Author's note: Hey everyone sorry it took so long to update. I had wanted to get this chapter out the same week I posted the first chapter but the person I asked to Beta-read this never did even though they said they would. So I am sorry if there are any errors in this story, and if anyone would like to beta it for me and possible the rest of it please let me know. I would also like to thank all my readers and everyone who commented. I would also like to thank Narutosfangurl for Beta reading the first chapter. And Tcurry for his help beta-reading this chapter and the next next one.

The sun broke over the horizon slowly basking all of Konoha in the brightness of a new day. Light streamed through windows awakening the people not wise enough to close their shades.

This normally wouldn't be a problem for the blonde beauty currently crashing on a sofa in a small loft above a flower shop. The problem was obvious; she wasn't in her bed that was on the other side of the room where the sun would only shine in the evening. It was the whole reason she put it there in the fist place. To avoid the rising sun that liked to ruin her beauty sleep. God how she needed her beauty sleep.

The sun crept its way into her eyes as she valiantly tried to fight it, covering her eyes with her arms and trying to shove her head into the soft pillows of her couch. It was of no use as her mind slowly came to the land of the living; no matter how hard she tried to slip back into her unconsciousness. She finally released an annoyed sigh and slowly sat up to rub the sleep from her eyes. She stretched like a cat, feeling her back pop before turning her neck to hear another satisfying crack. It took her a moment to remember why she was on her sofa as the events of the night before were still a bit foggy.

The blonde beauty got up despite the bags under her eyes and stiffness in her her back she felt from her sofa. She made her way to the her bed to check on Naruto. He was still asleep with bandages covering almost all of his head and face; only his eyes and ears seemed to be without the white wrappings. He seemed to be alright, to use the term loosely, seeing as he was still presumably covered in wounds. She decided she would check his injuries after her shower. God she needed a shower. She made her way down to the bathroom to take a quick forty minute shower and get ready for the day.

Ino stood in the shower, letting the sweat and dried blood from the day before wash off of her; the warm water helping to sooth her sore muscles. She relaxed for a few minutes and allowed the water to just cascade over her. Her mind woke fully as the water did its work. She was grateful that it was her team's day off and she didn't need to go to team practice today. The shop didn't need to be tended to until around four in the afternoon.

She got out of the shower, dried and grabbed her pink fluffy robe before making it back to her room to grab a light orange shirt and a pair of loose fitting black sweat pants with a string tie in the front. Ino returned to the bathroom and got dressed, then went to work on her hair and make up. She came out an hour later looking, in her own perfectly humble opinion, perfect.

Ino was just about to walk out the door when she remembered the boy currently in her bed. She let out another sigh as she made her way back over to her usual sleeping area to take a look at his bandaged face. His chest slowly rose and fell in a rhythmic pattern.

Well I cant just leave him here. It would be strange to wake up some place and not know where you are, plus I need to redress his wounds. She sat on the edge of the bed and slowly started to unwrap the bandages. Before they came off his eyes started to open. They looked a little blurry and unfocused as he started to come to; so he said the first thing that came to his still sleep meddled mind.

"Why's there and angel in my room?" his sleepy voice asked. "Did I die?"

Ino, for her part, turned bright red. No one, as far as she knew, had ever called her an Angel. Not even her dad. It was always princess with him. She turned her head in order to get her blush under control.

Its only Naruto, Its only Naruto...but it was kind of sweet. He thought I was an angel.

Naruto's eyes slowly gained focus, his eyes making out the room and the angel sitting on the bed looking away. She turned back to him when she had her blush fully suppressed. "Ino?" he asked with dry harsh voice "What am I doing here?"

She looked down at the messy top of blonde hair and the loose bandages. "Well yesterday you came running into the flower shop and you were all cut up and stabbed, so I gave you first aid and brought you to the hospital," She told him all in one breath.

He coughed. "Then why am I here and not in the hospital?" The more awake Naruto asked, his voice still harsh from lack of water.

"I don't know," came her reply, "but let me get you so water. You sound thirsty." Ino walked to the kitchenette and got a glass of water for him.

She handed him the drink that he greedily drank, gulping it down. He chocked half way through and had to stop to regain his breath.

