was now blurry, but he was glad to be alive. The doctor leaned over, a gentle smile on her face. "Yes, Naruto-kun?" repeated Tsume. His next words shattered her hope.

"I-I can't see," he said distraughtly, "I know my eyes are open, but I can't see!"