A/N this is after True Friends Truly Believe. Relevant knowledge; The rookie nine plus Team Gai and the Sand siblings, Minus Sakura, Shino and Chou all know about Kyuubi. You may want read it in case I refer to other info.
True Friends Truly Believe /s/3953609/1/
Previous: What are we? /s/4312354/1/
Naruto was racing through the trees at high speeds. Behind him he heard Sakura, Lee and Hinata panting to keep up. Ten Ten was behind them holding the flank. She kept glancing behind her then towards her teammates worriedly. Sakura and Hinata were carrying Neji. He had been injured on the mission. Tsunade had sent Naruto, Sakura, and Hinata out to meet them and assist them in returning. They were being chased currently by a few chunin and they were gaining. Naruto looked at Neji; his wounds were extensive, having jumped in front of his team to take the majority of the damage. He had lost too much blood, they needed to stop and do some work on his wounds. Naruto kept scanning the trees frantically for some type of cover. He didn't think he could find a good hiding place but a spot to throw their pursuers off for a moment would be good. Finally seeing a possibility, he leaped down to the ground. Just as he was about to head into the alcove, Sakura, Hinata, Lee, and Ten Ten landed behind him and their weight combined with Neji, broke through the ground.
In the Past
Naruto was the first to his feet after they had landed in a cave some 20 feet underground. Looking up, he prepared to fight the pursuing shinobi; for there was little doubt they had heard the noise.
He waited, but they never came.
"Well, what do we have here?" They all tensed to the voice behind them. An elderly woman shuffled towards them. "It seems to not matter what I do, I still get visitors. Oh don't worry about them up there, no one can feel through my hiding justu, unless they fall into the hole you idiots made, that is." She grumbled as she circled the fallen shinobi as Naruto helped Sakura and Lee to their feet, keeping her in sight. Naruto was about to retort back to the old lady when Hinata cried out.
"Neji-kun!" Neji had finally lost consciousness. Sakura was trying to heal him but he had lost way too much blood. Hinata and Ten Ten were in tears watching. Lee and Naruto hovered bout behind them. Naruto looked frantic as he both tried to think of a way to help and to calm and comfort Hinata. Lee had taken over the job of comforting his teammate. The old lady came up behind them a moment.
"You shouldn't try to save that one. He needs the Body Preservation Justu." Naruto turned on the lady, his voice angry with worry.
"Then why don't you use this Body Prediction Justu or whatever or just SHUT UP!" She looked at him a moment and cackled. Naruto and Lee immediately looked at her slightly frightened.
"Alright sonny. You are of a similar build. I will need all your help. You three girls stand around him in a triangle. You boy in the geeky green suit, hold the injured one by his shoulders." They all scrambled to do as she spoke, though Lee performed his task with some grumbling, his suit was a present from Gai-sensei, it was absolutely not geeky. Eventually Sakura, Hinata and Ten Ten stood in a triangle around Naruto, Lee and Neji, the latter being unconscious throughout this. Lee held Neji by his armpits as instructed in front of Naruto so Naruto was looking at Neji like a mirror. "Now while I heal his body his consciousness and that of you girls will join with the brat and you will live in memories until the justu is done. You can't affect anything so just watch and try not to get hurt." She began forming seals as Naruto yelled towards her. His mind didn't understand all of what she was saying but it sounded like he was the focus of this jutsu.
"Hey, why does it have to be me in here?"
"Body Preservation no Justu!"
Neji's body lifted off the floor as his spirit along with Sakura, Hinata, and Ten Ten's all rose into the air and entered Naruto. Lee was just looking around when the bodies of the five shinobi rose and began to glow the same blue that the old woman was radiating. She spoke to him calm as day.
"Relax, young one. Their spirits are in Brat while I use their strength of body to heal him." Lee just looked on in amazement as Neji's wound began to heal.
000
Sakura sat up suddenly. She grabbed her back in pain as she looked around. She was on the grass in a backyard she didn't recognize. It was a small yard with a few trees and a small flower garden. There were two blue balls in a corner and a pair of shovels near the flowers. Looking next to her, she found Hinata and Naruto lying on top of each other. She was tempted to leave them like that, considering how annoying it was to watch them dancing around their mutual yet unknown feelings, however...
"Hinata. Hinata! Wake up! Naruto!" Both began to stir. Hinata was the one who opened her eyes first, then blushed nuclear as she was curled on Naruto's chest with her legs wrapped around one of his. She froze as her mind tried to assimulate her position. He opened his eye a second later to stare into her lavender eyes barely two inched away before she gasped and dove off him. Naruto sat up looking at her, slightly sad at how eager she was to put distance between them, and slightly red at the position he had been in and how much he liked it. He hadn't ever been hugged in a family manner and it felt nice to be touched at all without the pain of a hit. As she backed up she ran into another body. While Naruto continued to regain his senses, Hinata turned to see Neji on top of Ten Ten, both out of it. Gasping again she backed away before regaining her composure entirely.
Neji stirred first of the final unconscious pair. Looking down he saw Ten Ten unconscious beneath him as he braced his hands on either side of her head. Blushing he sat up and gently shook her shoulder, calling her name. She slowly opened her eyes to Neji's concerned ones. She smiled slightly before the previous mission came back to her. Neji had been injured, in front of her, he was dying!
"NEJI!" She threw her arms around his neck as she cried tearfully, pulling them both back to the ground. Her grip was suffocating to say the least but Neji didn't mind. Neji, blushing scarlet, used one hand to keep himself from crushing her under his weight a second time. His other hand came under her and supported her back. He nuzzled her slightly, savoring the moment before he regained his awareness. He pulled back slightly to look at her. Her face always calmed him and spurned his greatest strength at the same time. She was a little contradiction. She was strong, but delicate, impulsive but loyal, and she made him weep yet cheer inside.
"Neji, you're ok! Oh thank Kami! Are you completely ok?" She rattled off, voice full of worry. Neji gave her a smirk before rising. She relaxed at the familiar expression. Sitting up, he took stock of himself; though feeling very disoriented, he did feel fine. He looked over to see Naruto and Hinata, both sporting blushes, and Sakura sitting next to him. Then he took further stock of their surroundings.
"Ten Ten, I'm fine but very confused. Where are we?" Ten Ten then noticed their surroundings. Also, upon the reassurance that her special friend was no longer hurt, she noticed she was still reclining on her arms. Sitting up she grimaced slightly as her back protested the movement. Neji looked at her concerned.
"Ten Ten?" He reached forward to assist her in sitting. Naruto looked at her a moment before speaking.
"If she fell like I did, her back has got to be screaming at her." Hinata blushed at this. Sakura looked at him, and then frowned thoughtfully.
"More so than I, I suppose because you both caught someone." Naruto and Ten Ten blushed as they remembered how they awoke. "More to the point, Neji I have no idea where we are." Naruto looked around.
