Just a little Onshot on how they cured Naruto's Depression - MY way

I wrote this in school back when Jiraiya first died and i never posted it up o_O
But now look! Its up!

I probably got some things wrong since i didnt pay too much attention but i still think it's worthy to be read!
I hope you like it^^

Naruto took Jiraiya's death…really hard. The Baka, though, hasn't even said a single word to me nor anyone else. I haven't even seen him shed a tear unless he was alone…but who was I to say if he even cried when he was alone. It's not really like him – Naruto, the blond knuckle head that always smiled despite the situation we were in. Naruto…is just a large bubble of emotions, I'd tell myself. So fragile, that one single prick could pop him and all the emotion – Sad, angry, happy; you name it – would come flooding out. I guess, that, not only did Jiraiya's death pop him…but completely shattered his heart and soul.

I've seen him sitting on a bench, an untouched and melting ice cream at hand. I never saw his face but I'm sure he was having thoughts of the old pervert running through his mind. I wanted to go and comfort him, but decided to give him his space and walked home. I feel so bad. All I did was insult the old man and how Naruto was learning all the wrong things from him. And now…he's dead and I can't apologize to either of them. Naruto wouldn't listen and well…Jiraiya's gone.

Tsunade was getting worried about him. She was worried that he was staying in his apartment too long. Worried that all the emotion he had bottled up in the past couple days was going to get him ill. Every one said that keeping your emotion in always made you feel sick. Naruto wasn't the kind of person to keep things in…most of the time that is. I see in his eyes when he speaks to me sometimes…that he had regret and sorrow deep down…but he chooses to hide it with a smile.

Tsunade decided to hire a dream therapist…which I told her probably wouldn't work. But she insisted. 'Naruto needs to let those bottled up emotions out sometime' she told me. I tried to tell her that he had to be letting them out. Because I knew deep down…Naruto wasn't the kind of person to keep things inside and private…most of the time. But I left that last part out. But still, unfortunately, Tsunade called for a therapist and the closest one we got was a young girl from the demon country. They say she reads your thoughts and can see the future…reminds me of Shion a little…

Her name was Emita Salane. A demon country priestess who could put you into a sleep in which you could go and solve any of your problems. Unlike Shion, she was friendlier when I first met her. I could also tell she was one of the people who weren't too fond of germs. Good luck walking into Naruto's place. This young woman was here to take care of Naruto though, so maybe she'd fight the germs and do what she can to help.

I knew he was letting out his tears 'somewhere' but maybe this 'will' help…even just a little. Emita looked determined as she let me know what she was going to do. She mentioned that she was going to put him to sleep and during the slumber, he'd wonder around. Could be hours – days – weeks – she didn't know for sure, but we'd all have to be patient. He'd have to find Jiraiya or anything else that could help in his subconscious. She said maybe even me…you know…someone close to him. So finally after a long day of talking with Emita, Tsunade sent me out to go get him and bring him to the office.

~NS~

"I don't see the point…"

Sakura looked over her shoulder as she and the sulking Naruto walked down the street. After a moment of watching him stare at the ground as they walked, she let out a sigh and looked forward. "It wasn't really my choice Naruto…" She then said; making him glance up; but he immediately looked back down. "Tsunade says this will cheer you up. I'm not sure how…but even Emita says you'll come out with a smile. Even if it's small" Naruto narrowed his eyes sadly.

"I don't know if I'll ever be smiling again…"

"Don't say that Naruto!" Sakura silently yelled. Her eyes narrowed and the same expression he wore was now on her face. 'That smile…just 'can't' go away…' She then thought as she and Naruto entered the Hokage's mansion. 'Not forever…' Her hand fell upon the door handle and with a slight hesitation, she opened it. "Master, I've returned" She greeted as she walked inside; Naruto slowly following. "And Emita…I've brought who you need"

As Naruto entered the room he glanced up slowly to see a girl just about their age stand. She had long brown curly hair and her eye color somewhat resembled his. The outfit she wore reminded him as Shion just as it did with Sakura. The beads around her neck, wrists and ankles made noises as she walked over to him and gave him a small bow. "It's a pleasure to meet you Uzumaki-San" She greeted. "I'll be the dream therapist" Naruto didn't respond with word; only a nod. Emita tilted her head to the side and looked at Sakura. The pinkette only shook her head at her. Emita sighed. 'Well…this only means I'm in the right place…'

"So Naruto" Tsunade began; getting all their attention. "Emita here will be the dream therapist if you didn't already take the hint" She said as she shut her eyes. "You'll take her back to your place and begin there. Sakura and a few others will come and check in here and there and see if Emita or you need anything." She glanced at the priestess. "Emita…Don't forget what I told you about him. Try to be careful and don't let your guard down."

