Disclaimer-I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters that I may mention in my story. Or maybe I do….pft! Nah, I don't. That has always been so irritating lmao. So guys, there is something that I would like to ask. Are you guys enjoying this fic? Reviews and comments have been pretty dry lately, and that makes me think that maybe I'm wasting my time? Your reviews mean so much to me as a writer, and I appreciate anything you're willing to give. All that aside, I don't want to keep you guys from enjoying the chapter! Please enjoy! Here is… Friends!

Speech & Dialogue-" Regular Text"

Thoughts-" Italics"

Kyuubi-" Bold Text"

Naruto was lost. Lost in a vast black existence. Never in his life did he remember spending so much time unconscious; time, after time. Quite frankly, he was getting tired of it. " Spending so much time in this awful darkness can't be healthy for a growing ninja" he thought to himself with what could be described as a slight pouty tone. " I just can't seem to stay well ever since…" Naruto cut himself off. He couldn't go there. Not yet.

Ever since his accident, Naruto knew that something was terribly wrong. Where were his teammates? Where was his sensei? Why was it that when he asked about them, people looked at him like he was crazy? Naruto knew that whatever it was, it couldn't have been good. Unfortunately for him, he hadn't really had time to investigate before people were accusing him of not being a ninja of the Hidden Leaf, or of being a spy. " A spy? Gah!" he thought to himself. Naruto had finally made a home for himself. There was absolutely no way in hell that he would risk it by doing something as stupid as going against his village.

" Home….." Naruto thought once more. " I never thought that I, Naruto Uzumaki, would find a home!" Naruto basked in the quiet blackness as he remembered the memories he had already managed to form with his new team. Sure, they were few in numbers, but to Naruto they meant more than life itself. " I don't know what I would have done if they hadn't come into my life…" Naruto thought in a contemplative tone.

Suddenly, Naruto grew morose. There were some things that he just simply couldn't understand. Why hadn't he seen his friends? Why hadn't they come and visited him to make sure he was okay? He expected that he probably wouldn't see much of Sakura as she would probably be fawning over the injured Uchiha, but Sensei?

Once again, Naruto Uzumaki felt alone. Tears leaked down his whiskered cheeks. He couldn't see them in the blackness, but he sure as hell felt them. Tears of loneliness. Naruto Uzumaki was more acquainted with these kinds of tears, than any child ever should be. Time, after time people had told him that he was worthless; that he would never amount to anything. " What if they were right? What if my purpose in life is to cause others grief? " Naruto thought depressively to himself.

Naruto? The word echoed throughout the darkness. " Huh? What was that?" Naruto thought in an alarmed manner. Naruto, wake up! More strange words found their way to Naruto. " Who is calling my name? Who?" Naruto contemplated. Naruto waited for more words to come, but they never did. That seemed to be the story of his life. He waited for someone, anyone to make him feel worthwhile. When he finally managed to find those people, he lost them all too soon. Naruto began to stare out into the ebony. Tears continued to leak from his eyes in heavy streams of pain.

Naruto sat that was for what seemed like forever. An endless stream of liquid draining from Naruto's eyes carried with it both his energy, and his will to fight against the darkness. Naruto clenched his eyes shut, hoping that the tears and bad thoughts would be cut off as well as his already nonexistent vision. They weren't. The tears simply continued to flow. Naruto curled into a fetal position. Rocking back, and forth, he tried to calm his already frayed nerves. " It seems as if all I feel is pain. If not emotional pain, it becomes physical. Why? Why am I like this?" he asks himself. No answer came, and it only made him feel worse.

Naruto remained rocking away his sorrows until something distracted him from him misery, if only for a moment. A light in the dark. Slowly peaking his eyes open, Naruto tried to see what the bright light was. " What….?" he thought in awe. The light grew larger, and larger. Closing the distance between itself, and Naruto, the light seemed to be rapidly approaching.

Naruto sat up. Tons of question's filled his mind. All concentric around a single subject. That light. Feeling almost compelled, Naruto reached his hand out towards the light. The speeding light seemed to know exactly what Naruto intended to do, and slowed to gently rest in Naruto's outstretched hand. A feeling of warmth overcame Naruto. " What is this? Why am I so warm inside?" he wondered. The feeling was unlike anything Naruto had ever felt before. Feeling so at home, Naruto simply closed his eyes to the feeling of pure comfort.