"I do." Naruto was looking at the building in front of the yard slowly. "This is the Konoha Orphanage." Sakura sat up sharply to his quiet reply.
"We're back in Konoha?" Hinata was looking at Naruto when she responded softly as she watched her love with concerned eyes.
"No, not exactly." Sakura looked at her puzzled. "Do you remember what the elderly lady said? 'Now while I heal his body his consciousness and that of you girls will join with the brat and you will live in memories until the justu is done. You can't effect anything so just watch and try not to get hurt'." Hinata recited as she looked at Naruto, Neji was confused. He turned to his cousin.
"What old lady?" Sakura briefly explained what had happened. When she was done, Hinata continued softly.
"This building is no longer standing in Konoha. It only exists in memories." She said quietly. Naruto was looking around at the orphanage as if something was going to just jump out and bite him form behind every tree. Hinata quietly approached him, wanting to show him support but unsure how. Neji and Ten Ten looked around in wonder, neither of them had known of this place either. Suddenly the door to the building sprang open. Three boys, about 7 or 8 came out and looked around. Sakura felt more than heard Hinata rise. Turning to her, Sakura saw that Naruto was standing so tense that if you tapped him he would shatter. Hinata opened her mouth but whatever she was going to say was silenced when they heard the boys say something.
"Manuke! Where are you?" One of the boys laughed mercilessly as they went towards a bush. Naruto was backing up slightly. One jumped into the bush and then rolled out with another boy. When the dust cleared, the five shinobi saw it was a much younger Naruto-chan. Neji's eyebrows rose as they watch Naruto-chan rollaway from the other boys. The three boys just grinned at him. He frowned in their direction and wiped himself off. He then turned towards the orphanage.
"Where do you think you're going, Manuke-chan?" Naruto-chan ignored them and kept walking towards the building, "Hey we're talking to you, Warui!" Naruto-chan whirled on them. Shouting something indistinguishable. Apparently the boys understood it though. They leaped for him just as the door to the orphanage swung open.
"Uzamaki Naruto! I will never hear those words out of you mouth while under this roof! What is going on out here?" Naruto-chan muttered something about not being under a roof when out side that caused the woman's eyes to narrow. "What was that?" One of the other boys jumped in here.
"He said he was going to give us the ball he threw into the corner, didn't you Naruto-chan?" Sakura snorted at this. The four-year-old looked at the boy nearly twice his age smile sinisterly at him and nodded. The woman humphed and turned back inside. The second the door closed the boys turned to Naruto, surrounding him. Sakura, Ten Ten and Neji hadn't taken their eyes off of the scene in front of them, but Hinata was next to Naruto, staring at him. He was staring at the boys. Sakura saw the first punch connect with Naruto-chan's stomach before she was distracted by Naruto grunting and falling to his knees behind her. Turning, she saw Naruto on the ground clutching his head, curled in a ball as he grimaced in pain. Hinata hovered next to him, one hand on his shoulder and Ten Ten hurried to his side. Sakura's medical training kicked in and she approached him. She did her preliminary examination as he let out his first whimper. Holding her hand over him, since getting him to cooperate, or even acknowledge, was impossible, she sensed with her chakra the bruises and two broken ribs that were not there before. Gasping, she began to heal him, explaining to Ten Ten, Neji and Hinata, at their questioning grunts, or in Hinata's case, whimpers.
"He has numerous bruises, two broken ribs, three cracked and another bruised rib. I don't know how he got them! The injuries keep appearing!" She was focusing on healing the injuries as they made themselves when Neji looked back at the brawl on the lawn. The older boys were literally beating the stuffing out of four-year-old Naruto-chan. Activating his Byakugan, he told Sakura to yell out the injuries as they appeared. She glared at him for giving her more work to do but complied. After another few mili-seconds, by following their motions Neji was able to accurately guess what injury she was going to say next. He began reading them off to her instead of the other way around. She used this to her advantage to heal injuries as they appeared and numbing the area. Ten Ten tried to help with a few ice bags Sakura had on her. Hinata was cradling Naruto's head. Slowly Naruto's stance relaxed slightly. Neji continued for a while, as was the fight, when the woman comes back outside.
"What is going on out here? I can hardly think with all this noise!" The three boys immediately sprang off Naruto-chan and stood away, holding various body parts.
"Chidio-dono, Naruto was fighting, we were only defending ourselves." The woman looked enraged at this. Neji and Ten Ten couldn't agree more. It was blatantly obvious they were ganging up on Naruto-chan by the number of injuries on his body. The woman looked at the boys then turned to Naruto.
"Shame on you! How dare you attack other boys! You will go the rest of the week without dessert so you can think on what you just did. Boys, come! Next time please come and get me. None of the children should be fighting." She led them into the house. Naruto-chan lay on the ground a moment before pulling himself up and crawling back to his bush. Ten Ten was just in shock. That woman! She looked ready to go and pound her a new face. Neji, on the other hand, turned to Sakura and Hinata.
"How is he?" Sakura looked up at him with tears in her eyes.
"I put him to sleep several seconds before the end of the fight. I couldn't keep the pain at bay." She looked down at Naruto, whose head was held in Hinata's lap by the heiress's tender hands. "Why? Why! WHY! Why did they do that? Why did that woman do that?" Neji looked at Sakura a moment, mildly confused. He realized it the same time as Hinata and Ten Ten. Sakura still didn't know about Kyuubi. Naruto hadn't told her. Neji couldn't say anything, it was Naruto's secret. He looked to Hinata who was staring at Sakura uncertainly. Ten Ten just put her hand on the pink-hair kunoichi's shoulder. Sakura didn't notice all the weird looks as herfocus was on Naruto. Their thoughts were interrupted when they heard Naruto-chan rise behind the bushes. Not known he was being watched, he made his way to the door. Standing on his toes he tried to reach the handle. He tried several times but he couldn't quite reach it. Sakura lwatched him, having finished all she could do for the older version of the blond. They all heard the call of dinner from inside. Naruto-chan looked up at the door again and then went over to the gate. Curious, Sakura, Ten Ten and Neji followed him. He opened the gate and went around to the front of the orphanage. He stood in front of the door and knocked loudly. Several moments later the woman opened the door and glared at him.
"What are you doing in front of the orphanage? You are supposed to stay in the backyard if you're outside without an adult! You almost missed dinner now get in here." She grabbed his elbow and shoved him inside harshly. He didn't even whimper. They all heard the ruckus from out the window as he was shoved into the kitchen to eat dinner because it was causing too much fighting from the children over where he would sit, or rather where he wouldn't. All through this Naruto-chan hadn't made a sound. Ten Ten asked the question that was on Neji, and Sakura's mind.
"Why didn't he knock on the back door?" They heard a snort behind them.