"Of course my lady" Emita said with another bow. Tsunade nodded and dismissed them all and they walked out. "So, Haruno-San….You'll be coming to see how things will be doing later?" She then as she hesitantly stepped outside. Naruto stopped walking and looked over his shoulder to watch the two girls catch up. As they walked Sakura gave the priestess a nod. "You…and whom…may I ask?"

"A friend of mine" Sakura answered as Naruto began his walk again. "Ino Yamanaka" She then said. Emita nodded and looked forward to keep an eye on her patient. "I really don't think we should be doing this to him…" Sakura muttered; getting the priestesses attention again. "I mean…shouldn't he be getting over it himself?"

"Well yes" Emita answered. "That's what I'm going to be doing with him" Sakura looked her way and lifted a brow. "I'm not the one who's going to be convincing him inside his subconscious. It's himself who's doing the honor." She let out a soft giggle and pointed to the blond ahead. "Or, someone else. Take Jiraiya-Sama for instance. Uzumaki-San could speak with him and let out all the emotion and tears he hasn't let out yet. Then…later when he wakes, he'll be happy, and if not, then not so depressed any longer." She crossed her arms with a smile. "Who knows what or who Uzumaki-San will meet in there? As long as he gets a chance to let it all out" As she said the last part she extended her arms out to resemble something like a dam breaking and the water rushing out. Or that's how Sakura imagined it…

"This is it…"

Both girls stopped as Naruto stopped at a door. They didn't realize they had already arrived at the complex he lived in. Emita let out a small smile as he opened the door and she entered in after him. Sakura let out a sigh as she followed them both over to his room but as soon as the door opened Emita gasped and slammed into the wall farthest away from it. Naruto only glanced over his shoulder with an expressionless face. "What…?"

"Naruto" Sakura called as she walked over. He looked at her and she smiled slightly. "She um…Has Mysophobia." She then said. He didn't respond. "She's a Germaphobe…fear of contact with dirt…avoids contamination and germs" Once again he didn't really respond. Only raised his brow slightly. Sakura sighed. "She's afraid of germs…" Now he understood. He didn't really say anything but she knew he understood right when he shut his door. As soon as it clicked shut, Emita relaxed and slid back down from being raised by pressing up against the wall.

"Then…" Naruto started as he began to walk away. Emita and Sakura both followed him to another room while Sakura looked over her shoulder. Naruto's room was usually kept clean, though, most of the time it could be dirty. But she had never seen his room in such filth before. Even during the time when she slipped on the ramen bowl from spotting a bug and his boxers…well fell onto her head. She now remembered how he was trying to kiss her in his sleep. She began to blush slightly until his voice snapped her out of it. "How about my couch…the living room isn't that dir—"

"This will have to do!" Emita interrupted as she suddenly appeared on the small table in front of it. Naruto only blinked and then without another motion, he stumbled over. "Splendid" She looked at Sakura as Naruto took a seat on the small couch. "You can go retrieve Yamanaka-San if you like…" She then said. Sakura nodded and without another word from either of them, left. Emita then looked at Naruto and smiled. "Uzumaki-San…" She then said. The blond boy before her only blinked. "I'd like you to close your eyes now" He did so. "It will be awhile until you actually fall into your subconscious…so sit tight…"

"Therapy?" Ino asked. Sakura nodded as she stood in front of the flower shop's cashier. "Why would Tsunade put him under therapy?" She asked again. "I don't really understand. It's not like he's gone crazy or anything" Sakura shook her head.

