Journey to the Unknown

A Naruto and Chris Lynheart Crossover

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. However, this story does not take place in the canon lore of the series. This is a crossover of Naruto and my own series titled "Chris Lynheart". If the reader is annoyed by stories that break away from the actual lore, exit this story immediately.

Naruto Characters: All main characters in early Shippuden. Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, Shino, Hinata, and a few others.

My characters: Any character outside of Naruto lore, as well as any animal species that will come into play later in the story.

Story Setting: Very Early Shippuden

Supporting couple(s): NaruSaku and Chris x Jessica (my characters)

Warning! All of my characters are protected by copyright. You may NOT take these characters for your own use!

For those interested, here's a link to my book: Chris-Lynheart-Rise-Experiment-2025-ebook/dp/B00APF0GQI?ie=UTF8&keywords=Dalton%20Reutlinger&qid=1462503055&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

This story is a re-write of the very first story I ever wrote. The original story will be posted after this re-write is done.

Chapter One

Cutting it Close

After returning from a mission that occupied their last three months Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno headed towards the hospital. Naruto had been injured badly and Sakura feared for his life. While the squad leader Kakashi Hatake headed for the Hokage building to give the report of the mission to Lady Tsunade.

When Kakashi reached the Hokage's office, he knocked on the door, and was told by a voice on the other side to enter. Kakashi opened the door and stepped into Tsunade's office and saw her leaning on her desk with her face in her palms. "So how did the mission go?" She asked in her regular tone.

Kakashi remained silent for a moment before answering, "Ma-am, the mission was a success, but Naruto was badly injured. Even the Nine-Tailed-Fox couldn't heal him on its own, and Sakura did what she could to keep him stable. However, his injuries were beyond her skill to heal."

Tsunade's eyes widened and she shot up from her desk, "How bad are his injuries?" She asked with a worried voice.

Kakashi remained silent for a moment, then answered, "Pretty severe. Words cannot even begin to describe the amount of pain he's in right now. His face has several burns and slashes, his spine has been snapped, and you can literally see the inside of his chest. On top of that, both his legs are broken, and his right shoulder is torn as well."

Tsunade was speechless. She stared at Kakashi's one eye, and hoped for a sign of any exaggeration, but there was none. "That bad? Damn those Akatsuki to hell!" She stood from her chair and walked to the window behind her and stared at the hospital in the distance, "If I had known this was going to happen I never would have sent him on that mission. The village needs him right now. We're too weak in number, and we're on the verge of another Great War. We can't afford him to be in this condition for long."

Kakashi joined her at the window and looked at the hospital as well.

Tsunade stood by Kakashi in silence for a while before Kakashi broke the silence, "Lady Tsunade."

Tsunade rolled her eyes to look at Kakashi, "Yes?"

"What do you think Sakura is going through right now? They've grown quite close ever since he got back, and it's clear he's gotten much stronger. I don't know what tricks Jiraiya taught him, but it's definitely clear he's mastered some new skills. Including the Rasengan."

Tsunade's eyes widened, "H-he mastered the Rasengan? Not even the Fourth was able to do that at his age." "That little brat." She thought.

They stood in silence for a while again before Tsunade finally sighed, "Very well. Kakashi, go to the hospital and tell Sakura I'll be there as soon as I can."

Kakashi turned towards the door and started walking, "I'm on it." He closed the door behind him as he exited the room, and Tsunade sat down at her desk again with one thought, "What could have happened on that mission?"

At the hospital, Sakura was sitting beside Naruto's bed, and gently rubbing his forehead. She had tears running down her cheeks as she stared at her trusted friend and teammate with thoughts running madly through her head, "Why? Why are you always like this? You always push yourself so hard that you return with injuries. After two years of training…I still couldn't help you." She looked up at the ceiling as she started to cry, "I'm still the weakling of the squad. No matter how hard I push myself, I'm always three steps behind. One would think that after two years of training with the best healer on the continent, I could actually be of some worth." She looked down and rested her right hand on his closest hand, "I'm sorry, Naruto. I've failed you again…" She said in a low soft voice, then tilted her head towards the ground as more tears started to fill her eyes.

