"More sake please!" Naruto asked the bartender as he downed his sixth shot. Ino, Temari, TenTen and Hinata walked into the bar and saw that Naruto had decided to take the night to drink away his troubles.

"He's become quite the alcoholic since the incident a few months back…." Ino whispered to her friends. "What incident are you talking about Ino?" Asked Temari. Temari had still been in Suna while the incident occurred. TenTen and Hinata looked down cast as they knew that there was a long drawn out story to be told.

Ino sighed as she began the tale. "Well it began when Tsunade-sama called Naruto and Sakura to her office."

FLASHBACK

Tsunade's desk was filled with papers of missions to be approved. She sighed and looked out the window at an ever busy Konoha, wishing she could be elsewhere instead of doing hours of paperwork. "Tsunade-sama you should really be getting these papers done so you can get out of here on time." Nagged Shizune. Tsunade rolled her eyes and then looked down at her desk. The door slammed open and a familiar pair of blue eyes and blonde hair came through the door.

"Hey Tsunade-obaachan!" Naruto called, "We got your message!"

"UGH BAKA! You are supposed to knock before entering Tsunade-sama office!" complained Sakura.

"Hello Naruto and Sakura," Tsunade said barely looking up from her desk. "We have a serious issue… we have been receiving reports that Uchiha Sasuke has been sighted in different villages, and he has been recruiting for his team the Taka. It seems he intends to make an attack on the Leaf village." Naruto's face suddenly grew very serious. "I leave it to you two to find Sasuke and stop him no matter what."

"You got it Granny! I'll stop Sasuke and bring him back no matter what!" exclaimed Naruto.

"We will do our best Tsunade-sama." Sakura said.

Naruto and Sakura headed off to the land hidden in the stones where Sasuke was predicted to be headed next.

Soon they arrived a few miles away from the village and they were in a forested area. Naruto and Sakura stopped as the voice of Sasuke filled the area. "So I heard you two came looking for me huh…"

"Where are you Sasuke! I will bring you home no matter what it takes!" yelled Naruto.

"Naruto you're still such a dobe…. If you hadn't noticed, I already have you under my genjutsu." An Image of Sakura appeared in front of Naruto. She was strung up by her hands and had shuriken, and kunai protruding for various parts of her body, like she was used for target practice. Bloodstained her lips and her right eye had closed.

"N-Naruto-kun…." Sakura gasped, "S-save m-me…."

'It's not real!' thought Naruto, 'None of this is real!' Sakura placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder and yelled "Kai!" to dispel the genjutsu.

"Ah Sakura-chan… Still the smart one as ever I see." Sasuke taunted.

Sasuke had appeared before Naruto, and as expected Naruto charged right at him with all he had not stopping to realize it was a trap. As soon as Naruto attempted to strike Sasuke, he had disappeared behind him a few meters. Sakura took notice of this and charged to save Naruto from the fatal blow Sasuke was going to deal.

"Chidori Sharp Spear!" Sasuke growled, as he infused lightning chakra into his blade and allowed it to shoot out towards Naruto. Just then Sakura jumped down from the tree line facing Naruto and took the chakra blade through her heart.

"S-s-sorry N-Naruto-kun…" Sakura said as a small stream of blood started down the corner of her mouth. She gave Naruto one last weak smile. "B-bakayaro…." With that the chakra blade disappeared. Sakura fell to her knees and face first.

Naruto rushed to her side only to confirm his fear while Sasuke looked on with cold eyes. Naruto looked up at Sakura's murderer with new crimson eyes and tears running down his face. And it wasn't long before he began to sprout his first tail.

FLASHBACK END

"… and they both beat each other within an inch of their lives…. It was only later that merchants happened upon Naruto and took him in and allowed him to recover. But since then he's never been the same." Ino sighed. The girls' mood had gone sour with the story of their fallen comrade.

Meanwhile Naruto was on his eight shot and was very drunk, and began crying loudly about his childhood crush. Hinata couldn't bear to see her crush in such a depression. Naruto would never realize it but he was hurting Hinata just by being like this. Naruto was Hinata's idol of sorts, that ray of sunshine, that stood up for what was right, and showed outstanding courage no matter what situation; The hero of the Hidden Leaf, and hers as well. "Oh Naruto…" she whispered to herself. She looked up at him across the bar with tears in her eyes.

The group of girls had sat down at a table not too far to the blonde haired ninja. They all ordered drinks and engaged in gossip to help forget the previous conversation. All except Hinata who sat in silence staring at her drink and occasionally looking up at Naruto. She would take a few sips every now and then but was always careful to not get drunk in public because it would be a disgrace to her clan.

"Man… Naruto is so beyond drunk it's almost kind of funny if it weren't so sad." Temari remarked as Naruto stopped crying and started singing loudly with the music playing. All of the girls but Hinata giggled in agreement.

"Let's just hope he doesn't try to make too much of a fool out of himself…." TenTen sighed. As she said that Naruto had gotten on top of an empty table and attempted a stage dive and no one tried to catch him, except the floor. Everyone in the bar stopped dead. Some gasped, some laughed but a certain raven haired girl rushed to his aid.

"N-Naruto-kun are you al-lright?" Hinata stammered. Naruto just laughed like nothing ever happened.

"Oh hey Nata' fancy to see you here at this floor meeting" Naruto burst into another fit of drunken giggles at his own corny joke.

Hinata sighed at Naruto's antics, and helped him off the floor, then cleaned up the blood from his nose. She decided to walk Naruto home before he found himself in more trouble or hurt himself again.

The walk was fairly silent aside from Naruto's random fits of laughter, snorts, and falling over. They had finally arrived at Naruto's little apartment. Hinata opened to door to find ramen cartons, dirty underwear and socks strewn throughout the apartment. Naturally the apartment had an over powering smell of ramen. At the same time it smelled just like Naruto. Hinata found that somewhat relaxing, and took a deep sniff breathing out in ecstasy.

She helped him to bed and tucked him in. Naruto didn't protest as he was getting pretty tired already. "I'll come c-check on y-you in the afternoon N-Naruto-kun." She wanted to kiss his forehead but she found that her shyness had prohibited for her from doing it.

"Hinata-chan…. S-stay with m-me" Naruto slurred sleepily. The thought of staying the night with Naruto made Hinata turn a shade of crimson. As much as she would love to stay with Naruto, he was drunk and that would make for an awkward time when they woke up. Besides if her cousin Neji or her father Hiashi found out not only would Hinata be disowned and Naruto would be dead.

"Ano… I can't N-Naruto-kun… Otou-sama would be furious…." Naruto had long passed out since she had been contemplating whether to stay or not. So she just gave him a small smile taking note of how cute Naruto looked when he was asleep, turned out the lights and returned home to the Hyuuga compound.