Third Person POV

The recuperation facility towers before the van. It is a new building, large and imposing. The nine assorted children look upon it with wonder. A young pale eyed girl looks up, frightened by such a large structure. "Ne...Neji-ni-san..." The pale eyed boy named Neji moves to her side, grabbing her hand to comfort her, she decides inside to move behind him as if he is her shield.

Naruto points to the structure enthusiastically, "Wow! We're going to live here?! Look Gaara look, all the rooms have windows!" He grabbed and pulled the redhead towards the building. Kakashi ran after them, stopping them before they could enter and then he herded the dejected blond and the confused redhead back to the group of seven children.

When they managed to get everything under control they locked the van and herded the children in the building. No sooner had the last group of children crossed the threshold when a buxom blonde woman and her black haired assistant appeared. "Oi, how's Sarutobi doing Asuma?'' Asuma grinned lightly and answered her cheekily. She greeted Kakashi as well, "You know Kakashi, Iruka tells me you've gotten quite interested in what happens at this facility." He rubbed his neck sheepishly and grinned.

"Are these the children?" The black haired women looked curiously at the nine awaiting faces. "I didn't think you were going to bring them all at once..." She looked over worriedly to Tsunade. "Ah, if this is any inconvenience then I'm sorry but they really did need the room." Kakashi's apologies always seemed so sincere, but Tsunade seemed unimpressed. "We'll have to find where we are going to place them. They'll need evaluations, physical and psychological ones." She tapped and painted nail to her chin and thought.

"Well, lets see how this goes."

Naruto POV

I couldn't help myself, I had to come forward.

I mean, she had to know what was going to happen, she was the boss after all.

I did what I did to Kakashi before, I walked up to her and tugged at the fabric on her leg. She looked down at me not knowing what to expect. So of course I had to tell her. "Hey lady! Me and Gaara," I pointed to Gaara, "We're going to be together okay? We have to." I had to make her understand how important it was that we not get separated.

"And Neji has to go with Hinata, cause he's really good at helping her. She's really shy." I continued to point out who should go with who, because like I said, it was really important. Her eyebrow shot up and she crouched so that she was around my height. "Oh yeah, and why is it that you need to be with that boy? You gave me a good reason for everyone else."

Hey! That was cheating! What a mean lady. I rush over to Gaara and grab his arm possessively. I cling to it and say, "Because Gaara is my best friend in the whole world and even if I have to make friends with the mice and send secret messages I'll talk to him." I pouted at her and buried my head in the space where his neck and shoulder is.

Gaara is like my brother, humpf!

And then she did something weird. She laughed, and when I looked back all the adults where laughing or smiling.

"Hey, hey, what's so funny!" I don't like being laughed at, but I feel better when Gaara tells me that they aren't laughing at me.

They're laughing at what I said.

How come?

Kakashi's POV

I think that I agree one hundred percent with Jiraiya. This must be Arashi's son. This kid doesn't seem to realize all that much of what he's dealt with. And here are the four of us, the adults, grim faced and sad, trying to figure this out.

He really took my by surprise, the way he just burst out like that and seemed like a normal kid. At that moment, I think we all knew that this boy was going to make a full recovery some day.

This kid was going to survive.

But more then that, everyone around him, all these children...so long as they were around him they would also survive. He had this enigmatic power that gave you hope. Tsunade must have realized this too. She looked down at him, eyes slightly wide.

He was giving me hope, and that was something I threw away a long time ago...

This boy, I knew. He would become important in the life of any who he met.

Because he was sunlight, and happiness, and determination.

Oh god.

If Obito and Rin could hear him now, what would they say?

He knew.

They'd laughed until they cried, thats what they'd do.

Third Person POV

"What's your name brat?" Tsunade smiled childishly at Naruto.

He moved slightly forward and puffed out his chest, "Naruto!"

"Naruto eh?" The blonde seemed nervous, as if he was waiting for something negative. Tsunade's face softened and she smiled, ruffling his hair. "Thats a good name." He closed his eyes with the contact, opened an eye and with her confession broke out into the most dazzling smile she'd ever seen. "Arigato!" He seemed so...genuinely happy...

"Dr. Tsunade?" She came out of her reverie and looked up at Asuma and Kakashi. She stood quickly and nodded, her business tone back. "Alright, if you'll hand me the forms I'll be ready to release them from your custody. Shizune!"

"Hai!" She came forward and gathered all the children. "This way please." They formed little groups, Naruto grabbed Gaara's hand and dragged him off in the front, successfully establishing himself as their leader. There voices carried themselves to Tsunade and the two men, "Oi oi, lady! But I get to be with Gaara right? I didn't want to tell you but he gets scared!", "No I don't. You do.", "Don't betray me Gaara!" Until the sounds died away and she turned back to the two.

"Well. Lets get back to business."

Naruto POV

Wow! This place is /big/!

I mean, it looked big outside, but thats nothing compared to how it is inside! It's like a...

...a...a maze!

Gaara was interested again, so I decided to point every little thing out. I'm such a great friend aren't I?

She was showing us around, telling us where everything was and what it was for. It was a little confusing because there was just so much, but she told us that we'd 'get the hang of it' and that pretty soon we'd be like, extra special tour guides.

"Oh, then we can charge people like those people at the zoo?!" I'd never actually been to the zoo, but I was pretty sure you had to pay. I red Curious George a few times and I was pretty sure I was an expert at zoo's.

"I'm sorry Naruto-kun, but you wouldn't be able to leave your room by yourself, so I don't think you could do something like that." Aww! That wasn't any fun!

I think the next section is a special one. She acted like it was all the same, but you know what? I saw someone. I didn't really get a good look, but I do remember...

...black eyes...like coal or those dark rocks from volcano's. And it was weird.

She acted like she didn't know what I was talking about when I asked her!

"Nee-chan, are there other kids here?" She turned to look at me quizzically and shook her head. "Not that I know of Naruto-kun." I think she was happy that I called her nee-chan, but if you saw her you'd think she looked like a nee-chan too.

And what was that about? How could she not know what was going on in this place, wasn't she and the other lady the boss of this place?

But I'm sure I saw someone. He was watching us I think. And...was he alone?

I'm going to look for him...

He shouldn't have to be alone.

"...Naruto?"

"What?" Why was Gaara calling me like that? It was weird.

"...I saw him too."

-----

Finished! Yay. Next Chapter? Enter Sasuke.

o.