Sakura was taken out of her thoughts when she heard Naruto moaning and breathing heavily. She looked up and saw that he was gritting his teeth in pain, then opened his mouth as if he were trying to scream in pain, but his injuries wouldn't let him. Sakura immediately cast a healing jutsu on him that covered his entire body, and a few moments later, he stopped acting like he was in pain. Sakura released a sigh of relief and held Naruto's hand again, letting him know she was there. But she was caught off guard when Naruto slowly rolled his head towards her and opened his eyes just enough to see her,

"Sa…Saku…ra…" Naruto managed to say. His voice gave it away for Sakura. He was still in unbearable pain, but she didn't know what else to do. The only thing she could do was try and comfort him as best she could. She leaned closer to him and covered his mouth with her index finger,

"Shhh. I'm here, Naruto. I'm not going to leave you." She whispered softly in his ear.

Naruto managed to smile a little bit, but he closed his eyes before Sakura was able to notice. She leaned back in her chair, still holding Naruto's hand, and stared in silence at her teammate, scared that this could have been the last time she saw his eyes.

There was a light nock at the door, and without turning her head from Naruto, Sakura told the person to come in.

The door slid open, and in the corner of her eye, Sakura could tell it was Ino by the outfit, "So how did you hear about this, Ino?" Sakura asked, still looking at Naruto.

"There's already word on the street." Ino said quietly as she walked to Naruto's bed and sat down on the opposite side of Sakura, She looked at Naruto for a few seconds, studying his face, then looked at Sakura, "So…how bad are his injuries?" She asked quietly.

"Pretty severe." Sakura said, still not turning her attention from Naruto, "He has burns all over his body, as well as a snapped spine. The other injuries are…too gruesome for me to talk about."

Ino stared at Sakura in awe, then turned to look at Naruto again. She hesitated at first, but then reached for his blanket and slowly started pulling it down, but was stopped by Sakura,

"I wouldn't do that, Ino, unless you have a strong stomach."

Ino looked at Sakura, then looked back at Naruto. She sighed, and then looked at Sakura again, "Sakura…with all due respect, Naruto is my friend, too. I care about him as a friend, and I need to know the truth." She turned back to Naruto, and slowly pulled his blanket down to his abdomen. What she saw made her jaw drop, and she quickly covered him again,

"H-how did this happen?" Ino asked in shock while looking at Sakura, "Did he fight a member of the Akatsuki, or did he lose a very big bet against a Bear?"

Sakura, ignoring the joke, slowly shook her head, "I don't know, Ino. I didn't see it happen. All I remember is Naruto running off after an opponent while I was dealing with my own problems. Then, when I was finished, I chased after Naruto to reinforce him…" Her voice got bumpy with emotion and she started to cry again, "And that's when I saw him lying face down on the riverbank."

Ino stared in silence, unable to say anything, then looked at Naruto, "You've got to be kidding. Man, poor Naruto." She thought.

Just then, the door slid open again. Ino turned to see who it was, and saw Kakashi standing in the door way, "Oh, hey, Kakashi. Are you here to see Naruto, too?"

Kakashi shook his head, "I wish I had the time, but other things are popping up. I'm just here at Lady Tsunade's request. She says she'll be here shortly to take care of Naruto." He turned his attention from Ino to Sakura, who was still crying, "So how is he doing, Sakura?"

Sakura wiped her tears away, and tried to get her emotions under control. She didn't look at Kakashi, but still answered the question, "I think I've gotten him stable enough, but his injuries are just too far above my skill to heal."

Ino looked at Sakura with sorrowful eyes, as she could tell Sakura was very annoyed by her lack of skill, "It's not your fault, Sakura. You've done what you can. Don't beat yourself up over it."

"You should listen to Ino, Sakura." Kakashi said in a calm caring tone, "If it wasn't for you Naruto wouldn't be here now. It was only because of your determination that we made it to the village with him alive. You refused to give up on him, even when your Chakra was nearly depleted."

Sakura didn't say anything, nor did she turn to face Kakashi. She only nodded, knowing that Kakashi and Ino were both correct. "But still…I'm just…I'm tired of feeling insignificant."

"Well, there's no point dwelling on it, Sakura." Kakashi said in as comforting a voice he could have, "Anyway, I've got some errands to run. Tsunade should be here shortly, so don't get too comfortable."

Sakura and Ino only nodded, and turned back to Naruto when he disappeared into a cloud of smoke.

Shortly after Kakashi left, the door slid open again, and this time Tsunade, Shizune, and several other medical ninja stepped into the room. "Sakura, Ino, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you two to leave so we can commence surgery on Naruto."