"It's not like anyone besides me would be the one knocking back there." They turned to see Naruto leaning against the wall tiredly. Hinata was next to him. She had helped him stand, then they had followed the others. Hinata hovered exactly one and a half feet away from Naruto. Ten Ten just gave him a confused look. Neji was the one that spoke up though.
"They wouldn't have answered the door to let you in. But the front door could have been someone important so they had to answer it." He spoke slowly as though he didn't quite believe it himself. Naruto shrugged it off, still not meeting anyone's eye. He was just leaning there.
Then white surrounded them.
000
When the white vanished they were again sitting on the ground, slightly disoriented. Looking around they identified it as one of the outer hill around Konoha. Naruto looked around as he stood, helping Hinata along the way. She had landed near the top of the hill and had begun to roll down it, right into Naruto. Sakura was helped next. Neji and Ten Ten were trying to get out of a tree gracefully having landed on a branch and immediately falling. Neji righted himself first, and caught Ten Ten, who having landed on a higher branch, was falling towards him. She sat on his lap as they balanced precariously on the limb. Finally Neji got his wits about him and, after wrapping him arms around Ten Ten, he flipped them side-wise and landed on his feet holding Ten Ten in his arms. Putting her down, he took notice of their location. Looking over the hill, they saw a large group of children by a stone. Sakura recognized it as the stone where hero's who died in action were honored. The kids were solemnly eating around it. They finished and got up and began to leave. The five located Naruto-chan talking to the Lady from the orphanage.
"You said today was my birthday."
"That's right."
"Could we have a party?"
"Most certainly not. Do you know today is?"
"'It's the anniversary of when the Kyuubi attacked and killed many villagers including our beloved Fourth Hokage therefore we must grieve for those who died in defending all we hold dear.'" Naruto recited it as if he had heard it a million times, "Can we have a party tomorrow then?" She glared at him.
"No, tomorrow is not your birthday. You know the rules; you can only celebrate your birthday on your birthday. Now quiet boy, have you no respect for the shinobi who fought that day!" She stomped off. Naruto-chan looked down. He began to wander off. The ive older shinobi followed curiously. They had all known in the back of their head that Naruto's Birthday was the same day as Kyuubi's atack, but really Hinata was the only one who had played it any mind. Sitting out in the woods Naruto-chan slowly sang to himself.
"Happy Birthday to me
Happy Birthday to me
Happy birthday to Narutooo
Happy birthday..."
He got quieter as her got to the end until no one could hear him. He was quiet for a while. They heard some voices through the trees. It was the boys from before.
"Did you hear him? Today's his birthday. He wanted to celebrate. Why should anyone celebrate his birth?" They laughed as they went out of range. Naruto-chan just bent his head.Sakura and Ten Ten practically saw fire. Neji looked at Naruto-chan then to Naruto, who stared stonily into the wood, and then back to Naruto-chan. Sakura looked ready to pound the snot out of the three brats that just left. Ten Ten just stood there with tears in her eyes. Hinata was standing there looking at the three boys that had just left and Naruto-chan then back again. She seemed to be trying to figure something out. Suddenly Naruto pushed away from the tree and looked in a corner of the clearing. Not a moment later a small girl comes into the clearing from that very direction.
She was a very small girl. Her hair was midnight black, it shone blue, she was wearing black clothes in mourning, like everyone else today. She approached the boy in the clearing.
"Hi" Naruto-chan nodded to her. She smiled and sat next to him. "What are you doing out here?" Naruto-chan looked up.
"I'm celebrating my birthday." She looked at him confused.
"You are supposed to do that with friends. And presents." Naruto-chan looked at the ground and mumbled. She leaned closer and asked him to repeat himself.
"I haven't either." She looked at him, then smiled brightly.
"Then I'll be your friend and give you a gift." She thought a moment then she took a pair of goggles out of her pocket and handed them to him. "Here, I found them in the forest yesterday. Happy Birthday friend! Say what IS your name?" Naruto-chan looked at her a moment.
"Naruto. Uzamaki Naruto." She smiled. Before she could respond she turned.
"I hear mother." She sprang up and bounced away from him, "Bye-bye." She ran out of the clearing. Naruto-chan smiled and put the goggles on his head. He then jumped up as he heard the old lady gather the orphans. Neji and Ten Ten were just looking at Naruto-chan. Sakura turned to Hinata.
"Hinata?" Hinata blushed. Naruto turned towards her, then back to where the girl had disappeared then back to Hinata.
"YOU!" He was looked at Hinata, whose blush was now nuclear. He was about to ask another question when everything went white again.
000
When they opened their eyes this time they were in an alley. Sakura and Ten Ten helped Naruto and Neji to their feet and looked over as Hinata stood. Naruto looked at her.
"H-H-Hinata..." She blushed and smiled.
"I didn't think you would remember that day so I left it in the back of my mind too." Naruto looked at her incredibly.
"Not remember it! It was the ONLY BIRTHDAY PRESENT I EVER RECEIVED HOW COULD I NOT REMEMBER IT?" Naruto's voice rose in pitch until the last of the sentence was a mere squeak. Hinata just blushed. Sakura turned to him sharply. His only birthday present. She thought back. The day Kyuubi had attacked had been a day of mourning for ten years. And even after that the Third had always made himself available the entire day. He wouldn't have been able to get away to give Naruto a present. Iruka-sensei had only been close to Naruto since his graduation a little over two years ago. If Sakura remembered correctly they; she, Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi had been half-way to the land in the Mist fighting a crazy man with a six-foot sword adn he had been hunting Tsunade-sensei during his last two birthdays, which they had all ignored. She had known that his birthday was the same day that Kyuubi attacked but it had never occurred to her to do something about it.
Neji had been only paying half attention to the conversation, storing it away for future reference. He had been looking around. This was one of the worse parts of town, or it was during this time.
"Naruto, where and when are we?" Naruto looked up at him.
"Why are you asking me?"
"All this memories seemed to have been focused around yours so until something says otherwise it stands to reason that this is also from your memories." Naruto perked and looked around. It did make sense, recalling what the old hag had said. He looked at the street and then back into the alley. He spotted two children there. It was Naruto-chan and Hinata-chan.
"Ne, Naruto-kun? Watch, I'll show you my first justu!" Hinata-chan held her hands together and activated her Byakugan. Naruto-chan clapped as his new friend showed him her secret.
"I'll learn many Justus too. One day I'll be able to do many things, then I can celebrate my birthday and have friends like you!" Hinata-chan giggled.
"Like a Hokage? Papa says the Hokage knows a lot of Justus and is strong and protects people and people like him." Naruto-chan nodded.
"Yup I'll become a Hokage!" Neji, Ten Ten, and Sakura turned slowly and looked at Hinata whose face was acheiving a new color in the red spectrum.