Naruto, please come back. There they go again. Naruto's eyes shot open, and he stared deeply into the light. He knew for sure that he was hearing words that weren't his own. Now he was certain. Focusing his eyes more, Naruto brought his outstretched hand to cup it with his other free hand. " What a beautiful light…." Naruto thought out loud. Naruto knew that he never wanted to lose this light. He would never feel like this again without it.

In a single movement, Naruto brought both of his hands to his chest to try and trap that light forever. For a moment, the light seemed to fade into inky blackness. " What? No! Come back!" Naruto screamed into the night. The tears began anew, and Naruto hung his head in despair. He stayed like that for a single moment. Only a moment. Gripping his chest where he thought he had trapped the light, Naruto screamed at an overwhelming feeling that was coursing through his body. Lying on his back, Naruto grunted at the strange feeling. Moving his hand away, Naruto saw a single beam of light appear from his chest. Staring in anticipation, Naruto remained still. More rays burst forth from his chest before Naruto was completely engulfed in radiant light.

Naruto was too stunned to move or speak. Instead he simply chose to lie down and surrender to the light. Closing his eyes, Naruto had only a single thought.

Home….


Minato was absolutely baffled. One moment, he was watching the staff take Naruto away on a bed, and the next he was worried that the whole hospital was going to collapse! He remembered cupping his hands over his ears to try and block out some of the deafening roars that threatened to do in his eardrums. After hearing screams, and feeling the entire building shake, Minato decided to investigate what was happening. Running past the check-in desk, Minato rushed past room after room, and found nothing. It was then that the building shook with a violent intensity. Staggering, Minato knew he had to go up to one of the above ground floors.

He entered the stairwell. Racing up each step like his life depended on it, Minato was about enter the second floor when he heard screams. They clearly came from the end of the floor, so he ripped the door open, and began sprinting towards the end of the hall. Finally reaching the end, he turned to see something that would be branded into his memory forever.

Naruto was…..transforming. After that, he memories were spotty. Minato remembered gasping in shock at the sight before him, when an object collided with his head. When he came to, he was resting in an overnight room. Minato immediately went on guard. Something was wrong. Last he remembered, the hospital was in havoc trying to deal with….with….Naruto!

Minato wandered around his room, looking for his own clothing. After changing back into his normal outfit, Minato decided to investigate what happened after he lost consciousness. Sliding his door open, Minato didn't sense anyone watching him, so he slipped out of his room undetected. It took him a matter of seconds to find the stairwell that took him the second floor the first time, and once again he sped up the steps with an eager energy. Pulling the door open, Minato began walking towards the end of the hall.

His eyes bulged in surprise at what he saw. The room was demolished! It was like a storm had appeared in the room, and wreaked havoc within. There were cracks in the ceiling, walls, and the floor. There was glass everywhere, and the contents of the drawers had flown all over the place. Minato was so stunned at the sight, that he didn't hear the footsteps approaching behind him. " Namikaze. I figured I would see you here. Come with me," Hiruzen rasped out calmly.

Minato, still speechless, followed his orders silently. As curious as he was, Minato was a man of protocol. He would never defy a direct order from the man whom he looked up to. They walked away from the destruction that lied behind them, and Minato found himself walking behind the Lord Third while going up even more stairs. Flight, after flight of stairs continued to fall behind them until they had finally reached the fifth, and final floor of the hospital.

Minato was vaguely aware that this floor was for the potentially dangerous patients that required supervision. It was because of that, that he couldn't figure out why the Lord Third was bringing him up here. " What is the purpose of this? Is he going to entrust something to me?" Minato thought. Minato was brought out of his thoughts when he realized that the Third had stopped in his tracks. It was then that Hiruzen turned around to face Minato directly. " My, I can practically see the gears shifting wildly within your brilliant mind Minato," the Hokage stated curiously. There was a slight humorous gleam within the Hokage's eyes that made Minato feel somewhat uncomfortable.

" Lord Third, if I may. Why is it that you have brought me up here? Unless I am mistaken, this ward is specifically for potentially dangerous individuals?" Minato asked while squinting his eyes slightly in confusion. Hiruzen smiled, but said nothing feeling that it would prove more effective to show, rather than tell. Minato patiently waited for a response from his Hokage, but it never came. Instead, Hiruzen simply turned around, and walked to a door that led to a patients room. Coming to a halt, HIruzen placed his hand on the sliding door. Before going in, he said " Minato, there are things that we must discuss in private, but I do wish that you keep an open mind about them. Can I ask this of you?" Minato nodded cautiously. For some reason, he felt like he was stepping into something that he would regret later on.