"So how did I end up here?" he asked her again.

"Well, that's the thing. I don't quite know how it happened. One minute I'm waiting in the waiting room to see how you're doing and the next a nurse came out and told me they signed you out to me. They had a nurse take you to my place." Ino finished in a whisper. She looked down to hide the few tears that came to her face.

"What's the matter Ino?" He asked, a little panic in his voice.

"I don't think they treated you at all," she said in a hushed voice. "I came back and changed your bandages and they didn't have any stitches or anything, just the bandages I put on you before I carried you to the hospital. I am afraid that you're going to have some pretty bad scars all over your face." she told him sadly, looking down so she wouldn't have to see the look in his eyes.

Naruto couldn't help but look at her in wonder. He couldn't believe that she actually cared enough about him to do all that she did and to cry on top of that for the scars that she thought he would have. "It's okay Ino...it's okay." he spoke in the most soothing voice he could manage. He'd never really comforted some one before, especially not some crying girl. He tried a few time but was always interrupted.

She glanced at him, tears beginning to spill. "No, it's not okay. You're going to be disfigured because the people at the hospital didn't want to treat you. How the hell is that okay?" She replied with a slight edge to her voice. "You'd probably be dead if I didn't close the wound in your lung."

"Ino I'm okay. Really, I've never scarred in my life and I am a fast healer...please don't cry." The panic came back into his voice. She looked at him again, her sniffles gradually stopping. Naruto reached up with a trembling hand and wiped her tears as best he could.

"I'll be fine," he repeated. "I've had worse and I never scarred." Ino looked at him with something akin to horror at the thought of him having worse than the night before.

"How could you have had worse when it looked like you were beaten within an inch of your life and then a blade taken to your face before getting stabbed!" The edge, anger, and fear in her voice scared him a bit. He turned away from her and chose to remain quiet. What could he say; that he was beaten within an inch of his life almost daily when he was little and even now, when he was caught off guard, that they would drag him to some ally and beat him in an effort to kill him. It had become much better since he became a ninja, though the beatings still hadn't stopped. Ino pushed her temper under her control in the silence that followed. She gazed at her night table that was full of medical supplies.

'I guess I should finish changing his bandages. I can't believe he's had worse than this...I can't believe that! What kind of monster would do something like this? Sure he's a prankster and all, but he's always been nice to well everyone. Just a few pranks. Why would anyone hurt him like that? It was monstrous.' She cringed at the thought of someone holding her down and slowly pulling a blade across her skin.

Ino reached for her supplies. "Naruto I need to finish changing your bandages." The blond across from her turned around, his arms crossed. If it wasn't for the bandages the pouting would have been rather cute When he turned back his eyes made her breath catch. She'd never really looked in them before and before she knew what happened, she was lost in them. They were so deep...so haunted. Like he had lived a long life of hardship. Lonely eyes. The only eyes she had seen come close were Sasuke's and a few of the older ninja who had seen much pain.

'Maybe he wasn't lying about having worse.' The thought numbed her a little.

"Ino...Ino," Naruto in an unsuccessful attempt to breaking Ino from her trance. He reached up, waving his hand in front of her face. She blinked a few times as the world around her came back into focus. "Are you alright Ino? You just seemed to space out there for a bit."

"Yes I'm fine," she blushed lightly. "but lets get back to changing those bandages." She reached up and started to pull way the last of the bandages that covered his face. Working slowly and being as gentle as possible. Her breath caught again as the last of the bandages fell away. Most of the wounds on his face where gone; a few still lingered but they were very small and seemed to be closing on there own. The blond Yamanaka was visibly shocked. How did all that damage heal overnight? Did they cast some kind of slow acting jutsu at the hospital before sending him home with her?

The shock on her face must have been obvious because Naruto opened his mouth to explain. "Told you I heal fast."

"But how is that possible?"She asked. He looked down and to the left breaking eye contact with her.

'What do I tell her? Come on think of something Naruto. I can't exactly tell her it's from the Kyuubi now. Think...'

"Well I don't really know," He lied. "I'ts just always been that way. I didn't even know I healed different then other people until I had a broken arm that healed in a week and everyone else took way longer than that."