"YOU?" They couldn't believe that the idea of being Hokage could have been put into Naruto's head by Hinata. "You put it in his head!" They shook their heads. Even Neji was stunned completely. All of Naruto's strength of character came from the conviction that he would be Hokage someday. It all came from Hinata. She had given him a reason to fight and grow strong. Then several years later he had given it to all his friends. They all owed Hinata, his shy cousin, so much for that. They were watching Hinata-chan and Naruto-chan make plans about being Hokage when Naruto started muttering something. Sakura turned to him, exasperated.
"Naruto? What are you muttering about now?" Naruto shook his head destractedly. HInata, Neji and Ten Ten kept watching the youngsters in front of them.
"There is something I should remember." Ten Ten pattedhis shoulder sympathetically. He continued to think a moment then leaped at Hinata. "HINATA!"
They flew away just as the eight-foot-tall pile of wooden boxes tumbled down where she had been standing. Neji's heart did triple time as the dust cleared leaving Naruto standing on the other side of the pile with Hinata in his arms. Neji's was so relieved as he saw Hinata and Naruto crouching, unhurt. Neji let out a breath even as Sakura screamed at Naruto.
"Naruto! Don't scare us like that!" She bonked him on the head. Ten Ten let out a relieved giggle, she had been worried about them too. They stopped when they heard voices.
"What's this? Looks like someone who shouldn't is making friends." The four drunks wavered towards them.
Naruto-chan and Hinata-chan looked up at them in fright. The three drunks came closer and were spouting off profanities.
"Oi, you shouldn't make friends on the anniversary of Kyuubi. Especially with him." The man leaned near Hinata-chan.
"Yeah, he shouldn't have any friends anyway. He doesn't deserve them." Naruto-chan was glaring at them as Naruto flinched. One of the men lifted him up.
"Hey look at the glare he's giving me. Little )#!" The man let go of Naruto-chan as he swiped the blond's mouth with his sake bottle. Both Naruto's in the alley felt blood trickle down their cheek. One man yelped when Hinata-chan kicked him, yelling at him for hurting her friend. He tossed her at the fence. Hinata whimpered asshe grabbed her head and knelt down. Ten Ten crouched next to her, worried. Sakura felt her head, but decided that the Hyuuga simply had a goose egg forming. Neji kept his eyes on Naruto.
"Any baka who's a friend of this trash doesn't deserve to live in Konoha!" Naruto-chan looked up as the man walked towards his only friend. Neji'e eyes widened as he thought he was about to see something happen to his cousin and his friend. However, Naruto-chan ran at Hinata-chan...and shoved her under the fence. It was a tight fit so without him pushing her there was no way she would have made it otherwise. He turned to the men.
"I will protect my precious people! Some day I will be Hokage!" The men sneered at him and brought their sake bottles down on him. While the beating did continue, the watchers were more focused on Naruto, who was unconscious on the ground. Sakura was shaking as she healed his concussion. How dare they! He's only a child! She didn't know enough to completely heal him but she was sure his head wasn't in any danger. The men eventually lost interest and gave up. Naruto-chan sat up after a few minutes, very dizzy. He turned to the fence on the other side of which sat his only friend.
"Oi, you still there?" upon hearing an affirmative "I want you to promise something. Promise upon our friendship." Another affirmative. "Do not come near me until I am strong. Promise me. I don't want to lose my precious friend. Please?" All was quiet until he heard her crying and running away. He took that as an affirmative as he left the alleyway and trudged home. Neji, Ten Ten and Sakura were floored. They turned to Hinata who was sitting next to Naruto. She simply shook her head, meaning she wasn't going to talk about it and don't they dare ask Naruto who was waking up. He sat up only to be surrounded by white light again. They last thing they remember was Ten Ten grumbling.
"How many of these things are we going to-"
000
This time when white cleared as they were several feet in the air. Naruto, being the only one upright, grabbed sidewise Hinata around the waist and an upside-down Sakura around her bicep and landed with them in his arms. Hearing yelling and squealing, they located Neji and Ten Ten in a nearby bush. Naruto went towards them quickly, recognizing the bush of thorns.
Actually they were very caught. Looking around the bush Sakura located but couldn't see a way to help them. Hinata used her Byakugan to see them and guided Naruto to what exactly was caught. Naruto almost laughed aloud when he saw them. Both were blushing. Ten Ten was above Neji, by barely an inch given by her hands on his chest. Neji had one hand on a branch a foot beneath and behind him, caught by thorns, but still seeming to be holding some of his, and Ten Ten's weight, the other hand had actually made it to the ground, was holding the remainder of their upper body weight. His body was tilted down as his feet were resting on branches higher in altitude than his head; they were stiff as he attempted to keep his legs from resting on thorns that had caught his shorts.
Where Neji was tilted down, Ten Ten was nearly horizontal. Her pants were caught, trapping her legs, one on each side of Neji's right leg. Her hands and arms were free due to her lack in sleeves. Her problem was her buns. Since her hair was in two tight buns, they were caught in thorns holding her face right where it was, in front of Neji's face.
As Naruto was circling the bush looking for the best method for extraction, Neji's and Ten Ten's minds were racing. Ten Ten couldn't believe how close she was to him. She had never been this close to him during training, it was dangerous then. Her hands could feel his strong chest and her legs were resting on his muscled thighs. She blushed as she looked into his lavender eyes. She had always wanted to get this close to his eyes but the closest she had come was when he had rescued her a week ago from the would-be rapists. Quickly she looked down before he saw the emotion in hers. He was good at that. She wished she could turn her head. Her gaze followed the curve of his white cheek down to his lips. Her blush was approaching nuclear as she thought of how his lips might feel when Naruto spoke to her.
"Oi, Ten Ten, if we're going to get you two out of there, I think your hair might be the first obstacle to approach."
"It should come free once I take it out of the buns. It doesn't tangle." He nodded as she prepared to do just that. SAkura looked towards her voice jealously, she wishd her hair wouldn't tangle.
Fortunately for Ten Ten, earlier Neji had been too preoccupied to notice her emotions. The Hyuuga was having similar observations about the girl above him. He could feel her flexible hands shift on his chest as she balanced her weight. He had found her blush adorable as her eyes stopped meeting his. He had been trying to examine these feelings when Naruto spoke up. Ten Ten reached behind her head and attempted to release her hair. After a few second she gave up, deciding she would need two hands. She took a deep breath and her second hand left his chest to join the first. Neji's chest tightened as a look of pain crossed her face when her upper body weight rested on her hair before she grabbed a branch above her head. Neji blushed as her smooth neck arched towards him. But when she shifted her weight it nearly undid him. Her abdomen muscles clenched and her hips were grated into his as she attempted to support her weight off her hair. His eyes went wide as he with-held a moan as his breathing increased. While he had felt care and comfort near Ten Ten, this was the first time he had felt desire. He tried to bring his mind under control as Ten Ten released one of her buns. Her silky brown hair uncoiled down her chest and onto his face. The second one came out and she collapsed back on top of him.