The Lord Third slid open the door, and stepped in with Minato following closely behind. Minato finally crossed into the room, and he was met with an interesting sight. Before them both was once again, an unconscious Naruto that appeared to be healthier than ever. He appeared to be resting peacefully. His golden locks messy as ever, and his sun kissed skin a healthy tan color. It was because of this, though, that Minato was confused. What exactly was Lord Third trying to tell him?

" Minato, do you remember anything before you were knocked out?" the Hokage asked him sternly. Minato was taken aback? " Do I remember anything? What does he mea-!" His thought was cut short at the violent memory of a monster wreaking havoc within the hospital. He remembered how disfigured it looked, and also being terrified by its appearance. Those deafening roars began to echo in his ears as if he was reliving the experience.

Lost in his memories, Minato almost didn't notice that the Lord Third has placed his hand on his shoulder in a comforting gesture. " Minato, it's alright. The danger is gone now. No need to worry." Minato glanced into the wise eyes of his Hokage. Those eyes seemed to have a calming effect on him, and for that he was grateful. " Minato, I feel that there isn't any way to divulge this to you easily so I am just going to be blunt with what I am about to tell you," Hiruzen stated rather anxiously.

" What you saw yesterday, that monster, that was Naruto," HIruzen said. Minato was at a loss. Loss of words, thoughts, everything. Shock began to run its course throughout his body, and he did nothing to snap out of it. " That monster…. was Naruto!?" Minato asked himself. It was then that the first words in a couple minutes escaped his rosy lips. " Lord Third, h-how….w-w-what…..I d-dont….." he managed to stutter out. Hiruzen was afraid this would happen.

Naruto was already at a disadvantage for arriving in a village where he was an enigma, and now he would have to deal with the consequences of what he was. Hiruzen himself was still in a bit of shock at the what had occurred, but at the same time he was old enough to know that the Naruto he met with, was not the same Naruto who underwent that transformation. Hiruzen only hoped that his plan would work out in the end.

" Minato, please sit with me," Hiruzen asked while motioning towards the table in the corner of the room. As they took their seats, Hiruzen took a deep breath and exhaled as he prepared for the task that sat before him. He formulated his words carefully, and then spoke. " Minato as you are now well aware, there are things about Naruto that we don't know about on top of him suddenly showing up. It is because of that, that we need to exercise caution now more than ever," Hiruzen said gently.

Minato was trying to process everything that the Lord Third was throwing at him. His mind was scattered. " Naruto was that…thing? How? What does he mean by "exercise caution?"" Minato thought all at the same time. " Lord Third…. what is it exactly that you're asking me to do?" he asked gingerly. The two men sat there looking at each other. Analyzing. The gazes weren't combative, more like curious. What was the other going to do or say?

HIruzen was the first to break the silence. " Minato I want you to befriend Naruto. Seeing as how you are well aware of what he is capable of, I hope you will be able to find a friend within Naruto despite his awful powers," he said while maintaining direct eye contact. Hiruzen knew that he had to play his hand delicately. The truth was that he needed someone who could get Naruto to open up about who he was, and as a result integrate the child into the village. However, based on the interaction between the two in the his office, HIruzen was hard pressed to believe that things would simply fall into place. He could only hope that Minato's uncommon kindness would extend to Naruto despite his reservations.

Minato sat quietly, and tried to understand what his Hokage was asking of him. "Befriend him….?" the question hung in the air. The tension was palpable. Hiruzen only grunted, and nodded his head in response. " It will be easier to get Naruto on our side, if he feels as if he belongs here. So far we have had to take precautions against him being a spy or worse. Hospitable isn't how you would describe our actions as of yet, wouldn't you say?" Hiruzen continued.

" But Lord Third! You saw what he became! How are you even still considering pleasant interaction and freedom with him? With the power he demonstrated before, he could cause untold damage to the village!" Minato said irately. Konoha was his home, and there was no way that Minato was going to sit idly by and allow someone to hurt this comrades. He would rather die.