Ino's jaw dropped at this info. 'So he can even heal bones.'

"It must be a bloodline," Ino stated. "There's nothing else it could be."

"I'm not sure. I never met my parents so I couldn't really tell you," he replied. eyes drawn to the foot of the bed. He felt bad for not being able to tell her the truth but it was the law and he didn't want her to look down at him with the hate or disgust like other did.

Ino lowered her head. "I'm really sorry. I didn't realize you never met your parents. I knew you were an orphan but I always figured you lived with them at some point." She felt bad for bringing up bad memories for the blonde.

Naruto sighed. "It's alright Ino. I've had time to come to terms with it. I just wish I knew more about them. Even just their names. Some way to know that they loved me..anything really, but it doesn't look like that will be happening. I've kind of given up on ever finding out." Unshed tears glistened in his eyes but he refused to let them fall.

'Why does this still effect me? I should be over this by now. It's been years but I just can't seem to help it."

Ino shocked them both when she leaned over and gave him a small hug trying to comfort him. She could see the unshed tears. To never even know your parents names...that must have been hard. All the uncertainty and loneliness he must have felt growing up. Never having been adopted and then living on his own. 'It must have been hard being an orphan.' she thought sadly.

A lot of his behavior now made sense. The need for attention, the pranks, his wild colored clothing. Even the bad grades made sense as he never had parents or anyone to help him study or train him after school. He was alone. She frowned at that thought and her mood worsened when she thought back to how she'd treated him in her competition with Sakura over Sasuke. She was normally nice to most everyone but would loose herself in her competition with Sakura.

How many times she had just shoved him out of the way like he wasn't there or worth noticing? Even though he tried so hard just for that; for someone to notice him. She decided then and there she would try and make more time to check up on him. Ino suddenly spoke up, breaking the uneasy silence that had fallen between them while she was in thought.

"Naruto, since you seem to be doing a little better, would you like me to get you something to eat? You haven't eaten in at least 17 hours."

At that moment there was a rumble. but not from the blonde in front of her. She blushed in embarrassment, having forgotten that the same could be said for her. "I'll go cook something," she said as she made her way to the small kitchenette that sat hidden across from the bathroom.

She smiled to herself as she opened the fridge thinking of what to cook. She wouldn't call herself a master chief or anything but she'd been cooking with Choji's mother since she was five. It'd probably put her cooking skills way above the average person or most restaurants. She decided to make Tempera, rice with a sweet bean sauce, and Hiyashi Chuka Noodles with Sesame Flavored Dressing.

She was happy she had just stocked up her groceries here. Ino wouldn't admit it to anyone but she loved to show off her cooking skills when she had a chance, though Choji never appreciated it because he always got gourmet food at home and could out cook her no problem. Then, of course, it was too troublesome for Shikamaru to give a complement on well, anything.

'Damn lazy bastard,' she thought as she grabbed the oil from the cabinet. It wasn't long for the sounds and sweet aroma of cooking to fill the small apartment. Ino got her rice and set it to boil. Then started working on the Hiyashi Chuka Noodles. She finished, getting everything prepped and cooking before heating some water for some tea. She figured it would be nice to have some and figured Naruto might like some as well.

Since it would take time for the rice to cook, she could use it to get to know the blond a little better. 'Pump him for info,' another part of her mind declared. Ino put some water in cups and put them in the microwave for a few minutes after that she got some tea bags. She was sure Naruto wouldn't care about her using them. She quickly finished making the tea and brought it over to him.

Ino set the cup down in front of him. "I made you some tea Naruto and the food still needs to cook for awhile. I took the liberty and added some sugar to your drink."

Naruto smiled. He still looked funny to her with all the bandages. "Thanks Ino. I don't like it really bitter."

"So Naruto, I was wondering if I could ask you a few things," she gave him a flirtatious smile. He smiled back nervously.

"Only if I don't have to answer and I get to ask some questions in return," he spoke, crossing his arms. She smiled at his reply.

'Its so cute he thinks he has a chance to keep something from me. Aw.' She mentally smirked before she agreed to his terms.