He grimaced slightly as her upper body weight was suddenly on his hands again. After he had reestablished his hold, both parties were panting. Neji found his panting wouldn't abide when he felt her cheek against his and her breath in his ear. She took a breath and pushed herself up slightly. Her hair settled around their faces like a curtain. Neji stared into her worried eyes. She leaned until her face was a breath from his.
"Forgive me?" She whispered as she lowered her lips over his. Outside the bush, Hinata gasped as she deactivated her Byakugan, bringing the attention of the other two shinobi. Naruto and Sakura focused on the blushing heiress instead of the confusion within the bush.
Neji's world had zeroed in on his contact between him and the girl kissing him. Her soft lips massaging his and her arms caressing his chest and shoulders. He felt a need well within him, to hold this woman, to touch her. He couldn't though; his arms were the only support they had. His desire to do this and more was so great that he let out a soft moan. Ten Ten immediately tensed and released him, much to his disappointment. She looked down at his flushed face. He looked into her eye and saw the emotion there. He could always read her emotions through her eyes. He saw concern, care, and desire that warmed his heart. He also saw fear. He was about to question her when two hands reached under her armpits and they hear Naruto's voice.
"Ok Ten Ten. Don't forget to not kick Neji. Go ahead Hinata!" Naruto pulled Ten Ten up out of the hole she had made upon entering the bush. As he lifted, Hinata narrowed her chakra and shot thin beams of it, slicing away any thorns, much like the bees when she had been captured when looking for the Bikochuu.
Slowly Ten Ten's legs came free and Naruto handed her down to Sakura who looked over her injuries.
"Wow Ten Ten! You have a LOT of hair!" She did indeed, it reached to her knees. She grimaced as her tried to keep it out of her face. Naruto turned back to Neji.
"How should we get you out?" Hinata and Neji studied the situation with their Byakugan before Hinata spoke.
"If we could free your arms the rest of you could be simply lifted out since you didn't move much after falling. Neji nodded in agreement and looked at his arm. Hinata couldn't cut through the thorns like she did for Ten Ten because his arm was so deep into the bush, she would end up simply shredding the bush, or her cousin, neither of which she was keen to do. He couldn't see how he could free his arm.
Naruto jumped down and took off his jacket, "I'll reach in and unhook the thorns." He removed his shirt and jumped back up. Calling for Hinata to guide his hand, he began reaching around Neji and removed each torn. Neji grimaced as Naruto leaned some of his weight on the Hyuuga's chest. Naruto was slightly heavier than Ten Ten, and far less appealing to Neji to have on top of him. Once the final thorn was out, Neji and Naruto grasped each other's wrists and Naruto lifted him out.
Once they had landed, Neji went over to Sakura to get his injuries seen to. As he grabbed his shirt, Naruto began looking around, remembering Neji's earlier comment of how these were his memories, as irritating as that was. Most of his memories from this time in his life he would rather not bring up. He really didn't need his friends, the people he most wanted respect from, to see them. They didn't need to see how pathetic he was.
Hinata was trying to keep from passing out. Naruto was standing, looking around, in front of her, without a shirt on. She sat down, red as a tomato. She took several slow breaths then looked back at him. She almost had an epilepsy again when she noticed Naruto's expression.
Ten Ten was sitting watching Sakura tend to Neji, and redo her buns. Sakura was really doing well for only 4 weeks of training. Ten Ten watched as Neji's cuts disappeared. She thought back to when she had kissed him. She couldn't believe she had violated his space like that. He would probably never want to be her friend again. She remembered how relaxed he looked even though they were caught in a bush a few feet above ground. He was just looking into her eyes, his lavender eye were so questioning. His lips were everything she had imagined. They were firm but inviting. She felt his chest against hers as her arms explored his strong shoulders and back. When he moaned she realized that their position made it impossible for him to push away, so she backed off. She looked at him, memorizing his face before he chastised her. She was saved from instant embarrassment by Naruto who had chosen that time to pull her out of the bush. Speaking of Naruto, she looked over at him as she finished pinning up her last bun.
Naruto was staring at the orphanage; Hinata was standing next to him. She had the look on her face that she gets when she wants to say something but can't get up the courage, not that Ten Ten could blame her. If Neji was standing next to her without a shirt she might be slightly tongue-tied too. She walked over to them and followed Naruto's gaze. He was looking up at the second story window, where someone was looking back out at them. Not that Naruto-chan could see them but he was staring out into the yard. She heard Neji and Sakura come up behind her. Sakura asked a question.
"So, when is this?" Naruto turned to her. He looked back at the window as he replied.
"I would guess my 8th Birthday." He had sounded slightly depressed and very irritated. Ten Ten was gazing at the window when she heard Neji.
"Ten Ten-" He was cut off when they heard a large group of drunks. They were strolling around the block, proclaiming loudly.
"Man! This is the place were that Uzimaki brat lives."
"He's not good enough for such a place!"
"We should show him what kind of home he should be in." This statement was followed by a round of cheers. Everyone but Naruto was staring at the drunks. Naruto was looking at his younger self who was also staring at the drunks. The crowd walked around the building and one of them, with three sake jugs, pulled out several handkerchiefs. Stuffing them into the bottles they proceeded to light and toss them into the orphanage. The orphanage burst into flame exceedingly fast. Neji and Ten Ten reacted without thinking, and ran to help the people still in the building. Naruto was about to call to them when he started shaking in pain. Sakura and Hinata knelt down by him as he balled into a fetal position brought by the pain of one's back and arms burning. Sakura began to heal his back as it continued to burn. Hinata could only hold his head and use her Byakugan to follow what was happening inside.
Neji and Ten Ten reached inside and had tried to help move people when they realized that this was a memory, they could no more help these people than they could change history. They looked at each other with that "we are so stupid" expression then turned as they heard a shriek. Looking into a room they saw two of the three boys from the first memory trapped under a beam that was half burned. The third was standing in front of them, frozen. He took one look at his screaming friends and ran out the door. Neji and Ten Ten could only watch as the boys tried several times to move the beam that had pinned their backs and three of their four arms down. They were screaming and crying. Then suddenly the beam lifted. Everyone in the room looked over at the end to see Naruto-chan lifting the burning beam with all his might. It was enough for the boys to roll out from under it. Then the three of then ran for the door. Just as they were approaching it the doorframe began to give way. Naruto-chan leaped at the backs of the two boys and shoved them through the door way a second before it collapsed. Neji and Ten Ten also dove out but they turned when they realized Naruto-chan had not made it. They turned and ran towards Hinata, Sakura, and Naruto, the latter of which was balled on the ground whimpering. Ten Ten looked away. She couldn't stand it. Naruto was always so strong, but these memories had broken down all the walls he had built up. She felt tears come to her eyes as she heard what his normal bravado had been reduced to.
