I've been blown away by the song Return but City Lights on the album "This is an Outrage!". I've never heard the book of Revelation used to beautifully in song.

It's 2AM (good God, I should be about done with a fic update by this time, not starting!) I decided I would update because I didn't want to make you guys wait much longer.. And… and I'm trying to keep up an update schedule… -sob-

Oh yes. And I've been playing Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood like crazy since it came out last week.

Last chapter, if you felt Ino was "blushy" sorry about that. I meant for her to only get a tiny bit flustered and embarrassed only a few times, though to some it might have seemed to be more then that… -shrugs-

Sora Filler: Yes. I'm aware that Asuma and Jiraiya were alive during the filler. (I also forgot about the mass-slaughter, ok?) THAT'S what makes this so different. I mean, I'd prefer if you made up your own version in your head about what could have occurred between Sora and Naruto, but, whatever. It's alright, just don't hate me for it. Man. I'm already pretty much caught up with continuity, and if you like me updating constantly like this, don't get agitated with me for grasping at straws. -trying to hold out and see if anything more with Sage Naruto occurs-

A BIG THANK YOU goes to--: CelticReaper, thinking-about-it, grumpy winter, Namikaze777, CrabbyOldHobbit, shelvesinthecloset, DarkSmile, A-man, DarkRavie, Yonboy86, saiyan prince1, Mrs-N-Uzumaki

(End of Writing note: I didn't proof-read this, so I apologize, and it's now 4:17 AM.)

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We licked our wounds and mourn the dead
Swallow the story hook and sinker
Is that what we meant when we said
That we never would forget?

Are we fools and cowards all
To let them cover up their lies?

Thrice, Broken Lungs, "The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV - Air & Earth"

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"Because, he's in my head Ino, and I need your help straightening this all out before I loose it and accidentally give Kyuubi control."

His words echoed in her thoughts, chilling her to the bone. His expression was difficult for Ino to swallow along with the information he'd just dumped on her plate. It was impossible, yet it made complete sense by just giving it a few second's worth of thought. She swallowed thickly, "Naruto?" her voice was unusually raspy.

Sweat trickled down the side of his face, "Yeah?"

"Could you tell me about the Kyuubi first? I… I think I need to know more about that first, before I can help you at all with your problem with Itachi…"

Yes Naruto, that was a little much and unwise.

Naruto shook himself and moved his gaze to the ground, allowing the chains of the swings to dig into his skin, "Right… Uh… well-" He had to think about this carefully. Why was it so much easier with Sakura? Was it because Gaara was dying, "The Kyuubi isn't something that can really be killed, same with the other tailed beasts… I guess. When the Kyuubi attacked Konoha, the only solution was… to seal him. From what I've come to know and understand, it's only really possible to do this with newborns since their chakra pathways haven't fully formed… and I just so happened to have the bad luck of being born on the day Kyuubi attacked."

Ino pondered this for a while, silence raining between the two blonds. One, attempting to keep a reign on his sanity and to shut up the annoying black crow in the back of his head, and the other simply digesting information. 'October 10th… the day the Fourth Hokage died, and the day Naruto was born… but…'

"You couldn't have been the only one born that day and year, Naruto."

He nodded, "I know that now… but even so, I don't have any idea why I was the one chosen. I don't know anything about my parents, and yet, despite being cursed with being a Jinchuuriki… the person who first showed the most care for me was the guy who used me as the keeper."

Ino observed her companion again, watching his features and studying him as he spoke, "So… was it the Yondaime who sealed the Kyuubi inside of you?"

Naruto nodded, "For whatever reason, it seemed… like it was the only option at the time."

She closed her eyes, thinking back to all she knew. She then looked towards the Hokage monument and studied the Fourth Hokage's features that had been carved upon its rough surface. A praised hero and legendary ninja. If there was anything to go by from the old textbooks, he had shocking yellow hair and unusually bright blue eyes. She tried to picture the monument's face with these colors as she thought.

"He wanted me to be known as a hero of the people, and to be treated well."

Ino started as she turned to him, noticing that he had joined her in gazing at the monument, "It was… his last dying wish." he made an unusually sarcastic snicker and facial expression, "The people betrayed him in his death, you know? He wanted something so simple, but instead they hailed him as hero, and I the demon."

His bitterness ran so cold and deep, despite all that he showed to the world. His mask had crumbled and fallen before her, and she honestly wasn't sure how to react. Normal Naruto she could yell at or laugh with, but this Naruto… was completely new.

It was also, probably very good for Naruto to have someone to vent these things to, "So that's why… that's why nice people like Mrs. Tachikawa could become so…"

"Bitchy?"

Ino gave him a look that he reciprocated with a small smirk, "…Yeah. Sure. I'd prefer horrible, but whatever. So… it's because the Kyuubi was sealed inside of you, and everyone blames you for the Yondaime's death and thinks you yourself are the Kyuubi itself?"

Naruto paused, "Yup. That about sums it up."

Ino sighed heavily and slumped, "I would have never thought a place like Konoha could do that to one of its own citizens…"

Naruto huffed, "It doesn't help that I found out about it the night after everyone had graduated from a teacher who'd only been using me to get the Yondaime's sealing scroll and planning to kill me."

Ino stared at Naruto shocked for a while before he got bothered, "What? I kicked his ass with the Kage Bunshin! It's the only reason I learned that move and graduated! Besides, I'm grateful, if only because I learned why everyone hated me."