"No. its dream therapy" She told her blonde friend. "And it's supposed to cure his depression I guess…" She let out another sigh and looked at the ground. "Tsunade says it should help. Even if it's just a little." She then muttered before looking back up. "She and Emita said if Naruto gets through it right. He'll come out with a smile. Or at least go back to that toad and tell it that he'll train with him"

Ino gave Sakura a nod and shut the register. "All right" She then said; gaining her friends attention. "I'll head over there with you." Ino set a bundle of flowers down beneath the counter and grabbed her keys. "Just let me lock up first" Sakura nodded and followed the blonde girl out to the front. Ino shut out all the lights and let Sakura out before herself. Then she locked the door after shutting it. "All right let's go"

Sakura nodded and they both started for Naruto's apartment. "You know I don't think I've ever seen Naruto this depressed before" Sakura then said. Ino looked her way and lifted a brow before nudging the pinkette's arm.

"Man…How depressed is he?"

"'Really' Depressed." Sakura answered. She sighed and shook her head. "That Toad came by and said something about sage training. I wasn't really paying attention but all I know is that Naruto refused. Emita said if this therapy worked then he'd probably go back and say yes" Ino nodded in understanding and then remembered the strange code she saw Shikamaru have earlier that day.

"And Shika's working on that code in the meantime?"

"Yeah" Sakura answered the second question. She didn't really know what it was but neither did Shikamaru. That was mostly the reason why he was in charge of decoding it. That and his IQ was over two-hundred. "I think it was a message from Jiraiya. I might help with the decoding later if I get the time" Ino nodded again and they soon found their way to Naruto's apartment door. But to their surprise they heard a shriek of terror and both panicked. "Emita?!" Sakura called as she went to open the door. Her hand slipped from going too fast and Ino grabbed it instead.

Once the door swung open Sakura and Ino both stepped in and ran over to the living room part of the apartment. Sakura looked around for the priestess and found her sitting on the floor like she had flown off the table she sat on, her hands holding her head as if he was having a painful headache. "Emita? Are you alright?" Sakura asked as she knelt down beside the brunette. Emita opened her eyes and nodded before looking at Naruto. They all did and saw that he was sound asleep.

"Nothing's wrong with him" Emita said; gaining their attention again. "I just forgot what Hokage-Sama told me and left my guard down" She stood up and wiped off her traditional priestess kimono before sitting on the small table again. "She told me to be careful of the Kyuubi because he was its Jinchuuriki." She then said. "I completely forgot and got myself thrown back. But everything else is fine. He's asleep and my work is done…I think…"

"You think?" Ino asked. Emita shrugged and stood up. Then she leaned over slightly to look at Naruto carefully. "How can you think he's ok? What could happen anyway?"

"I could have accidently disrupted his dream and stopped everything…" Emita muttered worryingly. "Or…I could have accidently put him into a coma!" She stood up straight and began to panic. "No, No, No this isn't good! Now you've got me thinking about what I could have done and what even 'did' happen!"

"Calm down Emita!" Sakura said as she stood. She ran over to the priestess and held her as she began to cry. "Ino" She then said making the blonde look over. "That new ability of yours…can you get inside his dream and snoop around to make sure everything's going as planned. If it is, leave at once or don't get caught."

"Got it" Ino responded. She ran over to Naruto's side and took hold of his head. Soon a light green glow surrounded both her hands and she didn't seem to say anything until finally she passed out. Sakura ran to her blond friend and caught her before she could fall to the floor and get hurt. She then looked at Naruto and saw that his eyes twitched but soon relaxed again. Then she looked at Emita.

"Ino will make sure Naruto's fine"

Naruto blinked after a couple of minutes of staring at nothing but a misty path before him. He raised a brow. 'This isn't anything like Kyuubi's chamber…' He thought as he looked in all directions only to find nothing. He'd expected to find himself face to face with the giant fox within him like he usually did but now he was in nothing but a misty field of nothing. 'If this is my head…it's not funny…' He scowled at the emptiness before him and then shook his head. Then he heard footsteps. Blinking first, he looked around to see where it was coming from. Then the steps stopped and he heard a very familiar chuckle.