Neji stopped when he saw the burns that covered Naruto's bare-back and his hands. Sakura was healing them as fast as she could. Neji spun back towards the building looking for Naruto-kun with his Byakugan. He found him back on the second floor. He was crouched in a corner and lifting something. He then ran for the window and jumped out of the second story window into tree. If he had just had his weight he probably would have stayed in the tree too, but when he fell out, landing on his back, Neji saw an infant in his hands. Neji jumped back out of the way, pulling Ten Ten with him as the orphanage lady and many other people crowded around him.
Two mednins dropped down, one took the infant, the other began to heal Naruto-chan's wounds. Neji and Ten Ten turned to Naruto as he sat up. He was on his knees panting. Ten Ten kneeled in front of him.
"Naruto how did you hear that infant, we were in there and we couldn't hear him." Naruto looked at her.
"Well...I had jumped into that tree several times...I knew that was a way out...when I entered the room I heard the infant, Udon...until then I thought everyone else was out." Naruto sat back, his upper body was wavering, he was so dizzy. He didn't want to lie on his recently burned back though. Hinata sat next to him and pulled him gently to one side. He leaned his shoulder on her chest and relaxed. Neji knelt in front of him. He had been watching Naruto struggle through the last three memories. Maybe this could be theraputic instead of simply nightmarish. Some of these events could still weigh heavily on Naruto. He owed Naruto so much. May, just maybe, he could help his savior.
"What happened next? Were those men caught?" Naruto looked at him.
"No. They were given a harsh lecture and many people glared at them a lot but no actual punishment because they couldn't prove they did it."
"Why? You saw them."
"I- They ignored my words." Naruto hefted himself up and sat facing away from the group, "They wouldn't listen to me no matter how much I spoke. In the end the only attention they gave me was to move me out of the orphanage, it was decided that I could live on my own since no one had adopted me yet. Third gave me the apartment and a stipend. Then I went to the academy." His hands fisted as he said this. Hinata rested her hands on Naruto's shoulders. She had watched all of this happen once, she knew what had happened. But, she had promised herself that she would keep her promise to her first friend. Naruto opened his mouth a second before they were surrounded in white.
000
Back in the real world, Lee was watching worried as Naruto, Hinata and Ten Ten became more injured then healed. He looked at the lady, who hadn't moved in the last ten minutes. She was meditating. She had told him that the two in the center, he assumed she meant Neji and Naruto would awaken first, then the three girls so he stood ready to catch anyone that didn't wake up fast enough to catch themselves in the eight foot drop. It was really frustrating that this was all her could do to help his friends.
000
This time when the white cleared they were nearly twelve feet off the ground. Neji grabbed Sakura as Ten Ten grabbed him and shot a kunai with a string to the ceiling above them. Naruto and Hinata, however were too far away. Naruto grabbed Hinata and spun them so he landed first. he crashed into a desk and bounced off onto the floor, all the while clutching Hinata and bracing himself so she wouldn't get hurt. Ten Ten lowered her pasengers slowly to the ground. Neji had done this before in training and in missions so he knew exactly when they were close enough to the ground that he could drop down. They ran over to where Naruto was sitting up, rubbing his head. Hinata was still clutched in his arms. She pushed herself back and looked up at him as he asked her if she was alright. Hinata blushed scarlet and jumped off him, stuttering the entire time. Naruto blushed slightly. He was about to say something further when they all heard a harsh voice.
"This is unexceptable! That is why you did not get points." They all turned to see Jirio-sensei standing in front of Naruto-chan. Naruto-chan looked to be about ten, halfway through the academy. Jirio-sensei taught strategy and battle plans to the younger cadets. This was taken over by Iruka as the cadets grow older.
"What did I do wrong, sensei?" Naruto-chan seemed to be asking about the paper in the teacher's hand. Jirio-sensei looked enraged.
"You are in this class to learn, so learn! This is wrong, figure out what is correct!" Jirio-sensei stomped out of the room and slammed the door. Neji looked at Naruto, who wasn't paying any attention what-so-ever. He was asking Hinata if she was alright, ignoring the teacher once he identified him. Jirio's sister had been Umino Akia, mother to Iruka-sensei. He had lost his sister and brother-in-law to Kyuubi. Of course, Naruto didn't understand any of this at the time of the memory but he did now. Someday young one, we will have to talk about that day. Naruto jumped a foot in the air. He hadn't heard anything from Kyuubi his entire time and he decides to speak NOW? He shook his head and laughed as Naruto refocused on the room and realized that Neji, Ten Ten, Hinata and Sakura were all staring at him. He must have jumped higher than he thought. He just smiled nervously. Behind them Naruto-chan left the room. They were about to get up and follow when they were suddenly in the hallway. They looked around, startled and slightly disoriented. Sakura snapped her fingers.
"Of course!" They all looked at her confused. She sighed and explained, "This is a memory! Nothing outside of what the person remembering, aka Naruto-chan, exists. We have to stay with Naruto-chan." Enlightenment dawned on each shinobi slowly. Sakura frowned when she didn't see it dawn to Naruto. Instead he was looking around. She growled internally at his inability to focus his attention for any amount of time. They walked into the room before they were teleported in, it was disorienting to say the least. They stood behind Naruto-chan in the third row. This was a class on history. Naruto began to doodle in his notes, which they noticed weren't very much, well, note-like. They usually had words and points of interest about the class. Naruto's had a bunch of bizarre symbols. Hinata was staring at them. Sakura just shot Naruto a flat look.
"You might have done better if you had actually paid attention in class, you know." Naruto just rolled his eyes. They watched as the teacher turned and asked the class a question in the manner they do when they are about to introduce a topis that should have been "obvious". Neji and Sakura looked at Naruto-chan as he muttered something. This teacher, they had all had, loved to do this question then answer thing. Sakura rolled her eyes at Naruto-chan's lack of attention. Ten Ten was looking at Hinata.
"Hinata-chan? What is so interesting about his doodles?" Hinata was just staring at them. She shook her head. Reaching into her pouch she pulled out a notebook and began srcibbling something down. Ten Ten and Sakura stared at her in confusion. Naruto was also watching with interest, but not as close. That and Kyuubi was talking quite animatedly.
When did you start drawing those 'doodles'?
When I started getting bored in class, why?
You don't recognize them?
Sure I drew them 4 years ago...so what?
Those are- You don't- ...You can't- ...How-?... Maybe-?... Yeah that could be- ...This is poassible- Naruto left him alone. Once he started talking like this, he would be incomprehensible and irritatingly superior for several hours until he decided to let Naruto in on the joke. Besides Naruto just noticed Neji leaning very close to Naruto-chan.