Sakura tore her eyes from Naruto, taking him out of her sight for the first time they got back, and stood from her chair. "You mean…you don't want us to help? We're both medical ninja, too."

Tsunade sighed and walked over to Sakura and rested her hands on her shoulder, "Sakura, listen to me. I know you try your hardest, and you want to help Naruto as much as you can. I know asking you to leave is hard, but it would just be easier on you if you did. This surgery isn't going to be easy for Naruto."

Sakura opened her mouth to say something, but stopped when she realized Tsunade was right. She sighed, looked down at the ground, and then looked back at Naruto for a second. She then grabbed her bag that was sitting on the floor next to her chair, and slowly walked out of the room.

Ino followed, but was cut off by Tsunade when she held her arm out. Tsunade waited until Sakura was out of hearing range, then looked down at Ino, who had a very confused look on her face. "Ino, I want you to gather your friends and find a way to take Sakura's mind off this. This surgery could last a while, and it's going to seem like an eternity to Sakura if she's left alone. I'll send Shizune to inform you when Naruto's ready for visitors."

Ino smiled and saluted, "Yes, Ma-am. I'll take care of her."

Tsunade nodded in approval and lowered her arm, letting Ino exit the room. Shizune closed the door behind her, and watched as Tsunade and the other medical ninja took their positions around Naruto.

"Alright, let's get to work!" Tsunade said in a confident tone.

Outside the hospital, Ino caught up with Sakura just outside the doors. Sakura's cheeks were red, and Ino could tell she could bust out into tears any second. She reached out to Sakura, grabbing her shoulder, and pulling her into a comforting hug, "It's going to be okay, Sakura.I know things are bad, but Naruto will pull through this. You'll see."

Sakura hugged Ino tightly as she started to cry on her shoulder, "This is all my fault! I saw Naruto run off on his own, I had an opening to run after him. I had several chances to bring him back to us! Had I broken formation and went after him…maybe he wouldn't be in this situation."

Ino started to stroke Sakura's back, and she rested her chin on Sakura's shoulder so she could whisper in her ear, "Oh, Sakura. Nothing about this is your fault, and don't try to tell yourself otherwise. Yes, you may have had a chance to go after him, but you didn't. You had no way of knowing this would happen, and you had your own problems to deal with. Naruto's a strong ninja, and he's always been able to best his opponents. You had no reason to think he wouldn't have been able to handle whatever it was he was going after. Don't beat yourself up over this. It was out of your control."

Sakura continued to cry on Ino's shoulder, and Ino started rocking back and forth, trying to give Sakura as much comfort as she could. "It's not just Naruto, though." Sakura said, "There was only so much I could do for him, and there's only so much I could do to comfort him when things got too painful for him! Why can't I be stronger, why can't I actually be worth something?!"

Ino grabbed Sakura's shoulders tightly, and stared her in the eyes, "Sakura! You are worth something, and you're not weak because Naruto's wounds were out of your skill level. Just because you couldn't heal him, doesn't mean you're worthless! You're not worthless and you never will be! Besides, I can tell you for a fact that Naruto would rather he be in this situation than you or Kakashi. If you were in his position, how do you think he would take it? The entire military would have to be called in just to keep him out of the hospital." She paused for a moment as she thought about what she just said, and tried not to smile or laugh once she realized there was some actual truth to her words. She returned her attention to Sakura, who was starting to calm down, and pulled her into another hug, "Just because you think you're worthless doesn't mean you really are. You're worth a lot to me, and all of the other squads…especially Naruto."

Sakura hugged Ino back and rested her head on her shoulder, "Thanks, Ino. I really needed that. I'm sorry I'm such a wimp."

Ino smiled and shook her head, "It's okay, Sakura. I knew you were a wimp the day I met you."

Sakura smiled and smirked out a laugh, "Oh, shut up,"

Ino released Sakura from her embrace and had her walk alongside her, "You know, Sakura, Lady Tsunade wanted me to look over you for a while, just to help you pass the time. So I was wondering if you'd like to hear my plan."

Sakura smiled and nodded, "Sure. What do you have in mind?"

"How about we get the gang all together and meet at Ichiraku Ramen? I'm sure they'd be willing to help you out, too."

Sakura looked at the ground ahead of her while she thought about Ino's question, then looked at Ino again, "Sure. I'd like that, and I think Naruto would, too. But first I need to head home and clear my head. This isn't going to be an easy time for me."

