And so, this chapter have also been cleaned. Now for the biggest challenge. The first chapter.. -

And so, here is the second chapter.. Renewed.

Hughes were slowly opening his eyes. He felt an intense pain in his neck.

'Where am I again?' He looked around. It was still pretty dark. He felt something in his hand.

He was sure that it was a hand. Yes, a ha.. A hand?

He looked at the small hand that held tight onto his and looked up on the sleeping boy.

'Oh right. Naruto.' His eyes started to get used to the dark now.

Then his heart ached. The innocent look on Naruto's face reminded him so much of his dear daughter, Elicia.

He couldn't handle it. He tried his best to make Naruto let go of his hand without waking him up, but was unsuccessful. Naruto wouldn't let go.

He looked at the night stand instead, trying his best not to look at Naruto's face. He looked at the beat-up alarm-clock. It was 4:37 AM.

No wonder he was still tired. But he couldn't sleep in the same position as he did before. His neck was killing him.

Besides the beat-up alarm-clock there was a picture on the night stand. Hughes grabbed the picture and studied it closer.

There was a man and three kids in it. The man had a mask covering half his face. He had white pointy hair and was wearing black clothes and a dark green west. He was patting a boy in each hand.

The one on the left side of the picture was Naruto. He was wearing a really ugly outfit there. Orange? Yuck!

The other boy had raven hair and black eyes. He was wearing a blue and white outfit.

By the look of it, the two boys must have been fighting just before the picture was taken. They looked angry at each other.

There was a girl in the middle. Pink hair, green eyes.. Wide forehead. But Hughes just thought of it as cute. She was wearing a red dress and short black leggings.

A thing they all had in common was that forehead protector. The same symbol. Hughes really wanted to know more about these 'ninjas'. But that had to wait until Naruto woke up.

He hadn't realized that Naruto had let go of his hand until he noticed he had unconsciously moved his other hand up to his sorer neck, rubbing it.

Hughes took a deep breath. And coughed. It was so dusty. Everywhere. And all of the mess! He was almost sure that something were crawling around under all of the clothes. Some nasty green slime monster. One of the things that Hughes never would like to see.

'I can't take this mess anymore' Hughes thought to himself and got up from the floor.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-HOPE THE LINE WILL STICK .-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Geez!" Someone said from out the kitchen. "What's with all these instant ramen cups everywhere?" The person sounded frustrated.

Naruto opened his eyes in an instant, rushed out of bed, grabbed a shuriken and ran into the kitchen, ignoring the throbbing pain in his whole body, while his hat flew off. Great reflexes.

Naruto stopped midway in his throw, frowning big time at the man.

He was cleaning up and making breakfast at the same time.

Hughes had taken of his blue jacket and was wearing a black t-shirt. Although you could still see the blood-stains. He was still wearing his blue pants and was wearing black socks.

Hughes hadn't noticed him coming into the room and was picking up various pieces of clothes and ramen cups. Ramen cups went into a black plastic bag and clothes went into a big white basket.

"Wha-What are you doing?" Naruto asked blushing and quickly hid the shuriken behind his back, ashamed of what he was about to do just a second ago.

Hughes turned his head and looked at Naruto, smiling he said "Oh you're up? I woke up early and started cleaning. You're really a messy kid." He said and picked up a pair of dirty boxers.

Of course that caused Naruto to blush even more. "Hey! I didn't give you permission to clean up!" He yelled at first. "I.. I was going to do that myself.." He said quietly. Looking away. Hughes chuckled amused and went on with the cleaning. Naruto realizing how angry Hughes would get if he saw him wielding a weapon carefully opened the conveniently placed drawer behind him and put the shuriken in it and shut it. Unfortunately he shut it a little too loudly and Hughes perked his head up suspisiously.

Naruto was trying to find out what to say next.

That's when a heavenly odor crossed his nose. Saved.

"What is it that smells so good?" Naruto asked feeling hungry all of a sudden.

"It's a vegetable-rice stew." Hughes said with pride in his voice. The noise forgotten.

Naruto's face immediately turned into a doubtful expression.

"No way! Vegetables are disgusting! It can't smell that good!" He claimed crossing his arms in front of his chest.