Naruto turned around and opened his mouth to gasp but nothing came out as he suddenly remembered what Emita told him. 'Anyone could show up,' she had told him, 'Even yourself' He shut his mouth and slightly smiled to greet his younger self who stood before him wearing a large smile of his own while rubbing the bottom of his nose.

"Hey there older me" The younger Naruto greeted before setting his hand down. He smiled brightly again and leaned over a little. "Hey follow me ok?" He didn't wait for Naruto to respond, since he immediately turned around and began to walk. Without hesitation, Naruto followed into the thick mist just hoping that the whole Therapy thing would actually work.

Ino titled her head to the side as she stared at the giant cage in front of her. A giant paper that read 'SEAL' in all caps rested on the middle bar of the cage. But nothing was behind it. She looked down and saw that she was standing in ankle deep water before glancing up again. This time when she looked up she felt a warm breeze as if… 'Is something breathing on me?' She thought before taking a step forward.

"Who are you?"

Ino yelped in surprise from the evil voice behind the cage bars and took a step back. 'Wa-was that the Kyuubi?!' She then thought in fear. Red eyes appeared making her shriek in fear this time before falling onto her bottom.

"Shall I ask again?! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!"

The blonde immediately stood up and bowed. "E-Excuse me! My name is Ino Yamanaka and I'm a friend of Naruto's!" She gasped. "I wa-was only dropping in to see if he was ok—"

"OK?! WHY WOULD HE NOT BE OK?!"

Ino looked up and felt herself starting to shake. "W-we were giving him D-dream Therapy and he passed out un-unexpectedly and scared the priestess" She told the fox. "Sh-she thought that she hurt him so I'm just checking if he's a-alright" She winced as if thinking he was going to yell again but he didn't he only calmly asked…

"Why?"

"Jiraiya-Sama died recently" Ino told him. The red eyes narrowed and seemed to get closer but the bars soon stopped him. Ino at that moment loved that cage. "Naruto took the death very hard and…well…has been depressed for a very long time. Tsunade-Sama thought that Dream Therapy would help cheer him up…"

"I knew something was wrong..." The Kyuubi growled. She watched him shut his eyes and waited if he was going to say something else. "Well, if you're going to see if he's ok I wouldn't suggest coming here to bother me!" He opened his eyes and grinned to show off the pearly white fangs underneath. "Next time I'll eat ya! Now get going!"

"S-Sorry, but where else could I go—"

"Look behind you!" Kyuubi demanded. Ino did just that; afraid that if she disobeyed he'd find a way out of there and tear her to shreds. "That long corridor doesn't just go to a dead end. It goes on forever. You'll eventually find him somewhere in this empty head of his" Ino nodded after the fox said this and began walking towards the giant opening. She looked over her shoulder and saw that the giant red eyes had disappeared.

'Geez…how can Naruto deal with that all the time?'

Naruto followed his younger self for what seemed like hours but was only about five minutes. Every once in awhile, he'd look over his shoulder to make sure his older self was still following him. Naruto blinked as he watched his younger self walk. 'Where's he taking me?' He thought as another minute passed. Soon after thinking that he was just going to walk for hours, a figure appeared within the mist. With a small laugh the younger Naruto sped up into a run and met up with the figure and then soon the person came into view. Naruto's eyes widened.

"J-Jiraiya…"

"So…You and Uzumaki-San…Are you close?"

Sakura looked up as Naruto's head rested in her arms. Emita had sat on the small table silently for all those minutes since Ino left them both. But at that moment she finally spoke but her gaze stayed glued to the ground. "Well Yeah…" Sakura finally answered before looking at the blond in her arms. "We've known each other for a really long time…almost before the academy. I know he used to watch me when I was bullied I just never said or did anything about it. When we got out of the academy we were put in the same squad and here we are now…"

Emita looked up and tilted her head to the side. "Bullied?" She then asked. Sakura gave her a small nod keeping her eye on the boy she held. "What on earth could 'you' be bullied for?" The pinkette looked over and saw that Emita was giving her a concerned look. "You're beautiful and talented. You're also quite friendly and—" She stopped when Sakura pointed to her forehead. "Huh?"