Ino nodded, "Sure. I understand. Take as much time as you need to. When do you think you'll be ready?"

"Oh, just plan to meet in a couple of hours." Sakura said, "I just need some time alone."

"Sure thing." Ino held Sakura's hand tightly before she left, "Naruto will survive this. I promise." She then released Sakura's hand, and darted off in a random direction to inform her squad and pass the news around.

Sakura waved good-bye, and continued on her way home.

Making her way home, Sakura, despite the comforting words from Ino, was still fighting back tears. Though she agreed to meet Ino and her other friends at Ichiraku Ramen, she felt sick to her stomach, and didn't feel like eating anything. Knowing that her best friend and teammate was very capable of dying, she didn't want to think of much of anything else aside from Naruto and if there was something she could have done to help him more than she did. Her vision was getting blurry from the tears forming in her eyes, and she couldn't hold it in in any longer. She faced the wall of a nearby building, lowered her head, and silently started crying, trying to keep her voice low enough people wouldn't hear. After a few moments, she felt a drop of water on her arm, followed by another one on her shoulder. She looked up at the sky, and saw a rainstorm was moving in quickly, and could tell it was going to be serious. She wiped the tears from her eyes, and quickly made her way to her house that was just down the street.

By the time Sakura reached her house, the village was in an absolute downpour, almost as if the heavens were crying with her. She jumped over the railing of her porch, took off her boots, and opened the door to find her mother standing in the entry way.

"And just where have you been, Sakura?" Her mother asked in an annoyed tone.

"Look, mom, I'm sorry for not coming home right away after the mission…but a few things happened on the last mission." Sakura said, trying to hide the emotion in her voice.

"Oh? And what was that? I heard Naruto was hurt. Were you spending time with him?" Sakura's mother (I honestly don't remember her name) asked. Sakura narrowed her eyes as she continued, "That… 'boy' is nothing but trouble. How many times have I told you to stay away from him? Why, just the thought of you being near – "

"Shut up, mother!" Sakura yelled, catching her mother completely off guard. Sakura's stare intensified as she continued, "How dare you talk about him like that. You've never even met him, and yet you insult him like everyone else in this Devine forsaken village! I've known him for the better part of my life, and I've been on the same squad as him for nearly four years now. I know him better than you ever could! It's because of Naruto – this boy you idiots keep calling a "demon" that I always come back here to greet people like you who take his sacrifices for granted. You don't know the pain he's suffered, and I doubt you're even willing to give him a chance to prove himself."

The next thing she knew, Sakura's right cheek stung with the red mark of her mother's hand, leaving her both shocked and confused. She couldn't believe it. Her own mother had just slapped her for the first time in her life.

"I don't care what you think that…thing it!" Sakura's mother said, making Sakura send her a death glare.

"Thing?!" Sakura thought

"It doesn't matter what he is to you, or how well you know him." Sakura's mother continued, "He's deceiving you, which is something demons like him are very clever at. I'd hoped I'd raised you to be more intelligent than this, but- "

Sakura grabbed a vase off the table next to her, and threw it at her mother as hard as she could. Her mother ducked under it just in time, and watch it shatter into a million pieces as it hit the wall behind her. She slowly turned back to face Sakura and met the most ticked off look she'd ever seen in her daughter's eyes in the past.

Sakura was clenching her fists tightly, breathing heavily, and tears were forming in her eyes again. "You idiots will never understand. You'll never understand the pain you caused him as a child, nor the pain you're still causing him to this very day. All he wants is to be accepted and respected by his own village. I remember I used to hate him when I was younger because of the way he acted. But now…after seeing the ignorance and sheer stupidity he had to deal with, I understand why he acted the way he did. It wasn't his choice to have the Nine Tails sealed inside of him, nor is it his fault. If the Haruno clan has a history of blaming people for things they had no control over, and call them demons because they refuse to understand them, then I don't want any part of this clan anymore!" She then stormed past her mother, went up the stairs, to her room, and slammed the door, leaving her mother with a shocked and startled look. She couldn't believe her daughter just threatened to quit the Haruno clan, and realized she was wrong about treating Naruto so badly, but she still denied the possibility of such feelings.

"Eh. She'll get over it." Sakura's mother said, trying to brush off what just happened. She then returned to what she was doing before Sakura arrived.