"Oi, Neji, what are you doing?" Neji looked at him and shushed him. Sakura and Ten Ten came over but got the same treatment. The next time the teacher asked a question they all neard Naruto-chan mumble the answer, before the teacher went over it. They all turned to Naruto in questioning stares of incredibility. Naruto shrugged.
"Not like I had much else to do at night besides school work. The book was interesting enough. But you can only read it so many times." Sakura looked at him.
"Why didn't you go to the library and get another one." Naruto just looked at the teacher as he answered plaintively.
"I was busy." Hinata looked up from what she was doing for the first time. She tapped Sakura's shoulder.
"They wouldn't allow him in the library, he tried. They chased him out." Sakura's eyes widened as Hinata whispered in her ear. Ten Ten and Neji glanced at her, showed they had heard too. Naruto was paying attention to the teacher, who was off on a tengent he had forgotten about, it was about the different methods of distributing shinobi along a war-zone done in the past. He had wanted to ask the teacher about this topic, but he knew the teacher would ignore him as he was ignored in this class whenever he talked here. That was the reason he began to goof off, and get bad grades. Then they would talk to him. Once he moved into his own apartment, no one talked to him if they didn't have to. If they were yelling at him then at least they were acknowledging his existence. He was brought out of his line of thought both by the teacher ending his tangent and Hinata's exclaimation.
"Neji-kun, does this look familiar?" Neji took the paper she had been scribbling on. He looked at it a moment before looking at her. He nodded, of course he would recognize the second half of the caged-bird-seal. The seal on his head was paired with the one on paper. If the one on the paper were to be activated at the same time as the one on his head then the seal on his head would disappear. He had seen it by accident when he was young. Hinata, being of the main house would obviously know it some day. He handed it back to her and shrugged. As far as he knew no one knew how to activate it, meaning whoever received the caged-bird-seal, kept it. She pointed to Naruto-chan's "notes". Neji looked closer. On the notes were the four steps it took to draw the seal on the paper and on his head, in order, with one minute change. Neji turned to Naruto.
"Where did you see this?" Naruto recoiled at the fierce demand from someone he thought of as a friend. Neji's eyes were nearly on fire. Naruto nearly started stuttering.
"What do you mean? They were doodles. I don't remember how many of them I drew, much less each of them. The teacher discussed clan building in Konoha and I started to doodle." Naruto was getting defensive. What on earth was so special about doodles? He thought everyone did them. We'll discuss this later little one. Why don't you go and stand next to your female STOP CALLING HER THAT! Naruto yelled at Kyuubi even as he move towards Hinata and white surrounded them.
000
This time they appeared quite a ways above the ground. Hinata and Naruto looked at each other and immediately located to best branch to land on, then spun towards it, keeping tabs on each other. Sakura was caught by an already stable Naruto. Ten Ten and Neji grabbed each other's hands. Ten Ten threw a kunia on a string towards a branch and used it to swing them to safety. They landed and jumped over to the other three. They were about to start talking, rather Neji continue interrogating Naruto, when suddenly Iruka raced through them. Neji looked after him with his Byakugan, they started after him.
"Naruto, Why is Iruka the person we are near instead of you?" Naruto shrugged, how the hell should he know, as they landed in a training clearing outside Konoha. They turned when they heard Iruka.
"Hey Naaaaruuuutoooooo!" Naruto's eyes went wide as he saw the Scroll of Sealing on his younger back. He muttered to himself.
"Oh no" They all turned to him before turning back to the scene at hand.
"Oh man, I got caught and I only learned one technique" Naruto-chan laughed and put his had behind his head. Iruka regarded him a moment.
"Hey, I'm going to show you a great technique, so let me graduate if I can do it! If I show you a technique from this scroll I can graduate, right?"
"Who-Who said that?"
"Mizuki-sensei! He told me about this place and this scroll." Iruka's face was sheet white.
Suddenly Naruto shoved Neji into Hinata and backed up into Sakura as a group of kunai fly past them. They looked back when they heard Iruka cry out. They saw Mizuki standing on a tree and Iruka was pinned to the wall by the kunai the five shinobi had just dodged.
"I see so that's how it was." Iruka was looking up at Mizuki. Mizuki looked to Naruto-chan.
"Naruto, hand me the scroll." Naruto-chan looked frightened.
"Wha- what's going on?" Iruka ripped out a kunai from his leg.
"Naruto, don't let him get the scroll no matter what. That's a dangerous scroll that has forbidden techniques. Mizuki used you so he could get a hold of it." Sakura turned to Naruto but his eyes were glued angrily on Mizuki.
"Naruto, Iruka is afraid of you possessing that." Naruto-chan looked towards Iruka.
"Huh?"
"What are you saying Mizuki! Don't believe him, Naruto!" Mizuki laughed. Sakura was looking more and more confused even as understanding dawned on Neji.
"I'll tell you the truth." Iruka was getting more desparate.
"Don't!" Sakura was confused, but Neji, Ten Ten and Hinata looked at Naruto. Mizuki continued his gleeful tirade.
"It was a rule created after the incident that happened twelve years ago. It's a rule that only you, Naruto, could not find out." Naruto-chan was hanging on Mizuki's words.
"Only me? What's the rule!" Iruka still hadn't freed himself.
"Mizuki! Stop!" Mizuki finished.
"That Naruto is the Nine-tailed Fox!" Naruto-chan's eyes widened. Naruto's hands clenched. "In other words, you are the monster that killed Iruka's family and destroyed our village!" Iruka screamed in anguish as he ripped himself free.
"STOP!"
"You've been deceived by the people of this village all this time. Didn't you think it was weird for everyone to hate you so much?" Naruto-chan had apparently had enough.
"Wha-?" Sakura fell to her knees next to Naruto. She was shaking, eyes wide. She looked up at Naruto. He looked at Sakura sadly. She couldn't believe it. No. It wasn't possible. Ten Ten knelt in front of her.
"Sakura. Please let him explain it to you after we leave. Please, trust him." Neji nodded to her. Sakura looked at Hinata. Hinata was standing next to Naruto, concerned. They all were brought back to the scene when Iruka dove over Naruto-chan and took the Shuriken for him. He was looking down at Naruto-chan, crying.
"Because you're the same as me. After my parents died, on one ever complimented me or recognized me.Being the bad student I was I screwed up a lot in class because I wanted to get everyone's attention. I couldn't get anyone's attention when I was a good student so I acted like an idiot. It was tough. Right Naruto? You were so lonely, right? it was so tough, right?" Everyone's attention was on Iruka. "I'm sorry Naruto. You didn't have to feel that way if I was more aware." Mizuki began to laugh.