"They made fun of my forehead" Sakura told her. She then set her hand down. "And thanks for the 'beautiful' comment but I don't think its necessary—"

"OH LOOK!" Emita interrupted as she pointed at Naruto. Sakura immediately looked on command and saw that a small tear fell from his shut eye. "He's crying…" Emita then said as she stood and made her way over. She knelt down and took one of Naruto's hands and smiled. "That's so rare…he must be crying waterfalls inside there if a tear shows up out here" Sakura blinked as she looked at Emita. Then she looked at Naruto and her eyes narrowed.

'Naruto…is Jiraiya there?'

"Whoa there kid" Jiraiya muttered as Naruto fell to his knees in tears. The younger Naruto took a step to the side and disappeared as Jiraiya hugged his older self. "It's alright Naruto…it's alright…" Despite the old man's words, Naruto still screamed as tears raged down his cheeks and soaked his shirt and floor. He seemed to let out everything he held back before. His knees felt weak and shaky even if they were on the ground. The old pervert he missed so much was right in front of him. He couldn't hold anything back. He had to let it out. "Naruto, you getting both our shirts soaked" Jiraiya laughed.

"Stop laughing!" Naruto screamed through his tears. "You're dead! You're gone!" He gasped to take breaths between each yell. "Why would you laugh?! You stupid pervert!" He kept his tears flowing for minutes. They seemed like hours to him but at that moment he didn't even care. He cried even longer as Jiraiya knelt down beside him with a small smile. "You didn't even say good-bye!" Naruto finally yelled, the tears never dying.

"How could you do that to him?"

Both men pulled away and looked to Naruto's left. A woman with long red hair stood with her arms crossed and she was giving Jiraiya a stern look. "I mean come on! I trusted you to treat him like a 'good' Godfather didn't I?!" She then said before looking at Naruto. As she walked over Naruto's gasping for air calmed but the tears never did.

"Who…who are you?"

His question was never answered as the woman knelt down beside him and hugged him. "Please stop crying Naruto-Kun…" She whispered as Jiraiya smiled. Naruto only blinked. Who was that woman, he wondered. "I just can't stand watching you cry…"

"Please…" Naruto whispered back as he shut his eyes. "Please…tell me…who a-are you?" He then asked. The woman squeezed him in a tighter hug and he felt a shrug come out of it.

"I don't know" She told him; making him open his eyes again. "You tell me" She pulled away and smiled at his tear soaked face; her blue-green eyes glistening in an unknown light. "I'm the one in 'your' subconscious right?" She asked. "So you should know exactly who I am" Naruto shook his head.

"I don't get it…" He muttered. "How can you be here…if I've never met you?"

"Maybe you have…" The woman said back. She lifted her right hand and tapped on her head. "Maybe it's so far back in your memory that you just can't remember seeing my face" She let out a small laugh and looked at Jiraiya. "Ero-Sannin, comfort him now!"

'She calls him that…too…?' Naruto thought as the old man knelt down again. 'Then…I probably met her when I was with him back during my training...' He looked at the old man and felt the tears beginning to rise again but the red-head's hand squeezing his shoulder sympathetically stopped them from flowing.

"Naruto" Jiraiya started. "I'm sure you've been asked to train with the sages…am I right?" He then asked. Naruto gave him a nod and tried not to think about the day he received the awful news. "And I'm sure you said no so you could sit around and be depressed for the rest of your days….am I right?" Naruto nodded but then shook his head after.

"I wasn't planning on being depressed that long—"

"Naruto you were depressed for awhile." Jiraiya interrupted. "Trust me, I know. I'm in your god-for-saken subconscious." The woman began to rub Naruto's back as the old man went on. "Naruto I want you to go and train with the sages. And I want you to smile. You know very well that I wouldn't want you sitting around in your apartment all day. Neither of your parents would have wanted that either. I want you to smile and follow in my footsteps – follow your father's footsteps even. Hell! You can even follow your mothers – I don't care! As long as you have that smile on your face and you keep moving on, I'm fine with it!"