'Do I even have rice?' he frowned.

Hughes had moved closer to the boy picking up stuff on the floor. "You will eat it. It's good, I promise." He said happily.

Hughes had picked up all of the stuff from the floor and went over to the pot with stew and picked it up, set it onto the table and put some of it into two bowls on the table. He sat down in a chair and waited for Naruto to ask him to help him over to the table.

"Aren't you hungry?" Hughes asked Naruto.

He was hungry. But he was sure that if he moved he would fall over.

Hughes smirked. "What's the matter?"

Naruto tried to walk but his ankle weren't in a good condition. "Damn it!" Naruto yelled out in frustration as he formed his hand into a seal and used chakra concentration to support his ankle.

Hughes were surprised at how well the boy suddenly walked on his own. What did he just do?

Naruto sat down on a chair on the opposite side of Hughes.

Hughes were staring at Naruto.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Naruto stared at Hughes with a pair of annoyed eyes.

"What?"

"Where did you come from?" Naruto asked interested.

Hughes didn't know what to answer. The boy surely wouldn't know about Amestris. But why not give it a try?

"Amestris." Hughes said.

Naruto glared. "Amestris? Where is that? The country of wind?" he asked confused.

"Nevermind. It's far away, so you've probably never heard of it." Hughes said in a kind of sad tone.

They ate in silence for about five minutes before Hughes finally asked; "How are your injuries?"

Naruto just shrugged "Been worse." he said.

"How much worse?" Hughes asked.

Naruto went silent. Hughes were looking at him crossing his arms with a demanding look on his face.

"Well.." Naruto whimpered while sinking into the chair. The man obviously wouldn't like the answer.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-HOPE THE LINE WILL STICK .-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Iruka was on his way to Naruto. He had a bad feeling. Something had happened to him, he just knew it!

He had just woke up with a bad taste in his mouth, a voice screaming for attention and mental pictures of Naruto bleeding, hurting. He got dressed and were now walking down the deserted streets of Konoha in a fast pace.

He had heard from Kakashi that Naruto hadn't been his usual self for a while, which worried him.

He finally arrived at Naruto's apartment and decided to break in through the window in Naruto's bedroom, quietly and stealthy.

He used chakra concentration and walked up the wall, opened the unlocked window and slipped in.

Naruto wasn't in his bed.

'Where are you, Naruto? You never get up this early..'

There came some sounds from the kitchen. And Iruka could smell the scent of blood and stew. Vegetable stew. Something was definitely wrong!

He opened Naruto's bedroom door and saw Naruto and some guy with his back to Iruka. Iruka saw Naruto's expression in his face. He felt very uncomfortable. Iruka knew that.

Iruka took a deep breath and in a second he was behind the unknown man and held a kunai against the man's throat.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-HOPE THE LINE WILL STICK .-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Iruka-Sensei! What are you doing here?" Naruto asked shocked.

"Naruto are you okay?" Iruka asked never looking away from Hughes who just starred in front of him.

"Uh.. Yeah. But I feel rather uncomfortable when you hold your kunai close to the man that saved me last night." Naruto said scratching his cheek, blushing slightly at what just came out his mouth. Words from the heart.

Iruka immediately removed his kunai from Hughes neck apologizing ,but never let his guard down. Hughes just mumbled "It's OK" while he got out of his chair facing Iruka.

"Who are you?" Iruka asked.

"Maes Hughes!" Naruto answered kinda happily.

"Naruto, I can answer on my own, thank you." Hughes said a little amused.

"Maes Hughes." Hughes said reaching out his hand to Iruka.

"Iruka Umino." Iruka said, however he did not shake Hughes hand. For some reason he didn't like the guy, not even close to trusting.

"Have you checked in at the gates?" Iruka asked.

"No. I haven't." Hughes answered earnestly.

You do realize you've committed a crime, right?" Iruka asked without giving Hughes any time to answer "You have to follow me to the Hokages office. He'll decide what to do with you." Iruka said sternly.

"Oh gee." Naruto sighed.

Hughes and the old geezer. How will that turn out?

Hope you enjoyed it. :D