Nearly an hour later, Sakura left her room, and left the house in a rush, hoping her mother wouldn't spot her. She was still angry over the little chat she'd had, and didn't want to communicate with her until she was in favor of getting another headache. The storm from earlier had mostly passed on, but it was still lightly sprinkling. There were puddles along the sides of the streets, and kids had already come out of their houses to splash around in them. Sakura smiled softly as she passed by some younger boys playfully jumping around in puddles and splashing each other and starting mud fights. Sakura covered her mouth and giggled quietly as one of the boys lost his footing and fell flat on his back in the puddle he was in. For the first time, she had actually really smiled since she found Naruto lying motionless on the riverbank during their last mission. A welcoming warm relaxing breeze from the storm helped ease her mind a bit, and she smiled as she welcomed it.

"There's just something about a storm." She thought, "These warm breezes they bring always tend to make my worries go away, no matter how worried I am."

She released a relaxed sigh, and let the breeze take away most of her worries. Her hair waved in the wind, and leaves brushed by her feet. It was almost as if Nature itself was trying to calm her down and take her mind off Naruto. A feeling she welcomed indeed. Once she felt truly at peace, she continued to the Ramen stand where she was supposed to meet everyone.

As she approached Ichiraku Ramen, Sakura was greeted by Ino and Shikamaru.

"Hi, Ino. Hey, Shikamaru. How are things going?" Sakura asked as she approached them.

"We're doing okay for now." Shikamaru said, "Ino told me about what happened. It's a total drag, but it wouldn't be right for you to have to deal with this yourself."

Sakura smiled softly, "Thanks, Shikamaru." She turned to Ino, "So where's everyone else?"

"They'll be here shortly. Hinata, Shino, and Kiba are wrapping up a training exercise, Guy's team should be here soon."

"And Choji?" Sakura asked.

"He had to take a trip to the men's room." Shikamaru said, pointing to the public restroom behind him with his thumb.

"Ah, well, what say we head on inside?" Sakura asked.

Ino and Shikamaru nodded, and opened the curtains to the restaurant stand, letting Sakura go through first. Sakura smiled and walked in, but her smile disappeared when she saw the stool Naruto always sat at empty.

"So, what'll it be, young lady?" Ichiraku asked, taking Sakura out of her gaze. She shook her head and looked at the elderly man, "Er…excuse me? I was lost in thought."

"Your order. What'll it be?" Ichiraku asked. He paused as he noticed who Sakura actually was, "Hey, wait a minute. I know you. You're that girl on Naruto's team, aren't you?"

Sakura smiled softly and nodded.

"Well, I'll be darned. Has he finally talked you into letting him take you on a date?" Ichiraku asked, "Come to think of it…where is he? This is usually where he'll spend the next several hours after a mission. He'll go on and on about everything that happened."

Sakura's smile disappeared and she looked down at the ground, "I…I'm sorry. But… he won't be coming back for quite some time I'd imagine. The last mission…it didn't go so well."

Ichiraku and the woman behind the counter froze and looked at her with worry. "I…I see." Ichiraku said in a sad tone. "Well…take your seat, and I'll get you something to eat."

Sakura nodded, and claimed her seat next to Naruto's favorite place to sit. Ino and Shikamaru joined her on each side, but Shikamaru left Naruto's spot open as well.

"So how severe were his injuries?" Ichiraku asked with his back turned to Sakura while he was preparing some things, "Forgive me for asking, but I'd like to know."

"It's okay. I don't blame you for being curious." Sakura said in a low voice, "His spine was snapped, and he suffered severe burns all over his body. The rest…I don't really want to talk about. Needless to say, he's in rough shape."

Ichiraku remained silent for a moment, "I see…"

Sakura rolled her eyes to the woman who worked with Ichiraku and saw the worry in her eyes. "I don't know if he'll make it."

Ichiraku turned towards Sakura and placed a bowl of hot ramen in front of her, "Now don't be talking like that." He said in as cheerful of a voice he could bring up, "If you focus on the negative it'll only get you down even more. Naruto's a tough kid. He'll pull through this and be back to his old self in no time at all."

Sakura smiled kindly, and looked at the ramen bowl in front of her. However, her eyes widened once she realized she'd forgotten something, "Um…this is actually kind of embarrassing…but I forgot to bring money with me."

"Ah, don't sweat it. Your food is on the house. Eat all you like." Ichiraku said with a big smile.

Sakura smiled and thankfully nodded. She grabbed some chopsticks and started eating what she could while Ichiraku took Ino and Shikamaru's orders.