"Jiraiya is right Naruto-Kun" The woman said. She leaned over the blond's shoulder and smiled at him. "You're never going to achieve any goals sitting around your apartment and staring at melting ice-cream bars all day" She laughed lightly and set her arms around his shoulders to give him a one armed hug. "Yondaime and the others didn't get to Hokage status that way and neither will you. You hear?" Naruto nodded and she gave the old man a smile. "Make him smile damn it!"

Jiraiya didn't even have to try. Naruto lightly laughed after she demanded this and they all continued with their own laughs. "Naruto" Jiraiya began as their laughter died down. "I'd love for you to think about me and maybe here and there get remorseful. But never again do I want to see you sad and depressed understood?" Naruto smiled slightly and nodded.

"Yes Sir"

"All right" Jiraiya gave him a nod back and then looked at the red-head. "Kushina, should we head out now then?" He then asked. Naruto looked at the red-head after hearing her name and watched her give the man a smile back.

"Yes." Kushina answered. "I think he gets it" She looked at the blond next to her and smiled. "Naruto-Kun, will you promise me that you'll be happy and go train with those toads? You don't have to go full out and explode with happiness but at least…can you smile?" Naruto nodded to her too.

"Yes Ma'am"

Footsteps interrupted them all and they looked behind Kushina and Naruto. A teenage girl just Naruto's age with long blonde hair stood and immediately dropped to the ground when she saw that they noticed her. Naruto smiled and lightly laughed along with Kushina as Jiraiya shook his head. "OK, I guess your rescue team has arrived." Kushina said, looking at Naruto again. Good-Bye Naruto-Kun" She leaned over and kissed his forehead just as Tsunade did all those years ago making him blush.

Who was that woman?

Soon she was gone and Jiraiya helped him stand. "See you Kid" he then said. He chuckled when he noticed that Naruto was about to tear up again. "Naruto! Don't get upset. I'll always be with you!" He poked Naruto in the chest. "Right there!" He then said before tossing the blond's hair around with his hand. The blond smiled and shut his eyes to enjoy what he used to hate. He was really going to miss that hair tossing business…Then he remembered Kushina.

"Oh. Ero-Sannin?" Naruto asked as the old man pulled his hand away. "Kushina? Who…who was she?" he then asked. Jiraiya chuckled as he began to fade away. Then he shrugged.

"Beats me" Jiraiya said making Naruto hang his head. "But hey, I know she was someone very important you to be in here alright" The old man smiled and waved to him. "Good-Bye kid. I was glad to be your sensei and Godfather…" His figure faded away as he finished saying this and Naruto rubbed his eye with a smile.

He looked over his shoulder and waved his hand. "Ino!" He called. Soon, the blue eyed Yamanaka rose from the misty ground and she gave him the 'Am-I-allowed-to-come-out' look. Naruto gestured her over and she immediately got up and jogged over. "What are you doing in here?" He asked as soon as she was next to him.

"Heh…well Emita freaked out and thought she did something so I jumped on in" Ino answered as she nervously rubbed the back of her head. Then she dropped her hand and smiled nervously as well. "Um…you're not mad at me are you?" She then asked.

"Nope" Naruto answered with the shake of his head. Ino sighed and swiped the imaginary sweat off her forehead. "Um…how do I wake up?" He then asked as he realized they were both still in the misty realm off his subconscious.

"Oh! Hold on!" Ino yelped before grabbing his hand. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath. Then after a moment or so she squeezed. "Release!"

Naruto's eyes sprang open and he shot out of Sakura's grasp. Just at the same time Sakura and Emita yelped in surprise as Ino shot up from the floor as well. Naruto shook his head before rubbing it and then looked at Emita with a smile. "Thank you Emita-Chan!" He said in his cheerful voice that Sakura missed so much. The said pinkette sighed thankfully and leaned back onto the couch, happy to hear that he was back to his old self. While Emita lightly brushed the thank you away, Ino sat down and sighed.

"What was it like in there?"

Ino looked at Sakura and shrugged. "Well at first I was in the wrong place" She told her. "I met Kyuubi and boy-o-boy he just wasn't a happy camper…" She sighed and then pointed at Naruto with her thumb. "The rest of it was just an empty space full of mist and clouds…no wonder why he's so dumb huh?"

"HEY! I heard that!"

END