Ino smacked her forehead, "Naruto… only you could take something so life shattering and make it into sarcastic banter that amuses mainly yourself."

"I didn't think it was funny."

"Well of course not, but still. You were so serious a moment ago!"

Naruto looked at her blankly for several minutes until he finally broke into a wide grin and laughed.

Ino, to be frank, was disturbed, "What the hell is so funny!?"

The blond just laughed and waved her off, "Nothing, nothing… it's just, here I was, wanting you to go into my head and try and sort this whole Itachi thing out… and I end up telling you about the furball and just…" he sobered up a bit, and got an unusually peaceful look about him, "I'm glad you don't seem to hate me."

Ino's eyes widened. Naruto thought she'd hate him for having the Kyuubi sealed in him? "Why would you think that?"

He looked at her oddly, "Why shouldn't I? With how I've been treated and… well, it's…" He scratched his head, "It's sort of hard to explain… uh…"

It clicked, "You're afraid of being rejected by us, aren't you, Naruto?"

Naruto sighed heavily, "It's my daily nightmare."

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"Give me your report."

Kakashi nodded solemnly, "There seems to be some unusual activity at the outer walls, but otherwise things seem… quiet."

Tsunade's brows furrowed in aggravation, "We aren't getting anywhere with this enemy, are we?"

"It seems not."

The Slug Sannin growled, "And Sora?"

Kakashi turned to the other occupant of the room, Yamato, "Mmh… He seems to be getting along decently with Naruto, but… he seems rather untrusting."

Tsunade nodded and leaned back into her chair, facing to the side as she clasped her hands, "Keep your guards up."

The two Jounin nodded and made a hasty exit.

'Four dead men, five unusual ninja, and one teenaged monk who has an attitude problem.' As usual, the odds were stacked up against her, but as always in gambling, she always played to win.

It just didn't help that if she won, she truly lost something far greater then the initial loss.

A soft rapping came to her door, "Tsunade-sama?"

The older beauty turned towards the door, "Come in."

Ino carefully opened and closed the door, a stack of files in her hands, "I have some papers here for you to look over…"

Tsunade grumbled, "As usual."

Ino set the stack of medical reports down, keeping one file to herself. Tsunade noticed this, "What's that you have there?"

The younger kunoichi shifted nervously, "I was… looking over a medical file."

Tsunade studied her for a moment, "Who's?"

Ino knew she was in trouble, but she hadn't been able to help herself at the time, "N…Naruto's."

The older woman's eyes became sharp as she clasped her hands in front of her face, "Why would you need to look through his medical files? What use or purpose do they serve you?"

Ino shuffled, knowing the sort of trouble she was in, "I had a thought… and found myself wondering whether or not Naruto has been… born premature."

"Explain yourself."

At least Ino would be given the ability to elaborate, "I… well, Naruto told me about the Kyuubi, and-"

Tsunade jerked up, "What? He told you? When did this happen?"

"Yesterday morning."

The Slug Sannin leant back in her seat and waved a hand, "Continue your little theory then."

Ino blinked and nodded, "I was wondering if he'd been born early because he seems to always… lag a bit behind physically. I can't say for sure of course, but he was unusually short for his age back when we were growing up…"

Tsunade looked at Ino seriously for several minutes, causing the younger ninja to experience a heavy dose of anxiety.

"You would be correct."

Ino's eyes widened, "What-?"

Tsunade held up a hand, "This information doesn't leave the room."

Ino placed Naruto's file on top of the stack on Tsunade's desk and nodded.

The older woman thought back, "Kyuubi's attacks had been tracked since he came close to our borders. At the time, it seemed that it would go past the village. Yet, it suddenly changed its course and made a bee-line for the heart of Konoha. This caused a scramble on the Yondaime's part, and the completion of the method to seal it. However, the necessity of a newborn child for the sealing made things incredibly difficult for him, since who would ever be willing to give up their child for another person? So as the Kyuubi drew nearer, I was approached by Naruto's mother who knew about the Fourth's predicament."

"We discussed for a whole week until I decided that she would not back down from her offer, and so, the Yondaime was informed of the plan she and I had come up with. At first, he was adamantly against it, but as the Kyuubi drew closer to the village, the high council gave him and ultimatum, and a decision had to be made."

"October 9th, at 9 o' clock in the evening, the decision was made for him as the Kyuubi entered the city limits, destroying an outer wall of the village. I was called with a team, and Naruto's mother went into induced labor for 8 hours until Naruto was born. He was then brought to the Yondaime, and from there… well, most can only guess what happened in the meantime, but many can tell what the final product of their efforts were. Kyuubi was sealed by sunrise that day of October 10th."

Ino clenched her hands, trying to process all of this.

Tsunade's expression turned ironic, "It's amazing… the things that happened to that boy soon after he was born was what drove me away from the village, and yet, twelve years later he's the very thing that brought me back."

Ino could only find it in herself to cry for the incredible loss.

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Next chapter: City on FAIAH!! …or flooded with Zombies. Take your pick. (I hope to get that far. Goodness knows we don't need to make the "Sora Arc" last any longer then necessary. Hahah-- )

You know, finding out Shinichi played violin was shocking to me. It makes complete sense, but I either forgot the fact, or they just decided to throw it in there since it makes his ability to read notes make sense, considering how bad he is at singing (thus, moot point). -shrugs- (Hurray for Movie 12 OVA of Detective Conan -dies-)

Uhm… hope you enjoyed? -nervous-

REVIEW! (My 22nd birthday's October 14th! X3 )