Shortly after Ino and Shikamaru had gotten their meals, Choji, Lee, Neji, and Ten-Ten showed up.

"Hey, guys, what took you so long?" Ino asked looking over her right shoulder.

"Sorry, but we got a little…distracted." Ten-Ten said, shooting a glare at Lee, making him take a sudden step back.

"Hmph. Typical Lee." Ino joked as she shot a wink at Lee, "Anyway, take a seat, guys, and take your orders."

Everyone claimed a seat at the counter, and took their orders. After ordering, Neji looked at Sakura and asked, "Do you know when Naruto will be open for visiting?"

Sakura turned to Neji and shook her head, "I'm afraid not. I'd imagine by either tomorrow or the day after, but I can't say for certain. Tsunade is commencing surgery on him as we speak."

Ten-Ten released a sigh of relief and rested her right hand on her chest, "Thank goodness. Ino told us about his wounds, and it sounded pretty bad. But he's in the best hands possible with Tsunade."

Sakura nodded in agreement, "True. But…I wish I could have done something, too." She said in a low tone before lowering her head.

Ino rested her hand on Sakura's back, and offered a little comfort, "You did all you could, Sakura. Don't hate yourself for it."

"Ino's right, Sakura." Ten-Ten said, "Trust me. Naruto would much rather he be in this situation than you or Kakashi."

Sakura nodded slowly in agreement, "I suppose that's true…"

"Aw c'mon, Sakura, stop being so hard on yourself." A voice said from outside the stand, catching everyone's attention. They all turned to see Kiba and Akamaru standing just outside with Kiba holding one of the flaps hanging from the ceiling aside.

"Oh, hey, Kiba. You guys finally made it, huh?" Ino asked.

"Yep! All four of us." Kiba said as he walked into the stand and took a seat next to Shikamaru, followed by Shino and Hinata. Shino claimed the far right seat while Hinata took Naruto's place next to Sakura, making Sakura give Hinata a slightly angry glare.

"So, Sakura, Shikamaru told us what happened, and that you were being pretty hard on yourself." Kiba said, "There's no need for you to be that angry at yourself. Based off what I was told, you guys were caught completely off guard. Just be thankful that you, Kakashi, and Naruto got away. Things could have been worse…much worse."

Hinata smiled at Sakura and nodded in agreement with Kiba, while Shino just sat silently.

Sakura smiled softly and looked at Kiba, "Thanks, Kiba. But I've realized now that things were out of my control, and you're right. Things could have been worse."

"There, ya see? You're getting better." Ino said, patting Sakura on the back.

Sakura laughed and smiled at Ino, "Yeah, thanks to you. You've really cheered me up doing all this for me."

"Oh, and this is just the beginning." Ino said, catching Sakura's full attention. "Tsunade assigned me my mission for today before we left. I am not to let you get too far down and depressed while thinking about Naruto. And so long as you're with me, you'll be so busy that he won't even enter your mind."

"Really? Tsunade wanted you to do all that for me?" Sakura asked in awe.

Ino smiled and nodded, "Mmm-hmm. And do I have plans for you! When was the last time you went to the mall?"

Sakura held her finger up to her chin as she tried to think back, "Hmm…its been at least three or four months."

"Exactly! And you call yourself a girl. When we're done eating, I'm taking you there right away." Ino said.

Sakura laughed, "Thanks, Ino, but I have another thing I need to do first."

"Hmm? And what's that?" Ino asked curiously.

"Maybe it'd be better if I just showed you." Sakura said. She reached into the back on her lower back, just above her right hip, pulled several pieces of shattered glass out, and showed them to Ino.

"What's this? It looks like some kind of glass…wait…" Ino's eyes widened when she fit the pieces together in her mind, "Is that Naruto's necklace?!"

Sakura nodded, "Yeah, unfortunately, it is." She started messing around with the pieces with her right hand while holding them in her left, "This is one of Naruto's most treasured items, and I found the pieces lying all around him when I found him on the river. I've heard that it's supposed to be really valuable…or was valuable, but I know it's priceless to Naruto. He never took it off…at least not that I remember. It would kill him if I told him it was gone."

"So what do you plan to do?" Ino asked.

Sakura put the fragments of the necklace back in her pouch, "I'm going to take it to the jeweler to see if I can have it repaired, or at least make a fake copy of it."