"Don't make me laugh! Iruka has hated you since you killed his parents! He just wants to get the scroll back." Naruto-chan's eyes grow wide and he turns and runs. Naruto takes off after his younger self, to be followed by Neji, Ten Ten, and after Hinata helped her a little, Sakura and Hinata followed. They landed next to Naruto-chan hiding behind a tree. Iruka was sitting against a tree and Mizuki stood facing him. Mizuki was yelling at him.
"There's no way that Naruto, the monster fox, won't use it's power." Iruka just looked at him.
"Yeah you're right." Naruto-chan grasped his scroll as he began to cry as he mumbled.
"I knew it. Iruka-sensei doesn't recognize me inside." Ten Ten looked at Naruto sorrowfully. Iruka continued though.
"If he was a monster fox. But Naruto is different. He's an excellent student I recognize. He's hardworking, earnest, clumsy, and no one recognizes him. He knows the pain of others. He's not the monster fox, he's Uzimaki Naruto, a Konoha shinobi!" The shinobi watched as Mizuki tried to attack only to be stopped by Naruto then beatened by his clones. Neji, Ten Ten, Hinata and Sakura watched as Naruto-chan graduated. The last thing they heard before being surrounded by white was Iruka.
"Alright, lets celebrate! I'll treat you to ramen."
000
Naruto and Neji opened their eyes first...and fell eight feet. Lee caught Neji but missed catching Naruto, who landed on his behind. As Lee helped Neji and Naruto stand the lady yelled something about the three girls. Then Sakura, Ten Ten, and Hinata opened their eyes. The three boys each dove for a girl. After each respective shinobi had landed safely to their feet, they all turned to the old lady. Neji was about to say something but the lady beat him to it.
"Now now, no speeches or anything just OUT! And no blabbing about where I am. At least not for a few days until I move again. Sheesh!" She turned away mumbling something about youngsters, each shinobi looked at each other a moment then back to her "Oh the exit is this way. I would prefer you use it instead of your personal entrance." They looked at each other and followed. What else could they do. At the end of the tunnel was indeed the exit. On their way out each thanked her for helping Neji. She stopped Naruto.
"Brat, I didn't catch your name." Naruto looked at her, then proudly states.
"I'm Uzimaki Naruto, remember it because someday I'll be Hokage!" She stares at him a moment before laughing. Naruto scowled at her. The rest of the group look on in interest.
"I thought it could have been you but I wasn't sure. I had heard rumors of you after the fight fourteen years ago but still...Ha ha ha ha haaaa! Amazing!" She burst into another fit of laughter. Naruto had already guessed she knew about Kyuubi from her mention of the fight. He was about to retort when her hand came down on his shoulder. "Brat, when you're Hokage, remind me to come and do my dance in from of the council again." Naruto looked at her as if she were crazy, she did sound remarkably out of touch, "You may have to re-assign a lot of positions but that shouldn't be too hard, oh and please have a big party." The old lady looked serious. All six of them were staring at her. She chuckled. "Brat, Yondiame said the exact same thing to me. Now scat!" Then she slammed the door. They just stared at the "door" for a moment, totally stumped. Then Lee stoke up
"Guys...um...you were all out for nearly six hours...um ...could you fill me in while we return before Tsunade-sama sends out every squad looking for us." They all looked at him and sweat-dropped. Six hours! Great! Naruto and Neji nodded to Lee's request and they all took off. Hinata had point with her Byakugan, and Neji had rear next to Lee, giving a brief description, promising a full one later. Sakura fell in step with Naruto as Ten Ten joined Hinata up front. She looked at Naruto.
"Naruto...What...what was Mizuki talking about?" Naruto looked at her. He sighed. Softly he began to explain. He had never told anyone before, they had just found out or known.
"Yondiame couldn't kill Kyuubi. When I was a new-born the Fourth sealed the Nine-Tailed-Fox Kyuubi inside me. He then died." Naruto was looking ahead determinedly. Sakura looked at him thoughtfully.
"Who knows about this?"
"Everyone over age of about 29 or 30 knows. It was forbidden to speak of it. Neji, Ten Ten, Lee, Ino, Shikamaru, Kiba and Hinata all found out after I helped with the rescue mission last week. Chou and Shino havn't been told yet. Gaara and his sibling figured it out. I was planning on telling you next week before I left with Ero-sennin." Naruto was still staring hole into Ten Ten's back. Sakura looked at him a second noticing his determination to not meet her eyes. Then all the things her parents told her about Naruto came back.
You should stay away from that one, Sakura-chan!
He shouldn't be a shinobi, don't go near him
Sakura looked up to see Hinata get pulled by Ten Ten out of the way of a branch. The heiress wasn't paying as much attention to where she was going as she was to Sakura and Naruto. Sakura turned to Naruto and realized he was waiting for her to scream or curse or something. She smiled, if everyone else in the group knew and were still talking to him then they must be okay with it too. She turned to look back at Neji and Lee. Neji nodded to her as Lee gave her a thumbs up. She smiled.
"Well, You better use that power to make yourself Hokage you dimwit!" Naruto looked at Sakura, eyes wide. He smiled, it was a real smile. Sakura nearly fell out of a tree at the beaming face. Ten Ten closed the gap between them.
"Naruto, Did you really find out when you were 12?" Naruto nodded.
"The rule about not talking about it included to me. I had no idea why people didn't like me." Naruto just ended there. Sakura mused that she had finally found the one topic Naruto would shut up about. They landed just outside the entrance to Konoha when a fist came down on Naruto's head.
"OW!" He crashed into the ground.
"I was worried you little idiot! Don't you ever take that long again for a two hour mission!" Tsunade's voice echoed through the entire forest. She turned to the rest of them. "Welcome Back. Please get your reports to me soon." She turned and walked away. Naruto was sitting, grumbling about weird welcomes. Sakura giggled.
"Naruto, big sisters are supposed to welcome their baby brothers that way." She was still giggling as she entered Konoha. Naruto looked after her, and smiled. He had come home.
He had precious people.
He had friends.
He existed
A/N um. yeah. near the end I got a little bored so the end is alittle rushed but yeah. Sakura was such a big part of Naruto's life that I thought she should have a special fic to find out and all. the rest was an iea i had a week ago and simply began to settle my muse. It ended up a 10,000 word one-shot. I seem to be doing a lot of long one-shots. Any way, I'll revisit in a week or two to do the last proof-reading.
By the way Manuke and Warui both mean worthless or bad or something like that.
Ja Ne
Re-did, cuz man was this flat before. yeesh added 1000 words to it though
also in the memories the denotion -chan was used to tell the young (memory) person from the current (real) one.
Ja Ne
9/21/08-re-proofed
The next in the series is "The Last Week" which is a chapter story covering the days leading up to Naruto leaving with Jiraiya
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