Hiruzen didn't reply immediately. He understood where the young ninja was coming from, but he hadn't expected this kind of reaction from him. Why was it that he was reacting so negatively? From what the staff at the hospital told him, Minato brought Naruto into the building with concern etched into his very face, and movements. Did he have a change of heart about Naruto after what he saw? Whatever it was, Hiruzen saw that he wasn't getting anywhere with his suggestive tactics, so now he was going to bring it up a notch.

" Minato, if you must, think of this as an extended mission. I need you to find out as much as you can about Naruto and report back when he divulges important details. Can I entrust this assignment to you?" Hiruzen asked seriously. Minato seemed to sense the change in the atmosphere because he suddenly looked away from Hiruzen's stare, and hung his head. " Hai. I will gladly take this assignment, Lord Third," Minato rasped out. Hiruzen knew that the words were forced, but for now there was nothing more that he could do.

Without saying a word, Hiruzen stood up, and moved away from the table. He walked over to Naruto's bed side, and the same thought came racing back; pushing aside all others. " What are you child?" he thought once again. Hiruzen then walked toward's the door, slid it open, and walked out closing the door behind him.


Minato didn't know what to think. He was still caught up over the fact that what he saw before wasn't simply a monster. No. It was Naruto! How? Many other questions flooded his brain, but he was offered no relief. Just unanswered questions. Minato rose his head, and looked across the room to where his charge was laying. To the normal individual, the teen would appear to be normal. Minato wasn't so sure anymore.

Minato got up, and made his way to where the Lord Third was standing before he left. Though he was experiencing many things right now, among them was immense curiosity. He would never admit it, but this child both fascinated, and terrified him at the same time. There was just something about him that made Minato want to figure him out. The problem was…he was scared. Whatever Naruto is, whatever happened, he put a seed of terror into Minato's heart. Now, Minato just simply didn't know how to feel.

Minato ran his gaze across Naruto's face. Minato was hesitant to speak, but he managed. " Naruto…." he whispered. Minato wanted answers. He wanted them badly, but he didn't even know how to go about getting them. " Naruto, wake up!" he said firmly, yet still maintaining a soft tone. His words did nothing. Naruto remained inanimate. His breaths were soft, and subtle. To most people, it would look like he is sleeping. To most he would appear like a normal teenager. Minato knew better. Everything he witnessed spoke against any semblance of normalcy.

Minato's gaze stayed on Naruto's face. A specific feature caught his eyes. Gazing at them intently, Minato wondered if Naruto's whisker marks were textured or not. Every instinct in his body told him not to touch him, but his curiosity got the better of him. Minato raised a cautious hand, and slowly extended it towards the boys face. The distance seemed to be infinite at the speed he was reaching across. When his fingers finally made contact, Minato gasped in shock.

" He is so warm!" Minato observed.

Making sure Naruto made no reaction to something on his face, Minato ran his fingers along the very noticeable whisker marks that etched themselves into the younger blondes face. Smooth. They were completely smooth as if they didn't exist at all. Minato's fascination only grew at that. He rubbed his thumb back, and forth across those whisker marks as if trying to rub them off. It was then that Naruto began to stir in his sleep. Minato jerked his hand back so hard, that it collided with his chest with a thump.

Taking a few steps back, Minato continued to watch as Naruto showed signs of waking up. He held his breath as Naruto suddenly took in a deep breath, and exhaled dramatically. Naruto then went still. Minato was befuddled, and stepped closer to see if Naruto was okay. Walking back up the bed-side Minato rested his palms on the edge of the bed, and began to lean over to get a better look at Naruto's face since it had shifted.

Minato was leaning over when Naruto's eyelids began to flutter open. Minato froze in fear. " Shit! I've been caught!" he internally screamed. Naruto seemed to be very disoriented and was trying to understand his surroundings. Minato wanted more than anything to move away, but he just couldn't seem to get his feet to work. Minato looked back to Naruto's face, and simply stared into the oceans that existed in the teens eyes. He didn't hear it when Naruto spoke his first words in that familiar raspy tone.

" Minato? What are you doing?"


Author's Note-WELL HELLO AGAIN! This was a pretty fast update compared to the last few chapters, but thanks to me managing to come down with the Flu, I have had some free time. I hope you guys really enjoyed it. Remember to comment/review, or send me a pm as I really do appreciate all of your suggestions. If you are confused about something, feel free to ask me about it. Have a great day/evening everyone! Until next time. ;) ;) ;)