Ino looked at Sakura with a blank face, "But…Sakura. Doing that will cost you all the money you earned on this last mission, plus maybe even your last."

Sakura nodded in agreement, "True. But this mission almost cost me Naruto's life, too. Besides, money comes and goes, and there will always be simple class D missions I could take and work on my own."

Ino took a moment to process Sakura's words, then grinned at her, "Sakura…that's incredibly selfless and…actually kind of sweet of you."

"In fact, it may be a little too sweet." Kiba said, making Sakura and Ino look at him, "I think there's more to this picture than you're telling us."

Sakura's cheeks turned pink and she turned away from Kiba, "I-I have no idea w-what you're talking about. I'm just looking after my teammate. That's all."

Kiba grinned, "Uh-huh. Sure. Why don't you just kiss him and get it over with?" He said in a teasing tone, making Sakura blush even more.

Ten-Ten gave Kiba and annoyed glare and slammed the back of her fist into his face, making him fall backwards off his stool.

Sakura smiled and looked at Ten-Ten, "Hmph! Thanks for that."

Ten-Ten grinned, and gave Sakura an "okay" sign with her fingers, then returned to eating her ramen.

Sakura then turned back to Ino, "Now that that's out of the way, I'll meet you at the mall after I've taken Naruto's necklace to the jeweler and see if I can have it fixed."

Ino nodded, "Sure, no problem." She turned her attention to Hinata and Ten-Ten, "Do you girls want to come, too? The more the merrier."

Hinata turned to Ino and nodded quietly, while Ten-Ten shook her head, "Sorry, Ino, I already have other plans."

"Alright, then. I guess our evening is planned out now." Ino said.

Sakura nodded, then looked down at her ramen and stared at it a few moments before pushing it away.

Ino, noticing Sakura's body language, patted her back, "Have you reached your limit?"

Sakura nodded in response and said, "To be honest…I wasn't really that hungry to start with. I haven't had much of an appetite since…since the incident." She looked up at Ichiraku, "Excuse me, can I get a Togo box or something?"

Ichiraku stopped what he was doing and turned his attention to Sakura, "You've reached your limit, huh? It's no big deal. I wasn't expecting you to eat a whole lot after what you told me." He handed Sakura a plastic bowel as he continued, "Oh, and one more thing." He reached into his pocket and handed Sakura some slices of paper, "Give one of these to Naruto when he wakes up. I'm sure he'll like it."

Sakura took the coupons and read one of them. "Three free meals of any choice at Ichiraku Ramen. For a limited time only."

Sakura smiled kindly at Ichiraku, "Hey, thanks! Naruto will like these, that's a given. I'll give one to him when he's capable of leaving the hospital."

Ichiraku nodded and returned to what he was doing before. Sakura poured her remaining ramen in the Togo bowl and turned to Ino, "I guess I'll see you in a bit.

Ino nodded in response, and Sakura said good-bye to all her other friends. They all waved good-bye and wished Naruto well, then she ran off in the direction of the jeweler, making a quick stop at her house to put the ramen away.

At the jeweler, Sakura walked through the main entrance and stopped in the middle of the lobby. There were stands full of necklaces, rings, and other pieces of jewelry all over the place. She looked around for someone who was open, and saw a young man looking at her as if he was ready to help her. She smiled and walked over to him.

"Hello, miss, how are you today?" The young man said, greeting Sakura in a cheerful tone.

"Oh, given the circumstances, I guess I'm okay." Sakura said.

"So what can I help you with?" The man asked.

"Well…I was wondering if you guys could repair a necklace for me." Sakura said. She reached into her pouch, grabbed the pieces of Naruto's necklace, and laid them on the glass in front of her.

The man studied the pieces of the necklace for a moment, then looked at Sakura, "Um…I think we can. It's not going to be easy, though…or cheap for that matter."

"It doesn't matter." Sakura replied, "A friend of mine was hurt, and this was one of his most treasured possessions. I don't care if I have to pay an arm and a leg for it."

The man looked at Sakura for a moment and saw the fire in her eyes, then looked down at the necklace again, "Well, ma-am, I'm not sure if we could repair this as quickly as you'd like us to. However, I may know someone else who can."

"Who?" Sakura asked curiously.

The man grabbed a piece of paper and a pen, and started writing on it, "There's an elderly woman not too far from here who specializes in repairing pieces of jewelry like this. What takes us days to repair takes her a few hours." He handed Sakura the slip of paper, "She's an old friend of mine, and is always willing to help people like you out. She's a retired ninja who lost her best friend on a mission long ago after he had proposed to her. She never sought out another love interest after that, but I'll be you anything she'll help you for the fraction of our price."

Sakura smiled gracefully at the man, "Oh, thank you so much! I can't even begin to thank you enough!"

"Ah, don't mention it." The man said, "However, I would like to know your name. I don't think I've ever seen you before."

"Oh, you can call me Sakura." Sakura said.

"Haruno?" The man asked curiously.

Sakura smiled and nodded. "Yep. That's it. "

"Ah, well that explains your pink hair. I know your mother fairly well." The man said.

"Oh, really? Well, that actually doesn't surprise me considering her somewhat unhealthy obsession with jewelry." Sakura said, "So, if you don't mind me asking…what's your name?"

"You can call me Vasari." The man said, "Strange name, I know, but it's what I was given."

"Vasari? Hmm…that is kind of a strange name. Are you from the Leaf Village?" Sakura asked.

Vasari nodded, "Lived here all my life."

"Hmm…curious. Well, thanks for your help, Vasari. Hope to see you again sometime." Sakura said. She grabbed the fragments of the necklace and put them in her pouch again.

"Yeah, you take care, Sakura." Vasari said. He watched as she left the building, wondering if he'd ever see her again.

After walking for a while Sakura found the store Vasari had given her the address to. She looked up at the sign and read, "Jewelry Repair & Fair Prices. If it's broken, I can fix it. If not, you pay nothing."

"Huh! It's a wonder I never saw this before." Sakura said to herself, "Come to think of it, I wonder how my mother has never seen this either." She made her way inside the store where she was greeted by an older woman at the other side of the room.

"Hello, dear. Is there something I can help you with?"

"Uh, yes, actually." Sakura said in a kind tone as she approached the woman, "I was wondering if you could repair a necklace for me." She reached the counter the woman was sitting behind, reached into her bag, and put the fragments of Naruto's necklace.

The woman grabbed a few pieces and studied them closely. Then, collected the rest of the pieces, "Hmm…this will be a difficult job, but I think I can manage to pull it off."

Sakura sighed in relief, "Oh, thank you so much, ma-am. That necklace belongs to a friend of mine who was hurt during our last mission. It's one of his most treasured possessions. He never takes it off."

The woman looked at Sakura, then looked back down at the necklace, "I see. You know, I lost my fiancé on a mission long ago, just shortly after he asked for my hand in marriage. Do you see your friend as someone you could possibly hold feelings for?"

Sakura blushed slightly and scratched her cheek as she rolled her eyes to look at the ground, "Er…well…it's a little early, but…maybe. I won't deny it's possible."

The woman smiled, "Ah! To be young again! Yes, I think I can repair your friend's necklace. If not, I'll see if I could make a duplicate for it. I'm sure your friend would appreciate a beautiful girl like you doing something like this for him."

Sakura blushed at the woman's kind words, "Thank you, Ma-am. If you don't mind me asking…how long do you think it will take you to fix it?"

The woman stood from her chair and started walking to the back, "Oh, it shouldn't take too long. A day or two, I'd recon. However, it might be better just for you to wait until the end of the week. It should be ready by that point in time." She disappeared behind the beads she had hanging from the door seal for a moment then came back out, "I'll keep it stored away until you come back. Thank you for coming."

Sakura shook her head, "No, thank you! You have no idea what this will mean to my friend. Thank you a thousand times over."

The woman smiled kindly at Sakura and watched as she walked out of the store.

Roughly half an hour later, Sakura met up with Ino and Hinata who were sitting at a table under an umbrella outside the mall.

"It's about time you got here, Sakura. What took you so long?" Ino asked.

"I had to make a different stop." Sakura sad as she claimed a seat next to Ino, "Turns out there was a different store I could go to and have the necklace repaired for a fraction of what I would have originally paid."

"Oh, wow, really!? Talk about a lucky break!" Ino said in excitement.

"So are you two ready to head inside?" Sakura asked.

"Oh, we were born ready." Ino said.

Hinata nodded in agreement.

"Alright then, swimming store, here we come!" Ino shouted.

"Yeah! Swim- wait, wha-" Sakura didn't get a chance to finish, as Ino grabbed the back of her shirt and pulled her and Hinata into the mall, practically dragging them along the ground.